Bay FC Sets New NWSL Attendance Record
In a historic milestone for women’s soccer, Bay FC broke the attendance record at a National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) match. A full house of 40,091 fans gathered at Oracle Park in San Francisco to witness the match against the Washington Spirit on Saturday. The previous record, set in June 2024, was 35,038 spectators, when the Chicago Stars hosted Bay FC at Wrigley Field. Although Bay FC usually plays its home matches at PayPal Park in San Jose, where it averages more than 13,400 fans per game, this historic encounter was moved to the home of the San Francisco Giants.
In addition to being a new record for the NWSL, which began in 2013, Saturday’s attendance also marked a new high for any professional women’s sports league in the United States. The NWSL has now established 48 of the 50 highest-attended matches in the history of women’s professional sports leagues in the United States. Bay FC’s largest previous attendance was 18,000 people, who attended the team’s inaugural NWSL match in March 2024. In the field, the encounter was not so favorable for Bay FC. Kate Wiesner, Croix Bethune, and Kelli Hubly scored in the first half for the Washington Spirit, which featured US star Trinity Rodman in the starting lineup for the first time in five months. Racheal Kundananji and Kelli Hubly narrowed the gap for Bay FC, but they failed to equalize, extending their winless streak to six matches.“Breaking the NWSL attendance record is a historic moment that goes far beyond a single match. It represents the foundation we are building at Bay FC and the legacy we hope to leave for future generations of players and fans. By breaking barriers today, we are shaping what women’s soccer will be like tomorrow. A special thank you to each and every fan in the Bay Area. They made this historic moment possible.”
Club Statement
