Things seem to have taken a u-turn for the worse for Bos Nation FC. Ever since winning the expansion rights as the 15th NWSL team, they have been stuck between a rock and a hard place. The latest predicament comes with Linda Pizzuti Henry unexpectedly withdrawing her investment from Boston Unity Soccer Partners, the ownership group behind Boston’s 2026 NWSL expansion club.

The news came after the CEO of Boston Globe Media announced her decision in an Instagram post on Friday. Although the media executive publicly announced it in the third week of February, she’d already informed her colleagues internally before the new year.

Referring to her official Instagram post, Henry stated, “In December, I officially notified the Boston NWSL team that I would be exiting the investor group. We are working together and expect to complete the process soon, and I will then just be a Boston Fan, not part of the BosNation team in any way.”

Linda Pizzuti Henry mentioned she had “happily joined as a limited, passive investor when the group was forming.” However, now that she won’t be a part of the NWSL club’s stakeholder group, the 46-year-old wishes her best to BosNation and its group. “I remain very excited about the growth and future of women’s sports in Boston and beyond,” Linda concluded in her post.

Notably, Linda Pizzuti isn’t alone in leading the Boston Globe Media which oversees the Boston Globe, Boston.com, and Stat News. She co-owns the media company with her husband, John Henry. Ardent sports fans might have guessed it by now, but for those unaware, John is the principal owner of Fenway Sports Group. Yes, the very FSG that holds controlling stakes in the MLB’s Boston Red Sox, England’s Premier League giants Liverpool FC, and the NHL side Pittsburgh Penguins.

It’s not like the exit of Linda Henry has left a major void in the Boston Unity Soccer Partners. The 15th NWSL side retains revered minority stakeholders, including Olympic gold medal gymnast Aly Raisman and actress Elizabeth Banks. Coincidentally, both of them are from the Boston area. Additionally, Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens, and his wife, Tracy, are also part of the investment group.

In fact, the Boston Unity Sports Group did not stand in Henry’s way and affirmed their commitment to the team’s growth. “We want to thank Linda for her early investment into bringing professional women’s soccer back to Boston. Our ownership group continues to grow and we’re excited about what’s to come as we kick off in 2026,” Boston Unity Sports Group told FOS in a statement.

Be that as it may, this is surely quite a shocking update. Remarkably, there has been no specific reason why Linda backed out from Boston’s NWSL investment group. Then again, one can easily connect the dots by recalling what the new Massachusetts-based women’s soccer club has been facing!

Boston-based NWSL side continues to weather the storm!

For starters, the club’s name, “Bos Nation FC” alone remains one of its biggest issues. The stakeholders are apparently reconsidering a name change after a controversial launch. The situation flipped after everyone received their “Too Many Balls” ad campaign quite poorly. That’s because many felt it placed too much emphasis on critiquing the city’s male-dominated sports landscape.

As a result, the campaign faced widespread criticism for being shortsighted and transphobic. It eventually forced the Boston Unity Soccer Partners to issue a public apology. Likewise, the group remains under intense scrutiny over its agreement with the City of Boston to renovate and lease White Stadium. It is a publicly owned venue in the southwest part of the city. Yet, the stakeholders see it as the team’s future home.

Notably, the stadium renovation is partially funded by taxpayers. Hence, this has led to legal challenges from local residents concerning escalating costs. Earlier, a judge had declined to issue an injunction against it in early 2024. But now, local residents have filed a lawsuit to halt the project, with the trial scheduled for March.

As if all such wasn’t enough, there’s more. In January, Boston’s chief of city operations, Dion Irish, testified before the City Council. He revealed that public funding for the stadium’s renovation had exceeded $100 million. Since then, the issue intensified with further calls made to halt the project.

Regardless, it has not been an ideal start for Boston to launch its NWSL team. Let’s see how they can navigate all of these challenges.