The 2025 NWSL season officially kicks off on Friday with the Challenge Cup, featuring the best teams from the previous year—the Orlando Pride and Washington Spirit.

The Pride are back to play following a record-breaking 2024 season that culminated in their first NWSL Championship and Shield victories. The Spirit finished second in both but have a chance to secure their first piece of silverware in the new season.

How to watch and odds

• Date: Friday, March 7 | Time: 8 p.m. ET
• Location: Inter&Co Stadium, Orlando, FL
• Live stream: Amazon Prime Video
• Odds: Orlando Pride +130; Draw +230; Washington Spirit +200

What is the NWSL Challenge Cup?

The NWSL Challenge Cup is a match between the most recent champions of the NWSL Championship and Shield. Since the Pride won both last year, the current edition will be a rematch of last year’s championship.

Storylines

Orlando Pride: Coming off a record-breaking season, questions arise about their ability to maintain this level of performance. The team retains a similar squad, including last year’s Defender of the Year, Emily Sams, and MVP candidates Barbra Banda and Marta. Banda, who scored 17 goals last season, will be a key player to watch.
Washington Spirit: The 2021 NWSL champions are looking to build on last year’s expectations with an impressive young attack, guided by head coach Jonatan Giraldez. Their success might hinge on the availability of last year’s MVP nominee, Trinity Rodman.

Prediction

Given the quality of both teams, anything could happen in this one-off match. However, if the Spirit are missing key players, expect the Pride to come out on top. Prediction: Orlando Pride 1, Washington Spirit 0.