The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) announced it will allow teams to spend up to $1 million more than the existing salary cap on select players.
The million dollar figure can be spent on one or multiple players on a team who meet the high impact player (HIP) criteria. This threshold will also increase alongside the salary cap each year; for the 2026 season, the salary cap will be $3.5 million.
Players must meet one of the following criteria:
Player is on SportsPro Media Top 150 Most Marketable Athletes within the one (1) year prior to the current league season; or,
Player is selected in the Top 30 in Ballon d’Or voting in the two (2) years prior to the current league season; or
Player is selected in the Top 40 of the Guardian Top 100 football players in the world in the two (2) years prior; or
Player is selected in the Top 40 of ESPN FC Top 50 football players in the world in the two (2) years prior; or
Top 11 minutes played for the USWNT in the prior two (2) calendar years for field players for all competition types; or
Top one (1) minutes played for USWNT in the prior two (2) calendar years for goalkeepers for all competition types; or
Player selected as NWSL MVP Finalist within previous the two (2) league seasons; or
Player selected to the End of Year NWSL Best XI First Team within the previous two (2) league seasons.
Based on the requirement, BLFC’s Amanda Gutierres (finished 21st in Ballon d’Or ranking) and Casey Murphy (last national team cap in October 2024) are considered high impact players.
The Legacy declined to comment on how these changes will affect contracts and structuring.
The rule will go into effect July 1, 2026, but teams are able to sign high impact players immediately. Of a designated player’s contract, a minimum of $420,000 (12%) must count toward the salary cap.
This decision is the NWSL’s solution to retain top talent in the league. Most recently, the league denied the Washington Spirit’s attempt to renew Trinity Rodman’s contract on a multimillion dollar deal, saying it went against the “spirit” of the league.
The NWSL Players Association filed a grievance against the NWSL on behalf of Rodman saying the rejection violated the collective bargaining agreement.
The union also disputed the HIP proposal last week, arguing that the league should raise the salary cap by $1 million instead.
“Fair pay is realized through fair, collectively bargained compensation systems, not arbitrary classifications,” the NWSLPA said in a statement. “A league that truly believes in the value of its Players would not be afraid to bargain over it.”
The NWSLPA intends to continue to take action against the league in order to protect its players’ rights.