{"id":391180,"date":"2026-01-06T06:33:12","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T06:33:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/391180\/"},"modified":"2026-01-06T06:33:12","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T06:33:12","slug":"we-planned-your-womens-soccer-year-plus-which-players-got-married-this-offseason","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/391180\/","title":{"rendered":"We planned your women\u2019s soccer year. Plus: Which players got married this offseason?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Full Time Newsletter \u26bd| This is The Athletic\u2019s weekly women\u2019s soccer<\/a> newsletter.\u00a0Sign up here<\/a> to receive Full Time directly in your inbox.<\/p>\n

The Athletic\u2019s newsletters got a new look to start 2026 (subscribe here<\/a> to see it in your inbox). Don\u2019t worry, you can expect the same great weekly content \u2014 just with cooler clothes.<\/p>\n

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In today\u2019s Full Time:<\/p>\n

\ud83d\uddd3\ufe0f Key dates in 2026<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udc8d Wedding season<\/p>\n

\u26bd Sex work and soccer<\/p>\n

No more holiday hangovers, it\u2019s time to get the planners out \u2026<\/p>\n

Happy New Year<\/p>\n

Mark your calendars<\/p>\n

January is the month to get your life sorted, set intentions and keep all those resolutions \u2014 OK, maybe not that last part.<\/p>\n

As for sorting out your life, the soccer calendar isn\u2019t so kind to those looking to ease into the year. This month has the return of the Women\u2019s Super League from its winter break, two U.S. women\u2019s national team games and the new FIFA Women\u2019s Champions Cup in London, featuring the NWSL champions, Gotham FC.<\/p>\n

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We have just what your refrigerators need: a printable calendar covering some key dates this month.<\/p>\n

As for the rest of the year, we are keeping our eyes on these key moments:<\/p>\n

February:\u00a0Manchester City and Chelsea face off in a crucial clash at the top of the WSL table (Feb. 1), the FIFA Women\u2019s Champions Cup final (Feb. 1), NWSL teams report to preseason, Challenge Cup between Gotham FC and KC Current (Feb. 20), UEFA World Cup qualifying starts, SheBelieves Cup<\/p>\n

March: NWSL regular season starts (March 13), UEFA Women\u2019s Champions League quarterfinals, Women\u2019s Africa Cup of Nations<\/p>\n

April:\u00a0FA Cup and Champions League semifinals<\/p>\n

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May: European seasons end, FA Cup final, Champions League final, my birthday<\/p>\n

June: More World Cup qualifying, no NWSL matches due to summer break and the men\u2019s World Cup (June 1-28)<\/p>\n

September: European seasons start<\/p>\n

October: NWSL end of season<\/p>\n

November:\u00a0NWSL Championship (Nov. 21), U.S. starts World Cup qualifiers<\/p>\n

I may be anti-resolutions, but for those of you who aren\u2019t, Elise Devlin on our Peak team has\u00a0advice from top athletes<\/a>\u00a0about how to set and keep those yearly promises.<\/p>\n

Speaking of: Peak is joining our newsletter world Thursday! Their new offering will cover stories on the mental side of sports, such as how to\u00a0drink coffee like Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell,\u00a0and tips from a gold medalist on how\u00a0to say sorry less.<\/p>\n

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More 2026 predictions\u00a0<\/p>\n

While we\u2019re on this whole new year, fresh start business, MoneyCall writer Dan Shanoff asked me for two 2026 women\u2019s soccer predictions to go in his newsletter last week. (See the\u00a0full list from around the sports world here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

This is what I told him:<\/p>\n

NWSL:\u00a0The league has enjoyed exponential growth in recent years: a $240 million media-rights deal, $100 million-plus expansion fees and at least three more teams entering the league by 2028. However, I think 2026 is the year the NWSL could stumble a little. The\u00a0latest is the \u201cHigh Impact Player\u201d rule<\/a>\u00a0meant to try to keep Trinity Rodman, which might actually cause at least one big name to leave.<\/p>\n

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Global women\u2019s soccer:\u00a0Angel City FC co-founder Julie Uhrman said in 2023 that the club would become \u201cthe first women\u2019s team to have a billion-dollar valuation in five years.\u201d After Alexis Ohanian bought Chelsea women this year, he had a bold prediction that they would become the first billion-dollar club. His investment brought Chelsea to roughly $200 million. If I am going to be equally as bullish, I think 2026 will see the first $500 million valuation.<\/p>\n

Across the pond, soccer writer Nick Miller also had a\u00a0fun prediction of his own<\/a>:\u00a0He thinks England forward Chloe Kelly will score an implausibly important goal, which is possible in a World Cup qualifying year. She\u2019s scored plenty of big goals before:<\/p>\n

The extra-time winner in the Euro 2022 final<\/p>\n

The winning penalty in the Finalissima as the European champions beat South American counterparts Brazil<\/p>\n

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The winning penalty against Nigeria in the round of 16 at the 2023 World Cup<\/p>\n

