Welcome to this week’s edition of Goalside Gossip!

Welcome to Goalside Gossip! Our mission has always been to bring you the most compelling news from every corner of the women’s game, from the sold-out stadiums of the NWSL to the emerging leagues making history across the globe. To kick off this edition, we are thrilled to introduce our readers to the brand-new FIFA Women’s Series, a groundbreaking initiative designed to bridge the gap between confederations and provide a global stage for nations that rarely get to face off.

In this update, we’ll dive into a busy week of action, starting with the USWNT’s gritty 2-1 friendly victory over Japan. We also take a look at the inaugural FIFA Women’s Series fixtures, including a historic clash between Pakistan and the Turks and Caicos Islands, and a dominant 5-0 display by Australia against Malawi. Beyond the pitch, we’ve got the latest off-field shakes-ups: we’ll break down exactly what the FIFA Women’s Series entails, discuss the major ownership change at Sunderland, and see how the Washington Spirit are absolutely crushing NWSL jersey sales with their new look.

Notable Matches (NWSL)

News

In a hard-fought friendly at PayPal Park on April 13, 2026, the USWNT secured a 2-1 victory over Japan, led by the standout performances of veterans Rose Lavelle and Lindsey Heaps. Lavelle opened the scoring in the 9th minute and later assisted Heaps 40th international goal, marking a successful 100th career start for the Gotham FC midfielder. While Japan’s Riko Ueki, who’s known to hit some bangers, managed to pull one back in the 61st minute following defensive pressure on centerbacks Naomi Girma and Kennedy Wesley, the U.S. held on to provide manager Emma Hayes with her 31st win. This victory served as a measure of revenge for a previous loss at the 2025 SheBelieves Cup and showcased the team's growth ahead of their next meeting in Seattle on April 16.

Pakistan's women's national team made a dream start to the FIFA Series 2026 by thrashing the Turks and Caicos Islands 8-0 in Côte d'Ivoire, registering the biggest win in the country's international football history — surpassing their previous best of a 7-0 victory over the Maldives in September 2022. The team, coached by Adeel Rizki, laid the foundation in the first half with four goals from four different scorers before adding four more after the break. The match also carried a historic individual milestone: Nadia Khan became Pakistan's all-time leading goal scorer, surpassing the record previously held by former captain Hajra Khan

The Australian women's national team made a commanding start to the FIFA Series 2026, defeating Malawi 5-0 in Nairobi, with goals from Emily van Egmond and Sam Kerr giving Australia a two-goal cushion and some comfort at the break before second-half strikes from Alex Chidiac, Holly McNamara, and debutant Leticia McKenna sealed a dominant win. The Nation Chidiac's goal was particularly notable, it was her first for the national team in 1,144 days, coming in her 38th international appearance. Matildas McKenna, who came off the bench in the second half, became Matilda #243 and capped the afternoon by scoring in stoppage time. Matildas The result advanced Australia to the series final later in the week.

In the other FIFA Series game in Abidjan, hosts Ivory Coast humbled Mauritania 8-0 in a one-sided match. Priscille Kreto scored a hat-trick of headers for Côte d'Ivoire in the opening half, while Bernadette Amani found the net with a curling effort from outside the area, and Habibou Ouedraogo scored twice in as many minutes as halftime approached. The second period was a tighter affair, but Essi Dagba and Akebie Abrogua piled on the pain for Mauritania, completing a dominant home performance in front of their own supporters and setting up Ivory Coast as the early favorites in their group.

The 2026 FIFA Women's Series is the inaugural edition of a women's national team FIFA Series, an invitational tournament promoted by FIFA that features friendly matches between teams from different continental confederations. The FIFA Series itself was first launched in 2024 as a biennial event, but the women's tournament is making its debut this year, with 16 sides competing across four host countries. The format is unlike a traditional single-host tournament, instead, it is a collection of small four-team mini-tournaments held simultaneously across multiple countries, with each group made up of teams drawn from different FIFA confederations, allowing nations to face opponents from other continents they would rarely get the chance to play.

Rather than being just meaningless international friendlies, the mini-tournaments are structured so that only one team can emerge as the group winner, with formats ranging from pre-arranged fixtures to knockout semi-finals and a final. FIFA introduced the series to address a long-standing issue in international soccer, the lack of high-quality matches for emerging and mid-ranked national teams, many of whom struggle to secure competitive fixtures and often play uneven friendlies that provide limited developmental value. Participation is based on FIFA's invitation system, focusing on competitive balance rather than rankings alone, which allows developing teams to face opponents of similar strength while occasionally testing themselves against stronger nations.

The 2026 women's edition features four separate four-team series taking place in Brazil, Ivory Coast, Kenya, and Thailand during the FIFA window of April 9–18. The tournament has already produced some eye-catching results and milestones, from Pakistan registering the biggest win in their national team's history, to Australia's Matildas fielding a debutant who scored on her first appearance. With the FIFA Women's World Cup set for 2027, the series offers nations a meaningful, structured platform to build chemistry, test depth, and gain cross-continental experience ahead of the sport's biggest stage.

Bay Collective, the multi-club ownership group backed by investment firm Sixth Street, has reached an agreement to acquire a majority stake in Sunderland Women. This move expands the group's portfolio, which already includes the NWSL's Bay FC. Led by former FA executives Kay Cossington and Anja van Ginhoven, the collective aims to transform the WSL2 side by investing in high-end infrastructure, training models, and academy resources to establish a foundation for long-term success at the highest levels of the game.

The acquisition marks a significant transition for Sunderland, currently sitting eighth in the WSL2. Former Sunderland ownership, Bia Sports Group, selected Bay Collective after a year-long search, citing their global expertise and respect for the club’s legacy. This synergy is further highlighted by the presence of head coach Emma Coates at Bay FC, who previously worked under Cossington within the England youth setup.

In related news, Bay FC forward Keira Barry, a former Sunderland player herself—has earned her first senior England call-up under Sarina Wiegman. The 20-year-old was promoted from the under-23s to replace the injured Freya Godfrey for upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Spain and Iceland. Barry’s rapid rise in the NWSL since joining Bay FC in February underscores the growing connection between the American and English women's football landscapes under this new ownership umbrella.

The Washington Spirit is dominating the 2026 NWSL merchandise market, fueled by the massive success of their "Spirit in Bloom" cherry blossom kits. Forward Trinity Rodman leads the league in individual jersey sales with a staggering 136% increase over last year, anchoring a list where the Spirit claims six of the top eight best-selling player jerseys. This commercial surge follows the kit's record-breaking launch in February, which more than doubled the club's previous first-day sales and saw the team sweep the league's fan vote for best new uniform.

Beyond Rodman's star power, the sales rankings highlight both the Spirit's deep roster and the league's expansion buzz. Teammates like Hal Hershfelt and Leicy Santos join Rodman in the top ten, while future Denver Summit FC midfielder Lindsey Heaps holds the number two spot, a notable feat considering she doesn't officially join the league until mid-summer. Washington Spirit CEO Kim Stone credited the success to a fan-driven design process that authentically reflected D.C. culture, resulting in the club holding more than double the number of players in the Top 20 compared to any other NWSL franchise.