WSL to expand to 14 teams from 2026-27 season
The Women’s Super League will expand to 14 teams from the 2026-27 season, it was announced on Monday.
The top flight of English women’s football will grow in size after the coming season, with two teams promoted from the second division into the Women’s Super League and the third-place team facing the WSL’s bottom side in a relegation play-off.
Thereafter the 14th-placed team will be relegated and the 13th-placed team face a play-off.
Crystal Palace were relegated from the WSL last season, finishing 10 points off Tottenham in 11th. London City won the Women’s Super League 2 last year while Birmingham City and Charlton finished second and third.
Other notable teams in the second division include Newcastle, Sunderland and Southampton.
These proposals were voted through on Monday but now require approval from England’s football body the Football Association.
The WSL said: “Our priority was to find a route that would benefit the whole women’s game pyramid, and we believe this next evolution of women’s professional football will raise minimum standards, create distinction and incentivise investment across the board.”
WSL changes
It comes after Deloitte’s Annual Review of Football Finance predicted that WSL revenues would pass £100m in 2026.
“Through developing more robust fan engagement strategies, strong commercial deals and securing central distributions, WSL clubs unlocked a new phase of growth in the 2023-24 season,” said Jennifer Haskel, knowledge and insights lead in the Deloitte Sports Business Group.
“The high-profile investment and innovative brand partnerships announced in recent months demonstrate the value gained when women’s teams are treated as distinct entities with a focus on driving specific initiatives tailored to the fans and commercial partners alike.”
The latest major investment in the Women’s Super League came earlier this season when Reddit co-founder and former Angel City investor Alexis Ohanian purchased a 10 per cent stake in Chelsea for £20m, valuing the club at £200m.