The eighth season the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) begins on the weekend of April 18–19, 2020. The regular season runs through Sunday, October 18, 2020.
Current league champions the North Carolina Courage will host the Chicago Red Stars in a matchup of the 2019 NWSL Championship. The Washington Spirit open up at Audi Field agains the Reign FC and Sky Blue FC will host its home opener at Red Bull Arena the following weekend on April 26, 2020.
Key Dates
Key dates include a short break for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, semifinal weekend, and the league final, which will be in November — the latest championship weekend to date. (FIFA dates are blocked out from October 19–31.)
- Season starts: April 18–19
- Olympic break: July 20–26
- Regular season ends: October 18
- Playoffs: November 8
- NWSL Championship: November 14
Format
All teams will play 24 games in a single-table format (12 home games, 12 away games), with teams playing each opponent three times.
After the end of the regular season, the top four team in the table will advance to the NWSL semifinals to be played on November 8. The semifinals winners advance to the league championship on November 14.
Full Schedule
All times Eastern.
| Day | Date | Time | Home | Away | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday | April 18 | 1:00 PM | Washington Spirit | Reign FC | Audi Field |
| Saturday | April 18 | 7:00 PM | North Carolina Courage | Chicago Red Stars | Sahlen's Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park |
| Saturday | April 18 | 10:30 PM | Portland Thorns | Utah Royals FC | Providence Park |
| Sunday | April 19 | 5:00 PM | Orlando Pride | Sky Blue FC | Exploria Stadium |
| Friday | April 24 | 10:00 PM | Utah Royals FC | Orlando Pride | Rio Tinto Stadium |
| Saturday | April 25 | 7:00 PM | Chicago Red Stars | Portland Thorns | SeatGeek Stadium |
| Saturday | April 25 | 8:30 PM | Houston Dash | North Carolina Courage | BBVA Stadium |
| Sunday | April 26 | 5:00 PM | Sky Blue FC | Reign FC | Red Bull Arena |
| Wednesday | April 29 | 7:00 PM | North Carolina Courage | Portland Thorns | Sahlen's Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park |
| Saturday | May 2 | 7:00 PM | Washington Spirit | Utah Royals FC | Maryland SoccerPlex |
| Saturday | May 2 | 7:30 PM | Orlando Pride | North Carolina Courage | Exploria Stadium |
| Sunday | May 3 | 4:00 PM | Reign FC | Chicago Red Stars | Cheney Stadium |
| Sunday | May 3 | 8:00 PM | Houston Dash | Sky Blue FC | BBVA Stadium |
| Wednesday | May 6 | 10:30 PM | Portland Thorns | Orlando Pride | Providence Park |
| Saturday | May 9 | 4:00 PM | Sky Blue FC | Washington Spirit | Red Bull Arena |
| Saturday | May 9 | 7:00 PM | Reign FC | North Carolina Courage | Cheney Stadium |
| Saturday | May 9 | 8:00 PM | Chicago Red Stars | Utah Royals FC | SeatGeek Stadium |
| Saturday | May 9 | 10:30 PM | Portland Thorns | Houston Dash | Providence Park |
| Wednesday | May 13 | 7:30 PM | Sky Blue FC | North Carolina Courage | Red Bull Arena |
| Wednesday | May 13 | 7:30 PM | Washington Spirit | Chicago Red Stars | Maryland SoccerPlex |
| Saturday | May 16 | 4:30 PM | Portland Thorns | Reign FC | Providence Park |
| Saturday | May 16 | 7:00 PM | North Carolina Courage | Washington Spirit | Sahlen's Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park |
| Saturday | May 16 | 8:30 PM | Houston Dash | Utah Royals FC | BBVA Stadium |
| Sunday | May 17 | 6:00 PM | Chicago Red Stars | Orlando Pride | SeatGeek Stadium |
| Friday | May 22 | 10:00 PM | Utah Royals FC | Portland Thorns | Rio Tinto Stadium |
| Saturday | May 23 | 7:00 PM | North Carolina Courage | Orlando Pride | Sahlen's Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park |
