NWSL announces schedule for 2023 campaign | OneFootball

The NWSL has announced the schedule for the 2023 campaign.

The season will kick off on Saturday, March 25, and run through the championship on Saturday, November 11.

The upcoming campaign has been adjusted, taking into consideration the 2023 World Cup that is scheduled to be played from July 20 to August 20 in New Zealand and Australia. The NWSL will limit games during those months “to ensure the league’s top players are able to compete for both club and country with minimal conflicts,” per the news release.

Each of the league’s 12 teams will play 22 games in the regular season, for a grand total of 132. Contrary to last season, the league will now eliminate midweek matches to prevent packed schedules and improve player safety.

“We look forward to building off last season’s momentum with another exciting season in 2023,” NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman said in the news release. “I’m confident next year will provide an experience worthy of the world’s premier professional women’s soccer league.”

The full schedule will be released at a later date.

The league will also host the Challenge Cup, for the fourth consecutive time. But this year, the tournament is set to run alongside the regular season. The 2023 edition will see the cup take place across six weeks, scattered throughout the regular-season calendar from April to September.

The preseason will kick off between January 23 and February 6.