Seattle Reign FC defeated the Orlando Pride1-0 to secure their ninth playoff berth in club history. The journey to the championship starts on the road in New Jersey against Gotham FC, the number 1 ranked team in the league. Everything is on the line in the match. Here’s what to know about the NWSL playoffs:
QUARTERFINALS
The top eight teams in the league qualified for a playoff spot, beginning with the quarterfinal round. Every team that qualified for the postseason will play a match this weekend – the full slate of fixtures can be found below:
Friday, November 6
7:00 p.m. PT / San Diego Wave FC will host the Utah Royals FC, streaming live on Prime Video
Saturday, November 7
9:00 a.m. PT / Kansas City Current will host Angel City FC, streaming on CBS and Paramount+
Sunday, November 8
9:30 a.m. PT / Gotham FC will host the Seattle Reign, air nationally on ABC and ESPN Deportes and stream on the ESPN App for unlimited subscribers
12:00 p.m. PT / Washington Spirit will host the Portland Thorns, airing nationally on ABC and ESPN Deportes and stream on the ESPN App for unlimited subscribers.
As there must be a winner in each match, two 15-minute extra time periods will be played if the score is tied after 90 minutes of regulation. If the score is still tied after extra time, a penalty shoot-out will determine the winner.
Teams are also allowed the use of an additional substitute in extra time and an addition substitution window.
The playoffs are a single-elimination tournament, meaning that the winner of each match advances, while the loser is eliminated and sees their 2026 NWSL season come to a close. Through the quarterfinals and semifinals, the higher-seeded team will host the match, unless venue availability prevents it. The finals will be hosted at Audi Field in Washington, D.C.
SEMIFINALS
The semifinal round begins the weekend of November 13 and will feature the following matchups:
The winner of the 1 vs. 8 game plays the winner of the 4 vs. 5 game
The winner of the 2 vs. 7 game plays the winner of the 3 vs. 6 game
CHAMPIONSHIP
The winner of each semifinal match will advance to the NWSL Championship, presented by Google Pixel, on November 21 at Audi Field to determine the league winner.