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Thursday, November 12, 2026Nov 12

Orlando Pride withdraws from upcoming NWSL tournament

AP photo by Steve Luciano / Orlando Pride midfielder Kristen Edmonds, center left, and Sky Blue FC midfielder Raquel Rodriguez, center right, competed for a head during an NWSL match on Sept. 29, 2019, in Harrison, N.J.
AP photo by Steve Luciano / Orlando Pride midfielder Kristen Edmonds, center left, and Sky Blue FC midfielder Raquel Rodriguez, center right, competed for a head during an NWSL match on Sept. 29, 2019, in Harrison, N.J. AP photo by Steve Luciano / Orlando Pride midfielder Kristen Edmonds, center left, and Sky Blue FC midfielder Raquel Rodriguez, center right, competed for a head during an NWSL match on Sept. 29, 2019, in Harrison, N.J.

The Orlando Pride have withdrawn from the upcoming National Women’s Soccer League tournament after six players and four staff members tested positive for COVID-19.

The NWSL is the first professional team sports league in the United States scheduled to return amid the coronavirus pandemic. The month-long Challenge Cup tournament is set to start Saturday in Utah.

Another round of testing will take place to confirm the results, the league said in announcing the positive tests Monday. Because of the number of positive results and the short time before the start of the tournament, the Pride withdrew.

The names of the players and staffers who tested positive were not released.

Among those on the Pride’s roster are U.S. women’s national team players Ashlynn Harris, Ali Krieger and Emily Sonnett, as well as Brazilian star Marta.