When does the WSL season start?
- Published
The 2025-26 Women's Super League season starts on Friday, 5 September.
The opening match sees defending champions Chelsea take on Manchester City at Stamford Bridge.
The league consists of 12 teams who will face each other twice during the campaign, playing one home and away fixture against each team.
The season will conclude on Sunday, 17 May 2026.
Teams finishing in the top two of the WSL table will qualify for the league phase of next season's Women's Champions League. The third-place team will go into the third qualifying round.
In a change to the WSL format, the team finishing bottom of the 12-team table will enter a relegation play-off against the team who finishes third in WSL 2 - the second tier of women's football in England.
This is due to the expansion of the WSL at the start of the 2026-27 season, when it is set to become a 14-team league.
That means the top 11 WSL sides and top two WSL 2 sides will join the winner of the relegation play-off in the expanded WSL 1.
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Which teams are in the WSL for the 2025-26 season?
Chelsea won the WSL, FA Cup and League Cup titles last season as part of a domestic treble
Newly promoted London City Lionesses join the WSL line-up for the new season.
They are the first club to be promoted to the top tier without any affiliation to a men's team.
Their majority owner Michele Kang also owns Washington Spirit, Lyon's women's team, and is the club president of Lyon's men's side.
Clubs competing in 2025-26 WSL season:
Arsenal
Aston Villa
Brighton & Hove Albion
Chelsea
Everton
Leicester City
Liverpool
London City Lionesses
Manchester City
Manchester United
Tottenham Hotspur
West Ham United
How to watch WSL matches on the BBC
A total of 21 WSL matches will be shown across BBC TV and iPlayer throughout the season.
Digital highlights from every match will also be available via the BBC Sport website, app and social channels.
The first game on the BBC is the clash between Champions League holders Arsenal and WSL newcomers London City Lionesses on Saturday, 6 September (13:30 BST kick-off).
The BBC will also be showing this season's Women's League Cup final.
Sky Sports show other WSL matches, with TNT Sports the home of the Women's FA Cup.
Thanks to Joni Gamble for the question.
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