Record-Breaking Crowds: The 10 NWSL Games That Packed the Stadiums
Few things demonstrate the surge in women's soccer popularity as clearly as the attendance milestones that have been shattered in recent years.
On Saturday, Bay FC broke all previous records when 40,091 fans filled Oracle Park, the stadium of Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants, for their clash with the Washington Spirit in the National Women's Soccer League. This attendance figure also marked the highest for any women's professional sports event in United States history.
Similar to Bay's record-setting game at Oracle Park, the Chicago Stars created their own piece of history in 2024 by competing at Wrigley Field, the venue of the Chicago Cubs.
It's worth highlighting that every attendance figure in the top 10 has occurred since 2022. This is partly attributed to the San Diego Wave and the now-retired U.S. women's national team icon Alex Morgan, including her farewell match prior to her retirement in September 2024.
The Wave's venue, Snapdragon Stadium with a 35,000 capacity, ranks as the second-largest stadium in the NWSL after the Seattle Reign's Lumen Field, which holds 68,740. The Reign's attendance record from October 2024 features on this list, and it's significant because it marked Megan Rapinoe's final league appearance in Seattle.
Therefore, considering this latest record-breaking achievement, here are the top 10 highest attendances in NWSL history.
Highest Attendance for a NWSL Match
10. San Diego Wave vs. Chicago Stars - 26,215 | Snapdragon Stadium (10/16/2022)
9. San Diego Wave vs. North Carolina Courage - 26,515 | Snapdragon Stadium (9/8/2024)
8. San Diego Wave vs. Racing Louisville - 30,312 | Snapdragon Stadium (10/15/23)
7. San Diego Wave vs. Chicago Stars - 30,854 | Snapdragon Stadium (3/25/23)
6. San Diego Wave vs. Angel City - 32,000 | Snapdragon Stadium (9/17/23)
5. San Diego Wave vs. KC Current - 32,066 | Snapdragon Stadium (3/23/24)
4. San Diego Wave vs. Seattle Reign - 32,262 | Snapdragon Stadium (11/5/23)
3. Seattle Reign vs. Washington Spirit - 34,148 | Lumen Field (10/6/23)
2. Chicago Stars vs. Bay FC - 35,038 | Wrigley Field (6/8/2024)
1. Bay FC vs. Washington Spirit - 40,091 | Oracle Park (8/23/2025)
A moment to remember the WUSA
Prior to the NWSL, the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) existed. This league was established in 2001 following the U.S. team's triumph at the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup and featured the world's top women's soccer talents at the start of the new millennium.
Even today, one of the largest attendances for a U.S. professional women's sports league occurred when 34,148 spectators witnessed Mia Hamm's Washington Freedom compete against Brandi Chastain's Bay Area CyberRays at RFK Stadium on April 14, 2001. This attendance figure would still rank in the top three during the current NWSL period.
Therefore, although it may not qualify as an official NWSL attendance record, for the preservation of soccer history, it's crucial to acknowledge that attendance figure and the milestone it maintained for twenty years.