The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) championship game will return to Audi Field in Washington, D.C., on 21 November, marking the second time the venue has hosted the final. The Athletic first reported the location, with the league set to announce further details on Wednesday.
Audi Field, home of the Washington Spirit, last staged the final in 2022, when the Portland Thorns defeated the Kansas City Current 2-0 in front of 17,624 fans. That attendance figure ranks as the third-highest in NWSL final history.
The Spirit have turned Audi Field into one of the league's premier venues, drawing a crowd of 19,365 for their 2-1 win over the Seattle Reign on Saturday—their third sellout of the season. All four of the Spirit's home playoff games in 2024 and 2025 have been sellouts, with crowds exceeding 19,000.
The league has used these games as showcase opportunities, with three of the four played in its national CBS broadcast slot. The final is set for prime time on CBS. On paper, there is a strong chance the stadium will be cheering for the home team, as the Spirit have reached the championship game in each of the past two years.
Since the NWSL began staging its final at a neutral site in 2015, only two teams have played a final at their home stadiums: Portland in 2018 (a 3-0 loss to the Courage) and North Carolina in 2019 (a 4-0 win over Chicago). The previous three finals were held in San Jose, Kansas City and San Diego, with the 2023 final at Snapdragon Stadium setting a record attendance of 25,011.
