Barça wants to become first European club to have a team in North America’s professional women’s league
UPDATE: While the details of this are still being worked out — this is exciting news — FC Barcelona’s has approved staring a pro women’s soccer team and the mega famous Spanish soccer giant would like the team to compete in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).
The NWSL is America’s professional women’s soccer league, run with the support of U.S. Soccer. The NWSL is the highest level of women’s soccer in the United States and where the U.S. Women’s National Team players play.
Before the The Board of Directors of FC Barcelona met on Thursday, there were very few people who knew the famed world soccer leader would approve a development plan for women’s football in the United States.
For FC Barcelona to join the NWSL is clear recognition of America’s preeminence in the women’s game.
By doing so, FC Barcelona has made an important step in its strategy, consolidating its status as a global brand and simultaneously strengthening its commitment to women’s football.
Will FC Barcelona — as the first European club to have a team in the American professional league for women’s football — create a trend followed by other teams? Will Chelsea be joining the NWSL? Only time will tell but Barca’s presence in the NWSL will further its knowledge of the sport in the United States and deepen its fan base.
The club plans to participate in the NWSL staring in 2018 and has not announced a location for the team.
In related youth soccer news: Earlier this week, the FCBEscola new entry into the California youth soccer market was announced — from next season, the city of San Diego will be the host of a permanent FCBEscola branch, the first on the West Coast of the United States, the sixth across the nation and the thirty-sixth school in total.