Jessica Berman steps on the gas: the NWSL opens the process for teams 19 and 20

The NWSL has no plans to slow down. Commissioner Jessica Berman said at the Leaders Week conference at Stamford Bridge in London that the league is about to open its financial data room for teams 19 and 20, the first formal step toward adding two more franchises.

"We're about to open our data room for teams 19 and 20 because we intend to continue expanding," Berman said, according to The Athletic. And she went further: "I don't think 20 is the max, I think 20 is the next touch point."

From 16 to 18 in 2028, and beyond

The NWSL has 16 clubs in 2026: Boston Legacy and Denver Summit debuted this season as the 15th and 16th franchises. Two more are already confirmed for 2028: Atlanta and Columbus, which paid record expansion fees of $165 million and $205 million, respectively. Atlanta's project is tied to the owners of the Atlanta Falcons, while Columbus is led by Haslam Sports Group, owners of the NFL's Cleveland Browns.

Opening the data room lets interested groups review the league's numbers before bidding. Berman said there is no deadline to award the two new spots: the plan is to finish the season and update the financial information first.

"Our country is the size of a continent"

The commissioner pointed to the major U.S. leagues, with 30 or more teams, as a model. "Our country is the size of a continent," she said, while acknowledging that competing on a national scale is "not going to happen tomorrow." She also rejected the idea that expansion would lower the level of play, saying players have been training, playing and waiting for an opportunity in a professional league.

The Club World Cup and player welfare

At the same conference, according to Reuters, Berman discussed FIFA's first Women's Club World Cup, set for January 2028 with 19 teams: six months after the 2027 World Cup in Brazil, in the middle of the European season and during the NWSL offseason. FIFA has not named a host yet, although British media reported this month that the United States is in advanced talks. "I think there's a lot of opportunity if it were to be hosted in America," Berman said, while asking that the growing calendar not come at the expense of player welfare, since every tournament relies on the same players.

Expansion by the numbers

• 16 teams in the 2026 season.
• 18 in 2028, with Atlanta and Columbus.
• 20 as the next target, with no set date.

Meanwhile, the regular season is entering its final stretch. According to Reuters, defending champion Gotham leads with 55 points, four ahead of San Diego Wave, with three games left; the top eight teams qualify for the playoffs.

Sources: The Athletic, Reuters, Field Level Media, AP.