By OkayGoal 
The NWSL’s latest expansion will usher in not one, but two teams starting in 2026. The Boston Legacy will enhance the NWSL’s presence on the East Coast, while Denver Summit FC expands the league into the mountains. Here’s everything we know about the two newest teams, from their colors to their coaches.
Boston Legacy
Legacy FC will be the 15th team to join the NWSL. But this isn’t Boston’s first go-round in the league. The Boston Breakers were an NWSL carryover from the WUSA days that was dissolved in 2018. Now, Boston is happy to welcome pro women’s soccer back to their city, this time as Boston Legacy FC.
The crest and colors are a very classic black, white, and mint green color scheme, which complements the swan on their crest perfectly. Their sideline team is already packed with former USWNT talent, with the legendary Christine Lily—a former Boston Breaker—serving as a branding advisor and the Boston-native Tower of Power herself, Sam Mewis, on as an athletic advisor.
The head coach coming into the inaugural season is Filipa Patão, the Portuguese former pro. She will work side by side with the general manager, Domènec “Domè” Guasch of FC Barcelona Femení. Legacy FC is owned by Boston Unity Soccer Partners, an all-female ownership group that includes high-profile investors like Aly Raisman and Elizabeth Banks.
Currently, all of the players on the Legacy roster are not in the NWSL, but we’re sure that will change when the combines that replaced the NWSL draft start up this winter. The squad so far is standing strong at seven players. On the back line, we have: Laurel Ansbrow (Fort Lauderdale United FC) and Emerson Elgin (Tampa Bay Sun FC). On the midline, there is: Alba Caño (Barcelona), Aleigh Gambone (1. FC Nurnberg), the very first signee to this expansion, Annie Karich (Club América), and Barbara Olivieri (Tigres UANL). And so far, they’ve signed one player for the attacking line, Aïssata Traoré (FC Fleury 91).
Boston will begin their season playing in Gillette Stadium, but has secured a hefty loan to revamp White Stadium, which will not only serve the Legacy but also Boston public schools.
Denver Summit FC
Coming in as the 16th team in the league is Denver Summit FC. This is a fan-influenced name that came out of a vote of six options: Denver Peak FC, Colorado 14ers FC, Colorado Summit FC, Denver Elevate FC, Denver FC, and Denver Gold FC. This will be Denver’s first professional women’s team, in any sport, since the late 90’s. Forest green, white, a reddish orange, and yellow in their crest and kit so perfectly encapsulate the state’s natural beauty. Their crest features mountain peaks against a sunset, and the secondary crest is just as magical, boasting more mountains and Colorado’s elevation.
Their home stadium will be Centennial Stadium for the first two seasons as they complete construction on their own dedicated play space, projected to finish in 2028. The ownership team is made up of several names and organizations, but Rob Cohen and Mellody Hobson are the majority holders. They will serve as the controlling owner and Governor and Alternate Governor, respectively.
With the financial side taken care of, English head coach Nick Cushing has all the space he needs to acclimate to the elevation and get this team in fighting shape. So far, Summit FC has a good foundation for goal scoring on its roster. They signed midfielder Lourdes Bosch (Monterrey), and forwards Nahikari Garcia (Nottingham Forest) and Ally Watt (Orlando Pride). We can’t wait to see what names, new or old, make up the rest of this fledgling team’s inaugural roster.
Clearly, Denver is eager to welcome this new chapter of sports to the region. Summit FC has already sold over 15,000 season tickets and counting.
Image via @bostonlegacyfc
_
GIRLS SOCCER NETWORK: YOUR SOURCE FOR GIRLS SOCCER NEWS