The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) has officially laid groundwork for launching a Division II league in 2026 to boost player development. has corroborated the existence of the documents ...

Pachuca's Jenni Hermoso, center, is greeted by teammates before a Mexican Women's soccer league match between Pachuca and Pumas at the Miguel Hidalgo stadium in Pachuca, Mexico, Sept. 10, 2023.

By enlisting existing NWSL teams, the Division II league meets or exceeds many of U.S. Soccer's criteria. The federation requires at least six teams in the first year of a Division II league and ...

To meet U.S. Soccer’s Professional League Standards, the founding Division II teams would share infrastructure, staffing and common ownership with the existing NWSL teams.