No. 1 seed Orlando Pride clinch first NWSL Championship

The GIST: As you read, the No. 1 seed Orlando Pride won their first-ever NWSL Championship on Saturday, topping the No. 2 seed Washington Spirit 1–0 in the final — a perfect ending to their near-perfect season.

Pride striker Barbra Banda scores lone goal, wins championship MVP: Banda added to her already impressive postseason tally, notching her fourth playoff goal in her debut NWSL season. The victory makes Orlando the first franchise since 2019 to win the league’s Shield (best regular-season record) and championship in the same campaign. Dominance.

• Though the Pride walked away with the trophy, the Spirit still turned in a valiant effort in this physical game — the young squad controlled the match and took 26 shots (!!!) to Orlando’s nine, but couldn’t find the back of the net.

NWSL meets the moment: Adding an exclamation point to an extremely successful NWSL season, Saturday’s title game sold out CPKC Stadium (the first sports arena built specifically for women). From record-setting attendance to soaring viewership to the league’s mid-season player-first CBA changes, the future of women’s soccer is oh-so bright.

• Speaking of, NWSL expansion is on the horizon amid this rapid growth: BOS Nation FC will make its debut in the 2026 season, alongside the league’s 16th team from either Cincinnati, Cleveland, or Denver. Truly squad goals.