Gotham and Seattle Face High-Stakes Sunday in NWSL Finale

Gotham FC and Seattle Reign enter the final day of the 2026 NWSL season with maximum stakes on Sunday. Eight games kick off simultaneously at 5 p.m. ET across the ESPN network, creating a scenario where every result impacts playoff seeding and the regular season title.

Gotham leads the league standings with 58 points after a record of 17 wins, 5 losses, and 7 draws. The team has held the top spot for the last 11 match weeks. A win or a draw against the Utah Royals at home secures Gotham their first NWSL Shield. San Diego Wave, sitting in second with 55 points, can only claim the title if they defeat Bay FC while Gotham loses. If both outcomes occur, the teams tie on points, but San Diego gains the advantage on goal difference, flipping the current 14 to 13 margin in their favor.

The final playoff berth remains undecided. Seattle Reign holds eighth place with 44 points. North Carolina Courage follows with 42, and expansion side Denver Summit has 41. Seattle needs a victory over Orlando Pride to secure their ninth playoff appearance in 13 seasons. A draw also qualifies the Reign if North Carolina loses to Denver. North Carolina must beat Denver and receive help from Seattle to advance. Denver has only one path: a win over North Carolina and a loss for Seattle. Denver currently leads the league in scoring with 53 goals.

Seattle midfielder Jess Fishlock plays her final match for the Reign on Sunday. She announced her retirement after this season and remains the only player still with her original team from the league's 2013 debut. Seattle seeks its first NWSL Championship despite holding three Shields and three final appearances.

North Carolina forward Ashley Sanchez enters the day with 20 goals, tied for the single-season record. She is virtually guaranteed the Golden Boot, as Orlando's Barbra Banda trails with 17. Banda will miss Sunday's match due to CDC travel restrictions following a return from Uganda. Sanchez has not scored in her last three games but will play in her 30th match of this longest season in league history.

Seeding determines home-field advantage in the quarterfinals. Washington Spirit and Kansas City Current hold third and fourth place. Washington can finish second with a win and a San Diego loss. Kansas City can fall to fifth if they lose to Racing Louisville and Angel City defeats Boston. Kansas City has lost only one home regular season game since opening CPKC Stadium in 2024.

Utah Royals and Angel City FC have never hosted a playoff game. Utah needs a win over Gotham, a Louisville win over Kansas City, and a Boston win or draw against Angel City to host. Angel City can secure home field with a win over Boston combined with a Chicago win over Washington or a Louisville win or draw with Kansas City.