2025-26 Women’s Super League Overview
The highly anticipated 2025-26 Women’s Super League (WSL) is set to commence with defending champions Chelsea facing off against Manchester City in a home match scheduled for the evening of Friday, September 5. This inaugural weekend is particularly noteworthy, coinciding with a men’s international break, which allows for an exciting lineup of fixtures between September 5 and September 7.
Opening Weekend Matches
Arsenal will kick off their season by hosting the London City Lionesses, a newly promoted team and the only independent club in the WSL, marking their entrance into the top tier of women’s football in England.
In addition to these matches, the opening weekend will see the much-anticipated Merseyside derby, where Liverpool will go head-to-head with Everton. Further games include:
- Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
- Manchester United vs Leicester City
- Tottenham Hotspur vs West Ham United in another London derby
Season Competitiveness and Key Matches
Discussion surrounding competitiveness has grown following Chelsea securing their sixth successive league title last season and their first under manager Sonia Bompastor, with Arsenal finishing in second place and Manchester United close behind in third. The upcoming season will also see crucial derby clashes, including:
- Two London showdowns between Arsenal and Chelsea, slated for November 8 and January 25
- Manchester derbies on November 16 and March 29
Winter Break and Historic Changes
For the 2025-26 season, a winter break will be observed from December 22 to January 10, with the first match post-break featuring Arsenal against United on January 11. This season will be particularly historic as it will be the last to be played in the current format, as the league prepares to expand to include 14 teams starting with the 2026-27 season. This change means a playoff will take place at the conclusion of the season to determine relegation and promotion dynamics between WSL and WSL2.
The playoff weekend is set for May 22-25, 2026.
Broadcasting and Scheduling Changes
In an effort to improve scheduling and address conflicts with the Women’s Champions League and Europa Cup, the league has adjusted the timing of certain matches, particularly for teams like Arsenal, Chelsea, and United, ensuring they have adequate rest before European fixtures.
Fans will have the opportunity to watch all 75 WSL matches live exclusively on Disney+, with additional broadcasting on Sky Sports and BBC for every match including those in WSL2, which will be available via streaming on YouTube. Furthermore, after consideration and feedback from fans and clubs, late Sunday kick-offs have been eliminated, with most fixtures now planned for Sunday afternoons and select slots on Saturdays and Fridays.
Season Conclusion
As the season nears its conclusion between May 15-17, Chelsea will again host Manchester United on the final day, while Arsenal visits Liverpool and the London City Lionesses take on Aston Villa. Meanwhile, the WSL2 competition will wrap up two weeks earlier, marking its end on the first weekend of May.
