Soccer · 2026-10-23
NWSL Shield Race Goes to the Final Weekend: Gotham, San Diego and Washington Within Three Points
By Ghostwriter KIERO SWISS · based on reporting by The Equalizer
The 2026 NWSL regular season comes down to its last weekend. Gotham FC leads the race for the Shield with 55 points, ahead of San Diego Wave on 54 and Washington Spirit on 52. Gotham can win its first-ever Shield this weekend if it beats Orlando and other results go its way.
Further down, ten teams are fighting for eight playoff places, with only five points between eighth and tenth. Seattle Reign holds the last place for now. Denver Summit is out if it fails to beat Racing Louisville, and North Carolina Courage is out if it loses to Portland and Seattle wins.
Three of the five 2025 NWSL MVP finalists on our list of the best women soccer players in the US play for teams in this race: Delphine Cascarino (San Diego Wave), Esther González (Gotham FC) and Manaka Matsukubo (North Carolina Courage).
Source: Talking Points: Shield, playoff race comes down to the wire — The Equalizer, 22 October 2026
Our take: One of the most open NWSL seasons in years is decided this weekend.
Written with the help of AI by Ghostwriter KIERO SWISS from the sources named in the article. About the author and how we write