By wsl2news Introduction: Welcome to England’s Top Flight
From packed-out stadiums to global superstars, the Women’s Super League isn’t just English football’s best-kept secret anymore—it’s the main event. As the highest level of professional women’s football in England, the WSL is where world-class talent, fierce rivalries, and record-breaking crowds—like the 56,537 who recently watched Arsenal take on Chelsea—collide.
For any new fan, jumping into a league with so much history and passion can be daunting. That’s why this guide is here: to give you a clear and simple overview of the league’s history, how the competition works, and exactly what’s at stake for the twelve clubs battling for glory. Let’s start with how this incredible league came to be.
The Rise of the WSL: A Brief History
Established by The Football Association (FA) in 2010, the Women’s Super League officially kicked off its inaugural season in 2011, replacing the FA Women’s Premier League National Division as the nation’s top-tier competition. Its journey from a semi-professional setup to a European powerhouse has been one of ambition and rapid evolution.
- Formation and Early Years: The first season began with just eight teams. To build a fanbase and avoid clashing with the men’s domestic season, the league initially ran on a summer calendar, with matches played from March to October.
- A Shift to Professionalism: A pivotal change came ahead of the 2017-18 season, when the league adopted the traditional September-to-May winter calendar. This was immediately followed by the league’s most significant leap: for the 2018-19 season, the WSL became fully professional. This foundational shift mandated that all clubs offer players professional contracts and establish dedicated youth academies, professionalizing the entire women’s football pyramid.
- Modern Growth: The league grew to its current twelve-team format for the 2019–20 season. That expansion is set to continue, with a confirmed plan to increase the league to 14 teams starting in the 2026–27 season, a clear signal of its unstoppable momentum.
This incredible history of growth has shaped the thrilling competition we watch today.
The Season at a Glance: How the Competition Works
The Women’s Super League is contested by twelve clubs in a straightforward round-robin format. Over a season that runs from September to May, each team plays every other team twice—once at their home ground and once away.
Beyond the 22-game league campaign, clubs also battle for knockout glory in England’s two domestic cup competitions: the Women’s FA Cup and the Women’s League Cup. With every point and every cup tie holding weight, a team’s final league position carries massive consequences, from championship glory to the fight for survival.
Moving Up, Moving Down: Promotion & Relegation Explained
The WSL sits at the peak of the English women’s football pyramid, a structure that allows teams to move between divisions based on their performance. The division directly below the top flight is the Women’s Super League 2 (WSL2), which was known as the Women’s Championship until 2025.
For the 2025-26 season only, a special promotion and relegation system is in place to allow the league to expand from 12 to 14 teams for the following year. Here’s how it works:
- Two Teams Promoted: The clubs finishing first and second in WSL2 will earn automatic promotion to the WSL.
- Play-off Spot: The team that finishes third in WSL2 will earn a spot in a high-stakes, one-off play-off match.
- WSL Team at Risk: The club that finishes bottom of the WSL (in 12th place) will face the third-placed WSL2 team in the promotion/relegation play-off. The winner of that match secures the final spot in the top flight for the next season.
While finishing at the bottom means facing a nerve-wracking play-off, finishing at the top comes with the ultimate rewards.
The Ultimate Prizes: What’s at Stake?
So what are they all playing for? Beyond the glory, two huge prizes define a successful season in the WSL.
- The League Title: The ultimate prize—and a full season of bragging rights—goes to the team that finishes atop the table, crowned Women’s Super League champions. The current titleholders are Chelsea, whose 2024-25 victory marked their record eighth title and an incredible sixth in a row, cementing a dynasty that rivals Manchester City and Arsenal are desperate to break.
- European Qualification: The top three teams in the league—the champions, runners-up, and third-placed team—qualify for the following season’s UEFA Women’s Champions League. This is the pinnacle of European club football, where England’s best battle it out with giants like Barcelona and Lyon for continental supremacy.
Now, let’s meet the clubs competing for these top honors.
The Teams of the 2025-26 Season
| Club | The Commentator’s Take |
| Arsenal | A commercial and competitive powerhouse, now playing all home games at the 60,000-seat Emirates Stadium. |
| Aston Villa | A solid mid-table side with growing ambition, unafraid to spend big to climb the ladder. |
| Brighton & Hove Albion | A well-established WSL club known for its resilience and ability to challenge anyone on its day. |
| Chelsea | The defending champions and the league’s gold standard, boasting a squad deep with world-class talent. |
| Everton | An historic club in English football, now looking to build its foundation at the iconic Goodison Park. |
| Leicester City | Battling for survival with a squad reinforced by proven WSL veterans brought in to secure their top-flight status. |
| Liverpool | A team in the midst of an aggressive mid-season rebuild, signing international talent to fight its way off the bottom of the table. |
| London City Lionesses | The league’s disruptors, powered by major private investment to build a squad of established international stars overnight. |
| Manchester City | Title contenders on a dominant run, powered by the league’s top scorer, Khadija Shaw, and tactical precision. |
| Manchester United | A club packed with talent, looking to overcome key injuries and prove they can still challenge the league’s elite. |
| Tottenham Hotspur | The league’s ascendant challengers, transformed into a genuine top-four contender through a savvy influx of Scandinavian talent. |
| West Ham United | A team in a gritty fight for survival, looking for a fresh start under a new manager to turn its season around. |
With this mix of champions, challengers, and survivors, the league promises another season of unforgettable drama.
Conclusion: The Future is Bright
The Women’s Super League is the pinnacle of English football: a fully professional, 12-team powerhouse where a domestic title, a place among Europe’s elite, and a dramatic fight for survival are all on the line.
From its humble semi-professional origins, the WSL has exploded into a globally recognized competition, drawing record crowds and the world’s best players. With the upcoming expansion to 14 teams, the league is only getting bigger and better. The future for the top flight of women’s football in England is not just bright—it’s dazzling.