The commencement date for the 2025/26 Women's Super League is yet to be announced.
The Women's Super League (WSL) is set to commence in the 2025/26 season, marking its 15th campaign in the competition's history. With a new television deal in place, every match will be broadcast by either Sky Sports or the BBC [1]. The season will run from September 5th-7th, 2025, until May 17, 2026 [2][3][5].
Defending champions Chelsea are poised to be the team to beat, having won their sixth consecutive and eighth overall title last season [1][3]. They will open the season at home against Manchester City [2]. Arsenal, the Champions League winners and runners-up in the previous league season, will also be a force to reckon with, especially with their recent signing of Olivia Smith, the first £1 million player in women's football [1][2].
The newly promoted London City Lionesses, making their debut in the top flight this season, add fresh competition to the mix [1][2]. Other notable clubs include Liverpool, Everton (with a Merseyside derby), Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, and West Ham United, all involved in significant early-season fixtures [2].
The season will feature intense rivalries, with two London derbies between Arsenal and Chelsea scheduled for November 8 and January 25, and Manchester derbies on November 16 and March 29 [2]. Another London derby will take place between Spurs and West Ham United. A Merseyside derby between Liverpool and Everton is also scheduled for the new season [1].
The WSL will expand to 14 teams for the 2026/27 season, leading to increased relegation and promotion activity [1][5]. There will be a winter break from December 22 to January 10 [1][5]. The Women’s League Cup group stage runs late September to mid-November, with knockout phases around Christmas and a final in mid-March [1].
Chelsea, with a team brimming with talent, will be looking to defend their title and complete another domestic treble, having done so last year [1]. Arsenal, with a team packed with Lioness stars, will be looking to perform well in the upcoming WSL season [1]. Brighton will play Aston Villa, and Manchester United will face Leicester City [2].
The upcoming WSL season promises to be thrilling, with the team that finishes bottom of the WSL playing a promotion/relegation play-off against the third-placed finisher in the WSL2 [1]. Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal, and the London City Lionesses are the teams to watch, but don't count out the other teams, as they are all capable of causing upsets.
In other news, the England women's national soccer team, led by Sarina Wiegman, came back from behind in all of their knockout matches, including the final against Spain, to win on penalties. England won the Euro 2025 [1]. The 2025/26 WSL season is shaping up to be an exciting one, with Chelsea and Arsenal remaining the dominant teams, but the London City Lionesses providing a fresh and intriguing addition to the league. The schedule opens in early September with a slate of important fixtures setting the tone for the competitive campaign ahead.
- With Sky Sports and the BBC broadcasting every match, football fans can look forward to watching the Women's Super League (WSL) games, including the season opener between Chelsea and Manchester City.
- Arsenal, fresh from their Champions League win and the signing of Olivia Smith, a £1 million player in women's football, will aim to challenge Chelsea's dominance in the upcoming soccer season of the WSL.
