By OkayGoal
If the Champions League is the biggest competition in women’s soccer, why are some of the game’s biggest stars missing from it?
The NWSL should be in the Champions League.
I understand the argument against it. The MLS is not part of the men’s UEFA Champions League, so why should the NWSL be any different? However, the women’s and men’s games are very different. The NWSL holds some of the best talent in the women’s game. It also holds a growing American audience that is discovering soccer.
Players like Trinity Rodman, Rose Lavelle, Barbra Banda and many more are competing in the NWSL. Yet, they are being kept out of European nights.
If the Champions League is the biggest competition in the world, like the commercials and pundits say, why are we keeping some of the game’s brightest stars out of it?
The NWSL Has the Talent
The argument starts with the players.
The NWSL has become home to some of the best soccer players in the world. It also features some of the biggest USWNT stars and international players.
For American fans, the NWSL is one of the easiest ways to follow these soccer players throughout the club season. Girls soccer players can watch their favorite USWNT stars compete every weekend.
So why shouldn’t those same players get a chance to compete against the best clubs in Europe?
A Champions League matchup between an NWSL club and a European powerhouse would give fans something they currently cannot see. It would also create opportunities for players to test themselves against different styles and competition.
The Viewers Are Already Watching
The audience argument may be even stronger.
The 2025-26 Women’s Champions League season broke audience records. Reuters reported that “more than 39.7 million viewers tuned in across the competition before the final,” with matches broadcast in 207 territories.
The total audience is expected to reach 44.5 million viewers.
The 2025-26 season was also the first to feature UEFA’s revamped competition format. The new format was designed to create more meaningful matches and give clubs more opportunities to compete against elite opposition.
Now imagine adding the NWSL.
The NWSL is already bringing in an audience that could follow those clubs into the competition. The 2025 NWSL Championship, won by Gotham FC, averaged 1.18 million viewers on CBS and peaked at 1.55 million.
It was the first NWSL game to average more than one million viewers, up 22% from the previous record, according to The Athletic.
That growth is not happening by accident.
By Week 13, the NWSL had drawn more than 7 million viewers on Nielsen-rated national broadcast platforms, up 95% from 2023. The league also delivered four consecutive years of linear viewership growth, including a 22% year-over-year increase.
Digital viewership tells an even bigger story.
The NWSL recorded 2.62 billion minutes watched across all platforms. That was the highest total in league history.
Give the NWSL a Chance
I am not saying every NWSL team needs to be added to the Champions League.
Instead, give two or three teams a chance.
The regular-season Shield winner should get one spot. The Challenge Cup winner should get another. If the same team wins both, the team with the second-best record should take the second spot.
If three spots are available, the second-best team could get the third spot.
It would give NWSL clubs an opportunity to compete internationally without completely changing the league.
It could also create some incredible matchups.
Imagine an NWSL club traveling to Barcelona for a Champions League night. Or Chelsea coming to the United States to play in front of an NWSL crowd.
Those games would bring viewers, sponsors and new fans.
The Women’s Game Is Growing
The Women’s Champions League is growing. The NWSL is growing. The audiences are there.
UEFA reported that the 2025-26 Champions League was broadcast across 207 territories worldwide. Meanwhile, the NWSL continues to set viewership records in the United States.
Why keep those audiences separate?
Women’s soccer fans are already following players across leagues, countries and national teams. They watch the USWNT, the NWSL, the Women’s Champions League and international tournaments.
The NWSL does not need to prove that it has the talent. It does not need to prove that it has fans. It needs the opportunity. If the Champions League really is the biggest stage in women’s club soccer, the NWSL should be on it.
The talent is already here. The fans are already watching.
Now let them see what the NWSL can do against the best in Europe.
Featured image via @nwsl