Women's soccer in the United States has developed quite differently from men's soccer. Until the 1970s, organized women's soccer matches in the U.S. existed only on a limited basis.
Since changes that started in the 1970's, the U.S. has become one of the top countries in the world of women's soccer. In the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, there were 58 US-based players, the most of any country and in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, there were 61 US-based players, the second of any country. In addition the national team has been ranked #1 in the world after their back-to-back Women's World Cup victories in 2015 and 2019 and once again after winning the 2024 Olympics.
Until 2024, the highest women's professional soccer league in the United States was the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), which was established in 2012 as a successor to Women's Professional Soccer and was run by the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) before becoming independently governed in 2020. The league began with eight teams in 2013 and reached its current membership of 14 teams in 2024. Beginning in 2024, the NWSL was joined by the USL Super League as a Division I professional soccer league. USL Super League launched in August 2024 with eight teams playing in a fall to spring schedule. The expansion of professional women's soccer is planned to continue in 2025 with the establishment of WPSL PRO a Division III league, designed to enhance the pathway from amateur to professional.
Amateur soccer has been the backbone of women's soccer in America since the 1950, with the Craig League based in Missouri. The amateur landscape includes both players who compete in NCAA and those who compete in the summer leagues USL W League, Women's Premier Soccer League, and United Women's Soccer.
Early history One of the first known organized women's soccer league in the United States was the Craig League, which consisted of four teams in St. Louis, Missouri, playing 15-game seasons in 1950 and 1951.
Women's soccer in the United States started to gain popularity in the beginning of the 20th century, much later than it appeared in Europe, which had women's leagues in the 1930s. The passage of Title IX legislation in 1972 made gender equality mandatory in education, including collegiate athletics, which led to more organized women's soccer teams and development. Collegiate soccer created more popularity for the game in the 1980s. However, there were few professional opportunities for women in the United States, and the first national women's league, the USL W-League, would not be established until 1995.
National team
The women's national team was formed in 1983, but would not play its first games until 1985. In its first years, it played in little more than friendly tournaments, primarily against European teams, as few competitions for women's national teams yet existed. After the first FIFA Women's World Cup was announced for 1991 and especially on the United States being awarded the 1994 FIFA World Cup increased investment in both the men's and women's national teams by the USSF led to the United States' team rapidly improving and winning the first women's World Cup. The popularity of the team exploded in the aftermath of the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup win as a result of penalty kicks in front of a sold-out Rose Bowl. The close win increased the tension, giving the team a more lively reputation as a sport.
Since then, the Americans have remained a force in international women's soccer, having finished third or better in every World Cup, reaching the championship game again in 2011 and winning in 2015 and 2019, as well as appearing in five of the six Olympic gold medal games, winning four. The national team also competes in other tournaments, such as the annual Algarve Cup. The primary source of young players for the national team is NCAA college soccer, which feeds players to the U-20 national team and eventually the full senior team. Because the United States often lacked a professional women's league, interest in the team peaked around major tournaments, and the team historically struggled to maintain interest between tournaments. The United States also faces increasingly competitive European national teams, many of which have well-established women's leagues in their countries from which to draw players.
League system The success of the women's national team has not always translated into success for women's professional soccer in the United States.
History Women's soccer was dated back to the 1800s in Europe. Overcoming adversity and change led to where soccer is today for women.
Amateur soccer: W-League and WPSL
Originally called the United States Interregional Women's League, the USL W-League was formed in 1995 as the first national women's soccer league, providing a professional outlet for many of the top female soccer players in the country. It also allowed college players the opportunity to play alongside established international players. Starting as the Western Division of the W-League, the Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) broke away and formed its own league in 1997 and had its inaugural season in 1998. Both the W-League and the WPSL were considered the premier women's soccer leagues in the United States at the time, but eventually fell to a second-tier level upon the formation of the Women's United Soccer Association in 2000.
Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA)
A seemingly viable market for the sport became apparent after the United States women's national soccer team won the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup. Feeding on the momentum of their victory, the twenty national team players, in partnership with John Hendricks of the Discovery Channel, sought out the investors, markets, and players necessary to form the WUSA, an eight-team league, in February 2000. The league played its first season in April 2001, and was the world's first women's soccer league in which all players were paid professionals.
The eight teams included the Atlanta Beat, Boston Breakers, Carolina Courage, New York Power, Philadelphia Charge, San Diego Spirit, San Jose CyberRays (called Bay Area CyberRays for 2001 season), and the Washington Freedom.
