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3w ago

WSL Clubs Unanimously Approve 14-Team Expansion for 2026-27 Season

The measure awaits FA ratification under a decade-long strategy to raise standards in England’s women’s game.

Soccer Football - Women's Super League - Chelsea v Liverpool - Stamford Bridge, London, Britain - May 10, 2025 Chelsea's Millie Bright lifts the trophy as she celebrates with teammates after winning the Women's Super League Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs/File Photo
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Overview

  • Next season’s WSL2 will promote its top two clubs automatically and set a play-off between its third-placed side and the bottom WSL team to prepare for expansion.
  • From the 2026-27 campaign onwards, the bottom WSL side will face automatic relegation and the 13th-placed team will contest a play-off with the WSL2 runner-up.
  • WSL2 has been upgraded to a fully professional league, aligning its operations and staffing standards with the top division.
  • Continental qualification remains unchanged with the WSL’s top three finishers securing Champions League spots under the continued round-robin format.
  • League chiefs view the revamp as a key element of a ten-year plan focused on enhancing infrastructure, staffing and investment across the pyramid.