Photo by David L. Ryan, The Boston Globe
The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) has announced that there is set to be a women’s soccer team in the Massachusetts capital opening in 2026.
Boston has been awarded expansion rights for the NWSL’s 15th team!
— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 19, 2023
This comes in the wake of a five year lack of representation for women’s soccer in the city. The Boston Breakers, the last professional female side, was dissolved in 2018 after an 11 year run as a team.
Boston is known for its world reputed sports teams including baseball side, the Red Sox as well as American football team, the New England Patriots. This makes the competition for soccer representation that much more intense.
“I’m excited to expand the NWSL’s footprint and continue its transformative growth in our return to Boston, one of the world’s most iconic sports cities”, said NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman.
Echoing Berman's thoughts Boston mayor Michelle Yu stated, “As the City of Champions, Boston sets the standard for athletic excellence and fans’ devotion to our teams. It’s fitting and absolutely thrilling for Boston to be a home for women’s soccer, hosting a franchise that will partner so closely with our community and especially our schools.”
At present, Massachusetts is home to a professional men’s side, the New England Revolution, currently in second place in the Major League Soccer (MLS) table. Despite their national standing the club’s stadium is not located in Boston but instead south of the state capital in Foxborough.
The new women’s team will be based in Boston's White Stadium where a 30 million dollar renovation will be undertaken.
This will give this new women’s team a chance to be Boston’s own soccer club, located closer to the city centre, allowing for a larger population to support the side. Considering that the team is set to start playing in 2026, a year before the next Women’s World Cup, the side is well prepared for an outburst of enthusiastic soccer fans.