| Saturday | May 23 | 7:00 PM | Reign FC | Washington Spirit | Cheney Stadium |
| Sunday | May 24 | 3:00 PM | Sky Blue FC | Houston Dash | Red Bull Arena |
| Wednesday | May 27 | 7:00 PM | Orlando Pride | Houston Dash | Exploria Stadium |
| Wednesday | May 27 | 10:00 PM | Reign FC | Utah Royals FC | Cheney Stadium |
| Saturday | May 30 | 3:30 PM | Utah Royals FC | Chicago Red Stars | Rio Tinto Stadium |
| Saturday | May 30 | 7:00 PM | Washington Spirit | Orlando Pride | Segra Field |
| Saturday | May 30 | 8:30 PM | Houston Dash | North Carolina Courage | BBVA Stadium |
| Saturday | May 30 | 10:30 PM | Portland Thorns | Sky Blue FC | Providence Park |
| Friday | June 12 | 10:00 PM | Portland Thorns | Reign FC | Providence Park |
| Saturday | June 13 | 7:00 PM | North Carolina Courage | Washington Spirit | Sahlen's Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park |
| Saturday | June 13 | 7:00 PM | Sky Blue FC | Chicago Red Stars | Red Bull Arena |
| Saturday | June 13 | 9:30 PM | Utah Royals FC | Orlando Pride | Rio Tinto Stadium |
| Wednesday | June 17 | 8:30 PM | Houston Dash | Washington Spirit | BBVA Stadium |
| Friday | June 19 | 10:00 PM | Reign FC | Orlando Pride | Cheney Stadium |
| Saturday | June 20 | 5:00 PM | Sky Blue FC | Utah Royals FC | Red Bull Arena |
| Saturday | June 20 | 7:00 PM | Washington Spirit | Portland Thorns | Audi Field |
| Sunday | June 21 | 6:00 PM | Chicago Red Stars | Houston Dash | SeatGeek Stadium |
| Friday | June 26 | 7:00 PM | Orlando Pride | Washington Spirit | Exploria Stadium |
| Saturday | June 27 | 8:00 PM | Chicago Red Stars | North Carolina Courage | SeatGeek Stadium |
| Saturday | June 27 | 8:30 PM | Reign FC | Sky Blue FC | Cheney Stadium |
| Sunday | June 28 | 7:00 PM | Houston Dash | Portland Thorns | BBVA Stadium |
| Friday | July 3 | 7:30 PM | Washington Spirit | Sky Blue FC | Segra Field |
| Friday | July 3 | 10:00 PM | Utah Royals FC | Houston Dash | Rio Tinto Stadium |
| Saturday | July 4 | 7:30 PM | North Carolina Courage | Reign FC | Sahlen's Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park |
| Sunday | July 5 | 5:00 PM | Orlando Pride | Portland Thorns | Exploria Stadium |
| Friday | July 10 | 7:00 PM | North Carolina Courage | Utah Royals FC | Sahlen's Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park |
| Friday | July 10 | 8:30 PM | Houston Dash | Chicago Red Stars | BBVA Stadium |
| Saturday | July 11 | 10:30 PM | Portland Thorns | Sky Blue FC | Providence Park |
| Sunday | July 12 | 5:00 PM | Orlando Pride | Reign FC | Exploria Stadium |
| Saturday | July 18, | 7:00 PM | Sky Blue FC | North Carolina Courage | Red Bull Arena |
| Saturday | July 18 | 8:00 PM | Chicago Red Stars | Orlando Pride | SeatGeek Stadium |
| Saturday | July 18 | 9:30 PM | Utah Royals FC | Washington Spirit | Rio Tinto Stadium |
| Sunday | July 19 | 7:00 PM | Houston Dash | Reign FC | BBVA Stadium |
| Saturday | August 1 | 7:00 PM | North Carolina Courage | Portland Thorns | Sahlen's Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park |
| Saturday | August 1 | 7:00 PM | Washington Spirit | Houston Dash | Maryland SoccerPlex |
| Sunday | August 2 | 5:00 PM | Orlando Pride | Utah Royals FC | Exploria Stadium |
| Sunday | August 2 | 7:00 PM | Reign FC | Chicago Red Stars | Cheney Stadium |
| Friday | August 7 | 7:00 PM | Orlando Pride | Sky Blue FC | Exploria Stadium |
| Saturday | August 8 | 7:00 PM | Washington Spirit | North Carolina Courage | Segra Field |
| Saturday | August 8 | 7:00 PM | Utah Royals FC | Reign FC | Rio Tinto Stadium |
| Sunday | August 9 | 10:30 PM | Portland Thorns | Chicago Red Stars | Providence Park |
| Friday | August 14 | 9:30 PM | Utah Royals FC | North Carolina Courage | Rio Tinto Stadium |
