Winnipeg expansion team, led by Desiree Scott, set to become NSL's 7th franchise

The Northern Super League has announced that its seventh team in the women’s league will be situated in Winnipeg.

The first expansion team in NSL history will kick off in the 2027 season but is preparing for pre-season that typically begins in February 2027.

What we do know is that the newest NSL team will be in the heart of the country and is co-founded by two popular soccer figures from the Prairie province: Olympic gold medallist with CanWNT and retired NSL player Desiree Scott, and storied coach Rob Gale — the first head coach and general manager of Valour FC of the now-shuttered CPL team in Winnipeg.

Scott and Gale have combined forces to create the first professional women’s team in Manitoba.

The expansion news comes on the heels of a $30 million investment from APEX, an international sports investment firm, that puts the league in a strong position in its sophomore year.

Northern Super League draws investment of $30 million from international sports firm

League president Christina Litz says that the expansion team is right on schedule, and important to fans, players and competition.

“We are doing what we set out to do,” Litz told CBC Sports.

“We want eight clubs by 2028. We know what impact having a pro women's team has on inspiring the next-gen players and we have said from the beginning that we want our league to be a catalyst for Canadian talent across the country.”

After retiring from the NWSL, Scott, a self-described “proud Winnippegger” played in the NSL's inaugural season with the Ottawa Rapid — but helping to bring an expansion team was on her mind.

Scott was known as a midfield “Destroyer” and is shifting roles to become a builder with the new team as a co-founder and vice president of community and