New Professional Women’s Soccer League in the United States
The United States is about to take a significant step in women’s soccer with the creation of a second professional division. The WPSL Pro league is scheduled to launch at the end of next year, marking a milestone in the development of the sport in the country.
Initially, the league was conceived as a third division. However, after a strategic evaluation, the investors and the organization decided to scale the project to fill a void in the American soccer pyramid.
WPSL Pro is the missing bridge, not only for the players, but also for the communities, investors, and brands that are ready to be part of the next chapter in women’s sports.
Sean Jones, co-founder of the league
The league plans to start with an abbreviated season after the 2026 World Cup, with a full season extending from April to October starting in 2027.
Each team must pay a franchise fee of one million dollars. The league is expected to start with between 16 and 20 teams.
So far, 15 teams have been confirmed, including one in Cleveland, Ohio, backed by leaders who previously tried to establish an NWSL team.
The Cleveland group plans to build a $50 million stadium with a capacity of 10,000 spectators in the city center, which will also host an MLS Next Pro team.
It is important to note that, until now, there was no second professional women’s soccer division in the United States. The USL Super League initially planned to be a second division, but changed course during the United States Soccer Federation’s licensing application process and launched as a first division in August, matching the NWSL designation.
The United States Soccer Federation sets minimum standards for each level of play through its Professional License Standards. A second-division professional women’s league must have at least six teams to apply for sanctioning. All stadiums must have a capacity of at least 2,000 people, and the primary owners of the teams must have a net worth of at least $7.5 million.
The league is considering offering the players the possibility of having participation in it. The organizers of WPSL Pro believe they can address a deficiency in the development of the players.
Currently, professional opportunities for female soccer players are limited, and there are no professional options below the top level of the pyramid.
We are building WPSL Pro for the players, for the clubs, and for the communities, and we are excited to offer a league that can unlock the yet-untapped potential of women’s soccer on a large scale.
Benno Nagel, co-founder and project director of WPSL Pro
WPSL Pro arises from the amateur WPSL (Women’s Premier Soccer League), founded in 1998 and which has grown to include more than 100 teams, mainly serving as a space for college players during the off-season.