| Saturday | August 15 | 8:00 PM | Chicago Red Stars | Washington Spirit | SeatGeek Stadium |
| Saturday | August 15 | 10:30 PM | Portland Thorns | Orlando Pride | Providence Park |
| Sunday | August 16 | 6:00 PM | Sky Blue FC | Houston Dash | Red Bull Arena |
| Friday | August 21 | 7:00 PM | Orlando Pride | Reign FC | Exploria Stadium |
| Saturday | August 22 | 7:00 PM | Houston Dash | Utah Royals FC | BBVA Stadium |
| Sunday | August 23 | 6:00 PM | Chicago Red Stars | Sky Blue FC | SeatGeek Stadium |
| Wednesday | August 26 | 10:00 PM | Reign FC | Houston Dash | Cheney Stadium |
| Saturday | August 29 | 3:00 PM | Reign FC | Portland Thorns | Cheney Stadium |
| Saturday | August 29 | 7:00 PM | North Carolina Courage | Chicago Red Stars | Sahlen's Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park |
| Sunday | August 30 | 5:00 PM | Orlando Pride | Houston Dash | Exploria Stadium |
| Sunday | August 30 | 5:00 PM | Washington Spirit | Sky Blue FC | Audi Field |
| Wednesday | September 2 | 8:00 PM | Chicago Red Stars | Portland Thorns | SeatGeek Stadium |
| Friday | September 4 | 8:30 PM | Houston Dash | Washington Spirit | BBVA Stadium |
| Saturday | September 5 | 7:00 PM | Utah Royals FC | Sky Blue FC | Rio Tinto Stadium |
| Sunday | September 6 | 4:00 PM | Portland Thorns | North Carolina Courage | Providence Park |
| Sunday | September 6 | 6:00 PM | Chicago Red Stars | Reign FC | SeatGeek Stadium |
| Wednesday | September 9 | 7:30 PM | Washington Spirit | Orlando Pride | Maryland SoccerPlex |
| Saturday | September 12 | 7:00 PM | Washington Spirit | Portland Thorns | Segra Field |
| Saturday | September 12 | 7:00 PM | Houston Dash | Orlando Pride | BBVA Stadium |
| Sunday | September 13 | 5:00 PM | North Carolina Courage | Utah Royals FC | Sahlen's Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park |
| Sunday | September 13 | 5:00 PM | Sky Blue FC | Reign FC | Red Bull Arena |
| Friday | September 25 | 7:00 PM | Orlando Pride | Chicago Red Stars | Exploria Stadium |
| Friday | September 25 | 9:30 PM | Utah Royals FC | Washington Spirit | Rio Tinto Stadium |
| Saturday | September 26 | 7:00 PM | Sky Blue FC | Portland Thorns | Red Bull Arena |
| Saturday | September 26 | 10:00 PM | Reign FC | Houston Dash | Cheney Stadium |
| Wednesday | September 30 | 7:30 PM | North Carolina Courage | Sky Blue FC | Sahlen's Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park |
| Wednesday | September 30 | 9:30 PM | Utah Royals FC | Chicago Red Stars | Rio Tinto Stadium |
| Saturday | October 3 | 6:00 PM | Sky Blue FC | Orlando Pride | Red Bull Arena |
| Saturday | October 3 | 10:30 PM | Portland Thorns | Washington Spirit | Providence Park |
| Sunday | October 4 | 4:00 PM | Reign FC | North Carolina Courage | Cheney Stadium |
| Sunday | October 4 | 6:00 PM | Chicago Red Stars | Houston Dash | SeatGeek Stadium |
| Wednesday | October 7 | 9:30 PM | Utah Royals FC | Reign FC | Rio Tinto Stadium |
| Friday | October 9 | 8:30 PM | Houston Dash | Portland Thorns | BBVA Stadium |
| Saturday | October 10 | 7:00 PM | Washington Spirit | Chicago Red Stars | Audi Field |
| Saturday | October 10 | 7:30 PM | Orlando Pride | North Carolina Courage | Exploria Stadium |
| Sunday | October 11 | 5:00 PM | Sky Blue FC | Utah Royals FC | Red Bull Arena |
| Saturday | October 17 | 7:00 PM | North Carolina Courage | Houston Dash | Sahlen's Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park |
| Saturday | October 17 | 7:00 PM | Chicago Red Stars | Sky Blue FC | SeatGeek Stadium |
| Sunday | October 18 | 3:30 PM | Portland Thorns | Utah Royals FC | Providence Park |
| Sunday | October 18 | 3:30 PM | Reign FC | Washington Spirit | Cheney Stadium |