TeamStadiumCityFoundedJoined WUSALeftNotesAtlanta BeatHerndon StadiumAtlanta200120012003Dissolved then joined WPS in 2009Boston BreakersNickerson FieldBoston200020012003Dissolved then joined WPS in 2007Carolina CourageSAS StadiumCary, North Carolina200120012003DissolvedNew York PowerMitchel Athletic ComplexUniondale, New York200020012003DissolvedPhiladelphia ChargeVillanova StadiumVillanova, Pennsylvania200020012003DissolvedSan Diego SpiritTorero StadiumSan Diego200120012003DissolvedSan Jose CyberRaysSpartan StadiumSan Jose, California200120012003DissolvedWashington FreedomRobert F. Kennedy Memorial StadiumWashington, D.C.200120012003Joined W-League in 2006
The U.S. Soccer Federation approved membership of WUSA as a sanctioned Division I women's professional soccer league on August 18, 2000. WUSA had previously announced plans to begin play in 2001 in eight cities across the country, including: Atlanta, the Bay Area, Boston, New York City, Orlando, Philadelphia, San Diego and Washington, D.C. Led by investor John Hendricks, WUSA had also forged ahead on a cooperation agreement that will see the new league work side by side with Major League Soccer to help maximize the market presence and success of both Division I leagues.
WUSA played for three full seasons and suspended operations on September 15, 2003, shortly after the conclusion of the third season due to financial problems and lack of public interest in the sport.
Post-WUSA With the Women's United Soccer Association on hiatus, the Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) and the W-League regained their status as the premier women's soccer leagues in the United States, and many former WUSA players joined those teams.
After the folding of WUSA, the WUSA Reorganization Committee was formed in September 2003 that led to the founding of Women's Soccer Initiative, Inc. (WSII), whose stated goal was "promoting and supporting all aspects of women's soccer in the United States", including the founding of a new professional league. Initial plans were to play a scaled-down version of WUSA in 2004. However, these plans fell through and instead, in June 2004, the WUSA held two "WUSA Festivals" in Los Angeles and Blaine, Minnesota, featuring matches between reconstituted WUSA teams in order to maintain the league in the public eye and sustain interest in women's professional soccer. A planned full relaunch in 2005 also fell through. In June 2006, WSII announced the relaunch of the league for the 2008 season.
In December 2006, WSII announced that it reached an agreement with six owner-operators for teams based in Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Washington, D.C., and a then-unnamed city. In September 2007, the launch was pushed back from Spring of 2008 to 2009 to avoid clashing with the 2007 Women's World Cup and the 2008 Summer Olympics and to ensure that all of the teams were fully prepared for long-term operations.
Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) TeamStadium CityFoundedJoined WPSLeftNotesAtlanta BeatKSU Soccer StadiumKennesaw, Georgia200920102012DissolvedBoston BreakersHarvard StadiumBoston200820092012Joined WPSLE in 2012Chicago Red StarsToyota ParkBridgeview, Illinois200720092011Joined WPSL in 2011FC Gold PridePioneer StadiumHayward, California200820092010DissolvedLos Angeles SolHome Depot CenterCarson, California200720092012DissolvedmagicJackFAU Soccer FieldBoca Raton, Florida200120092012DissolvedPhiladelphia IndependenceLeslie Quick StadiumChester, Pennsylvania200920102012DissolvedSky Blue FCYurcak FieldPiscataway, New Jersey200820092012Joined NWSL in 2013; renamed NJ/NY Gotham FC in 2021; renamed Gotham FC in 2025Saint Louis AthleticaAnheuser-Busch Soccer ParkFenton, Missouri200820092010DissolvedWestern New York FlashSahlen's StadiumRochester, New York200820112012Joined WPSLE in 2012
The new league announced its name and logo on January 17, 2008, and was to have its inaugural season in 2009 with seven teams, including the Washington Freedom of the WUSA. The United States national team players allocated 21 players across the seven teams in September 2008. Also in September, the league held the 2008 WPS International Draft.
Unlike WUSA, the WPS attempted a more local approach and slower growth. In addition, the WPS attempted to have a closer relationship with Major League Soccer in order to cut costs. Most teams considered the first season a moderate success, despite many losing more money than planned. However, most teams began to see problems in 2010. Overall attendance for 2010 was noticeably down from 2009, teams struggled financially, and the WPS changed leadership by the end of the season.
The success of the United States women's national team at the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup resulted in an upsurge in attendance league-wide as well as interest in new teams for the 2012 season. However, several internal organization struggles, including an ongoing legal battle with magicJack-owner Dan Borislow and a lack of resources invested in the league, led to the suspension of the 2012 season announced in January 2012.
On May 18, 2012, the WPS announced that the league had officially ceased operations after three seasons.
WPSL Elite