NWSL Decision Day is here, and several major prizes are still undecided. The Shield, the right to host a quarterfinal and the last playoff place will all be settled during the final weekend of the regular season.
Kickoff times and where to watch
All 16 teams play at 5 p.m. ET on Sunday, Nov. 1.
Gotham FC’s match against Utah Royals FC will air on ESPN and ESPN Deportes. The other seven games will be available on ESPN+.
- Gotham FC vs. Utah Royals FC — ESPN and ESPN Deportes
- Washington Spirit vs. Chicago Stars FC — ESPN+
- Seattle Reign FC vs. Orlando Pride — ESPN+
- North Carolina Courage vs. Denver Summit FC — ESPN+
- Racing Louisville FC vs. Kansas City Current — ESPN+
- Angel City FC vs. Boston Legacy FC — ESPN+
- Houston Dash vs. Portland Thorns FC — ESPN+
- Bay FC vs. San Diego Wave FC — ESPN+
Viewers outside the United States can watch all eight matches on NWSL+.
NWSL Shield
Gotham FC, on 58 points with a plus-13 goal difference, and San Diego Wave, on 55 points with the same goal difference, are the remaining contenders for the Shield.
Gotham FC will secure the Shield if it:
- Wins or draws against Utah Royals FC
- Loses, while San Diego draws or loses
San Diego Wave will take the Shield if it wins at Bay FC and Gotham loses. The teams would then be level on points, with goal difference serving as the first tiebreaker.
Race for the No. 4 seed
Four teams are still mathematically in contention for fourth place and a home quarterfinal, though the race is mostly between Kansas City Current, which has 50 points and a plus-13 goal difference, and Angel City FC, with 49 points and a plus-19 goal difference.
Home form could matter. Kansas City is on a club-record 32-game unbeaten streak at CPKC Stadium, with a 25-0-7 record there, including an 11-0-4 mark in 2026. Angel City is 6-5-3 at BMO Stadium and has avoided defeat in its last five home games.
On the road, though, Angel City has been stronger: its record is 8-3-4, compared with Kansas City’s 4-9-1.
Kansas City Current will clinch a home quarterfinal if it:
- Wins at Racing Louisville
- Draws at Racing Louisville and Angel City draws or loses
- Loses at Racing Louisville and Angel City also loses
Kansas City can also finish third if it wins and Washington Spirit loses.
Angel City will clinch a home quarterfinal if it:
- Beats Boston Legacy FC and Kansas City draws or loses
- Draws against Boston Legacy FC and Kansas City loses
Final playoff place
Seattle Reign, currently eighth with 44 points and a plus-3 goal difference, controls its playoff fate. North Carolina Courage has 42 points and a plus-9 goal difference, while Denver Summit has 41 points and a plus-12 goal difference. North Carolina and Denver meet in the final round.
Seattle Reign will clinch a playoff place if it:
- Beats Orlando Pride
- Draws or loses against Orlando, while North Carolina and Denver both draw
North Carolina Courage will clinch a playoff place if it beats Denver Summit and Seattle draws or loses.
Denver Summit will clinch a playoff place if it wins at North Carolina and Seattle loses.
Tiebreakers
- Goal difference
- Most wins
- Most goals scored
- Head-to-head results, measured by total points earned
- Most goals scored in head-to-head matches
- Fewest disciplinary points:
- Yellow card: 1 point
- Indirect red card resulting from two yellow cards: 3 points
- Direct red card: 4 points
- Yellow card and direct red card: 5 points
- Only one of these point totals applies to a player in a single game.
- Coin toss for two teams, or drawing of lots for three or more teams