The winning goal in their Euro 2025 semifinal<\/p>\n

The winning penalty in that final\u2019s shootout<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udce7 Let us know what you see coming in 2026\u00a0on social<\/a>\u00a0or send us an email at\u00a0fulltime@theathletic.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfa7 Need to get caught up on the NWSL\u2019s HIP rule? Theo Lloyd-Hughes and Tamerra Griffin have the 101 on the\u00a0\u201cFull Time\u201d podcast<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Goin\u2019 to the Chapel\u00a0<\/p>\n

And we\u2019re gonna get married<\/p>\n

The NWSL offseason, once understood as a sacred hibernation, is becoming anything but. There are spicy trades galore, and also: weddings. Lots of them! I can no longer keep track of all of the nuptials that go on. Luckily, I have\u00a0Tamerra<\/a>, who has been keeping tabs:<\/p>\n

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When else is a professional women\u2019s soccer player supposed to schedule their nuptials, especially if they want other professional soccer players to attend?<\/p>\n

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but consider this slew of ceremonies:\u00a0Marta and Carrie Lawrence in Florida, Ally Watt in Michigan, Kayla Sharples in Illinois, Tara McKeown in Mexico, Savannah McCaskill in North Carolina and Ellie Wheeler in Arizona. And that\u2019s just NWSL players, because I\u2019d be remiss to leave out the mega-wedding of Sam Kerr and Kristie Mewis on the west coast of Australia that spanned New Year\u2019s Eve and\u00a0featured in Vogue Australia<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Such a smart move on their part, because what better way to entice your pals away from their own winter holidays than planning a destination wedding in the southern hemisphere?<\/p>\n

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With these rituals come another: potentially committing new surnames to memory when the NWSL season starts back up in a few months. According to Instagram, it appears Watt has added Brazier to her last name (rather than a full swap), Tara is now Rudd and Ellie is now Bravo-Young. My advice? Start preparing your flashcards now.<\/p>\n

Need to Know<\/p>\n

A standstill in negotiations over \u2018livable wages\u2019<\/p>\n

The collective bargaining agreement for the men of the United Soccer League expired five days ago, despite negotiating for a new deal since Aug. 29, 2024. The players association says it\u2019s not looking for extravagance, but rather\u00a0a \u201clivable wage.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

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While the current negotiations are focused on the men\u2019s league, a separate discussion is happening with the Gainbridge Super League\u00a0(under the same umbrella) for the women\u2019s league to ratify its first CBA. USL launched the professional Division I women\u2019s league last summer. The men\u2019s players mentioned it as a point of growth for the USL in their bargaining. As a reminder:<\/p>\n

The Super League is the second DI women\u2019s league in the U.S., alongside the NWSL.<\/p>\n

Players in the Super League took the first step toward bargaining for their first CBA in early December, telling\u00a0The Athletic\u00a0they hoped this first negotiated contract would set a standard across all teams and allow the league to flourish and remain sustainable in the long term.<\/p>\n

While the USLPA also represents the women\u2019s players, the women\u2019s negotiations are separate from the men\u2019s.<\/p>\n

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It\u2019s unclear what happens next for the USL now that the men\u2019s Dec. 31 deadline has passed, but what is clear is the players\u2019 united front. \u201cWe\u2019re living parallel lives,\u201d Meaghan Nally, a center back for the Carolina Ascent, told\u00a0The Athletic. \u201cWe\u2019re all professional soccer players, so their fight is our fight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Full Time First Looks<\/p>\n

\u2018Stick to OnlyFans!\u2019\u00a0Katie Whyatt\u00a0spoke to five sex workers<\/a>\u00a0for whom soccer is a significant part of their online brand, including using social media as a platform to pose in soccer jerseys and lingerie, sometimes reacting to matches in innuendo-laden videos. But the crossover isn\u2019t without its drawbacks, as Whyatt found out.<\/p>\n

ICYMI:\u00a0Our\u00a02025 review of the USWNT<\/a>\u00a0is just what you need before the real fun kicks off later this month. Last year saw heavy roster rotation, both necessary and experimental. Will 2026 see the return of Triple Espresso?<\/p>\n

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Building something:\u00a0Boston Legacy has been ramping up its roster ahead of the NWSL season. Their latest move is\u00a0bringing in defender Nicki Hern\u00e1ndez<\/a>\u00a0from Club America in Liga MX Femenil. The 26-year-old was originally a forward before converting to left back in Mexico. She joins Canadian international Bianca St-Georges as the club\u2019s most recent signings.<\/p>\n

What an honour:\u00a0England\u00a0headlined the 2026 King\u2019s New Year Honours List<\/a>\u00a0with manager Sarina Wiegman receiving an honorary damehood and five players recognized for services to the sport. Move over Dame Helen Mirren, Dame Sarina Wiegman is here.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udceb Love Full Time?\u00a0These stories can also be found on Yahoo\u2019s\u00a0women\u2019s sports hub<\/a>, in partnership with\u00a0The Athletic.\u00a0Also,\u00a0check out our other newsletters<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This article originally appeared in The Athletic<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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NWSL, Full Time Newsletter<\/p>\n

2026 The Athletic Media Company<\/p>\n