The quest for the 2024 MLS Cup is officially underway, but while you’ll have to wait until Friday to see Lionel Messi’s MLS postseason debut with Eastern Conference top-seed Inter Miami CF, fantastic postseason footy is already…afoot. Let’s kick it.

Three NCAA selection committees released their Top 16 lists.

Launch day didn’t go as planned for NWSL expansion club BOS Nation FC, but it did successfully announce celebrity investment from actress Elizabeth Banks and gymnast Aly Raisman yesterday. The franchise uniquely boasts an all-women ownership group, but its incoming celeb investment follows an NWSL trend that’s helped franchises shine bright and far.

The ACC’s original women’s soccer powerhouses travel West to tackle their new Bay Area challengers.

In an exclusive with The GIST today, AI–powered payment brand Klarna and Angel City FC (ACFC) announced the launch of the team’s limited-edition Hispanic Heritage Month capsule collection. The “del alma de los ángeles” drop was created in collaboration with LA–based designer Hija De Tu Madre to celebrate women’s sports and the Latinx community.

It's reigning conference queens vs. a new rising power.

Following the first-ever public NWSL valuations released last October, Sportico crunched the numbers again to determine updated 2024 values for the league’s 14 teams. The latest data not only show that the entire league is skyrocketing in value, but also that certain clubs have climbed the rankings thanks to dedicated owner investment.

This week, the European Union’s (EU) top court ruled that some of FIFA’s rules around player transfer fees violate EU law following a successful suit by former Chelsea and Real Madrid men’s player Lassana Diarra. The decision is expected to have far-reaching implications, but one overlooked aspect is its potential effect on the new and improved NWSL market.

Shortly after Sportico confirmed ACFC as the hottest NWSL club on the market, the publication exclusively revealed that a top MLS team also wants in. Los Angeles FC (LAFC) — the league’s highest-valued franchise at $1.15B — activated a tenet of its stadium-sharing agreement with ACFC to acquire a small stake in the women’s side.

Billionaire investor Marc Lasry has put his hat in the ring for NWSL ownership in the past, and he seems to finally have an in. An exclusive Sportico report indicates the former Milwaukee Bucks owner is close to finalizing a deal for a control stake of the NWSL’s NC Courage, which is currently valued at about $108M — more than double the team’s $52M valuation in 2023.

For Soccer, a North American leader in soccer marketing, media, and experiences, released its annual fan insights report on U.S. soccer fans yesterday. Its numbers illustrate that the beautiful game’s American fanbase is becoming more diverse, especially when it comes to women and people of color.

Each of the Power Four conferences faces important questions