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Breaking down the June and July 2026 schedule for Gotham FC

Here is a look at the June and July schedule for Gotham FC.
Gotham FC
Gotham FC | Icon Sportswire/GettyImages

The NWSL is back! Well, almost. NJ/NY Gotham FC will return this week for the NWSL Challenge Cup. Then, the NWSL will resume next weekend, subsequently starting a packed summer of soccer. Between the June match and the July fixtures, the Bats will play seven games in total, including two midweek ones.

Notably, the NJ/NY side will only have two home games, and neither will be at their usual home of Sports Illustrated Stadium. The reason, although never confirmed, might lie with the fact that the World Cup finals will be played when those two games take place. Still, at least one of those matches should feel like a true home fixture.

With many games to discuss, here is a look at Gotham FC's schedule for June and July.

Gotham FC's June and July schedule

Friday, June 26: Gotham FC vs Kansas City Current

Gotham FC's first game back will be at a neutral site. The team will play in the Challenge Cup in Columbus, Ohio, at the home of the Columbus Crew. Since the Bats won the NWSL Championship in 2025, they will face the Shield winners, the Kansas City Current. It is somewhat unknown how the match will go, for the two sides are in a similar spot in the NWSL standings. Winning would be nice, but it might be smart for fans to enter this fixture with low expectations.

Saturday, July 4: Gotham FC at San Diego Wave FC

Happy Independence Day! Or, at least it will be when Gotham faces San Diego Wave FC. This will be an extremely tough match to play as the NWSL season begins again. Not only is the Wave in first place, but this is a road fixture. And, after Emily Sonnett unintentionally caused an awful ACL injury to one of their best players, Dudinha, in the USWNT-Brazil friendly earlier in June, fans might be out for blood. Or, in this case, a win. They can create a hostile environment. At the same time, the holiday might cause a dip in attendance.

Friday, July 10: Gotham FC at Utah Royals FC

Utah Royals FC has never made the postseason and has struggled immensely since rejoining the league in 2024. At least, that was the case until this year. Now, the Utah team is in second place with a shocking 7-2-3 record. This is not a roster that drastically changed in the offseason. Rather, some new additions and the gluing together of those already on the team have led to the changing of the tide. Hence, this will be an unexpectedly hard match for the NJ/NY side.

Wednesday, July 15: Gotham FC vs Washington Spirit

As mentioned, the Bats will play just two home matches in July, and neither will be in New Jersey. When Gotham FC faces the Washington Spirit, they will play at Citi Field in Queens. The Queens Classic is destined to be a historic game, for over 30,000 fans have tickets right now. Plus, meeting with the Spirit has the capability to turn into a battle, and perhaps the two sides will be fighting for a top spot in the standings by then.

Saturday, July 18: Gotham FC vs Seattle Reign FC

The other home fixture might not feel like a true home experience, for Gotham will face Seattle Reign FC at Icahn Stadium. The team has played at the smaller venue before, and it felt like a neutral site. This might allow Seattle a higher chance of taking revenge after the NJ/NY side won the game in Washington. And of course, all of the focus will be on Queens that week for the Bats. Still, anyone who can attend should try to head to the Seattle match.

Friday, July 24: Gotham FC at Portland Thorns FC

Portland Thorns FC is currently competing for a top spot since the team sits in third place. Gotham knows that playing in Portland is never easy, and this game might be even tougher than the San Diego one. The NJ/NY side will have to be at their very best if they want to even leave with a point, which would be ideal from this fixture.

Wednesday, July 29: Gotham FC at Bay FC

Finally, Gotham FC will end July with a road game at Bay FC. The Bats won their home fixture, which happened to be the first home win of the season, and began the current unbeaten streak in the NWSL. In complete honesty, based on the standings, this should be the easiest road match over this stretch on paper. But anything can happen, and like always, the ladies cannot play any team like they are lesser than them.

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