Gotham FC defeated the OL Reign 2-1 on Saturday to win the club’s first-ever NWSL championship, completing an incredible run for the franchise.
In 2022, Gotham was the worst team in the NWSL, finishing last out of the league’s 12 teams while losing 17 of its 22 matches. This season, the club representing New Jersey and New York squeaked into the postseason, earning the sixth and final playoff berth. Gotham then won its next three matches to be crowned 2023 champions.
More than 25,000 fans, an NWSL championship record, filled Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego on Saturday night, capping a banner year for the league. During the regular season, more than 1 million fans attended games — the most ever for the NWSL.
When the NWSL retakes the field next spring, it will welcome the league’s 13th and 14th clubs as franchises launch in Utah and the Bay Area. The league is also exploring the possibility of adding two more teams by 2026.
The 2024 season will also mark the start of a historic new set of media rights deals. Amazon, CBS, ESPN, and Scripps Sports will pay a combined $240 million over four years to broadcast NWSL games, an increase of more than 40 times over the previous deals.
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