2026 NWSL Playoffs: Prediction, bracket and schedule as experts make their picks

The road to the NWSL Championship in Washington, D.C. will begin this weekend with the start of the playoffs, the league's eight best teams squaring off against each other in the hopes of winning silverware that eludes many of them.

Three previous champions, including 2025 winners, including Gotham FC, who face the Seattle Reign and headline a group that is mostly made up of talented teams hoping to win the NWSL Championship for the first time, are in the field, Gotham enter as the favorites after winning the Shield for the first time, hoping to become the first team to do the double since the Orlando Pride did so in 2024 while aiming to be the first side to win back-to-back championships since the North Carolina Courage did so in 2018 and 2019. The other former winners, the Washington Spirit and the Portland Thorns, meanwhile, meet each other in the quarterfinals on Sunday in one of the most anticipated games of the weekend.

The San Diego Wave are as formidable a contender as any when it comes to the potential first-time champions, the team taking the Shield race to the final day before Gotham picked up their latest accolade. They will take on the Utah Royals, who will make their postseason debut on Friday, while all eyes will shift to the Midwest on Saturday. The Kansas City Current host Angel City in what might be the most competitive matchup of the quarterfinals, the LA-based side most poised to play spoiler after going on a late-season tear fueled by U.S. women's national team hopeful Ally Sentnor.

Here's a look at how the CBS Sports team thinks the NWSL postseason will shake out.

Quarterfinals

All times Eastern

Friday, Nov. 6
San Diego Wave vs. Utah Royals, 10 p.m. (Prime Video)

Saturday, Nov. 7
Kansas City Current vs. Angel City FC, 12 p.m. (CBS, Paramount+)

Sunday, Nov. 8
Gotham FC vs. Seattle Reign, 12:30 p.m. (ABC)
Washington Spirit vs. Portland Thorns, 3 p.m. (ABC)

Semifinals

Matches to take place during the weekend of Nov. 14 and 15

Gotham FC/Seattle Reign vs. Kansas City Current/Angel City FC, time TBA

San Diego Wave/Utah Royals vs. Washington Spirit/Portland Thorns, time TBA

Final

Saturday, Nov. 22
Teams TBD, 8 p.m. (CBS. Paramount+)

Attacking Third playoff brackets

Ahead of the regular season, our editorial team made some way-too-early predictions alongside Attacking Third analysts. Out of six experts, four selected Kansas City Current as future NWSL Champions, while two chose the Washington Spirit to win it all. There were two who thought Gotham FC would win the NWSL Shield, while others selected Washington Spirit, Orlando Pride, and Kansas City Current.

Now that the postseason is here, there is a wave of change. Quite literally. While there are a couple who think there might be some upsets, many of the analysts are going with San Diego Wave to come out on top at the NWSL Championship. Others chose Gotham FC to follow up a shield win with the NWSL Championship. Kansas City Current has also made the bracket cut to lift the title in the end for one of our analysts.

Here's the NWSL playoff brackets:

Darian Jenkins

Kelley O'Hara

McCall Zerboni

Jen Beattie

Lori Lindsey

Sandra Herrera

Crystal Dunn

Lisa Carlin

Pardeep Cattry

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