DENVER — The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) announced that Denver will soon be home to a women's professional soccer team, and there are plans to build a soccer stadium for the club.
The Denver NWSL will mark the first women's professional sports team in a major national league to call Denver home.
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston said the city and surrounding area is home to some of the best players in the country, but this marks the first time the city has had its own professional women's team.
"That changes today," he said. "We’re proud to announce that professional women’s soccer is coming to Denver and that generations of Denverites will soon be able to cheer on the nation’s top talent in their own backyard. Having worked side-by-side with investors to make this happen, I know the group behind this bid is as committed to putting together a world-class experience as they are to winning, and I look forward to seeing you on opening weekend 2026. Game on.”
In mid-December, Sportico reported that the NWSL had entered negotiations with a group from Denver for an expansion franchise. At the time, a spokesperson for NWSL told Denver7 that "the expansion process is ongoing, and we look forward to sharing more news in 2025." A couple of weeks later, in early January, Gov. Jared Polis posted on social media that "this isn’t an official announcement and a formal announcement is still coming" but he was excited about the prospect of bringing a women's soccer team to Denver.
Watch Denver7's coverage on Sportico's announcement below.
That formal announcement came on Thursday morning.
The NWSL press release also included news about "a purpose-built stadium for professional women’s soccer and a dedicated, purpose-built performance facility for female athletes." These details, as well as information about the team name and colors, will be released later.
Tickets for the 2026 season are already available on the Denver NWSL website here.
Jessica Berman, commissioner of the NWSL, said as the group continues to expand, it wanted to launch the 16th team in a city with "passionate sports culture and vibrant fan base."
“And Denver is the perfect match,” she said. “The club’s plans for a purpose-built stadium and state-of-the-art training facility demonstrate a commitment to providing world-class environments for our players and fans alike. With this ownership group’s vision and dedication, we are confident that Denver NWSL will set new standards for excellence on and off the pitch, inspiring the next generation of players and supporters across the Rocky Mountain region.”
Part of the reason NWSL chose Denver was because of For Denver FC, which is a grassroots movement to bring a professional women's soccer team to Colorado.
The Denver NWSL marks the second franchise in NWSL's most recent expansion, which also included the 15th franchise in Boston.
Denver NWSL will host a rally with its supporters at Number 38, located at 3560 Chestnut Place in Denver Thursday at 5 p.m. It is free to attend and open to all ages.
At 2 p.m. Thursday, Gov. Polis and Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, along with others, plan to celebrate the announcement at a press conference.
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