History of NWSL records and statistics in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: April 17, 2026

NWSL records and statistics encompass achievements of both active and defunct teams and players since the league's inception in 2013. The league started with eight clubs, and some of the inaugural clubs still exist with their original names. These statistics offer a comprehensive view of historical performance within the NWSL.

April 13, 2013: Inaugural NWSL Season

On April 13, 2013, the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) kicked off its inaugural season with 8 participating clubs, four of which still maintain their original names.

2013: Start of Regular Seasons

2013 marked the start of the period covering 2013-2023 regular seasons, totaling 226 matches for each team active since the beginning of the NWSL.

2020: NWSL Challenge Cup

In 2020, the NWSL Challenge Cup was created as a competition due to the cancellation of the regular season caused by the COVID-19 pandemic; its statistics are considered separately from regular season stats.

2020: Inaugural Challenge Cup and Fall Series

While there was no regular season in 2020, the year did include the inaugural Challenge Cup, which has been played every year since, and the 2020 Fall Series, which included the Community Shield (separate from the NWSL Shield).