Women's Super League expanding to 14 teams from 2026
The English Women's Super League is set expand to 14 teams from the start of the 2026-27 season, with a promotion and relegation play-off to be introduced.
A proposal put forward by Nikki Doucet, chief executive of Women's Professional Leagues Limited, was voted through at Monday's WSL Football shareholders meeting.
It requires the approval of the Football Association board but, if it gets the green light, 14 teams will compete in the women's top flight from next year and the 2025-26 campaign will conclude with a relegation/promotion play-off.
"Over the past few months, WSL Football has led a thorough and robust, consultative process backed by research and analysis which explored multiple options that could drive the game forward and help it reach its potential," Doucet 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.
"Subject to the approval from the FA board, expanding the BWSL to 14 teams will stimulate movement between leagues and through the pyramid which increases opportunities.
"The introduction of a promotion/relegation play-off creates distinction for the women's game and introduces a high-profile, high-stakes match."
If the expansion from a 12-team WSL to 14 gets FA approval, it offers three Women's Championship clubs the chance to gain promotion during the 2025-26 campaign.
The top two of the Championship will go up automatically and the third-placed side will take on the team which finished bottom of the WSL in a play-off.
The Championship will continue as a 12-team league with "additional promotion opportunities" from the FA Women's National League Northern and Southern Premier Divisions at the end of the 2025-26 campaign.
"The method for these promotions, and any impact further down the pyramid, will be confirmed by The FA in due course," a WSL Football statement read.
It means from the 2026-27 season, the 14th-placed team would be relegated and replaced by the winner of the Championship.
A relegation/promotion play-off between the 13th-placed club in the WSL and Championship runner-up would then determine the final place in the top-flight.
There were 14 Republic of Ireland internationals with WSL clubs last season and 24 in the Championship.
Meanwhile, women's football is set to become one of the world's top five sports by 2030, according to a report by Nielsen Sports (in collaboration with PepsiCo), with a global fan base projected to grow by 38% to reach more than 800 million people.
Some 60% of those fans are projected to be women, according to their report 'Undervalued to Unstoppable' released on Tuesday, creating one of the few sports which is followed by more females than males.
The global broadcast audience is also expected to rise by 30% across major tournaments by 2030.
While sponsorship deals tripled for the 2023 Women's World Cup from the 2019 tournament, only a small fraction of global sponsorship budgets are allocated to women's football, according to the study.
It presents a significant opportunity, the researchers argued, considering women are projected to drive over 75% of household purchasing decisions by 2028.
Women's football is already one of the top 10 most followed sports globally, and momentum appears to be building. Viewership of the U.S.-based National Women's Soccer League championship last year had an 18% increase over the previous year.
Disney+ announced last month a deal to broadcast Women's Champions League matches across Europe, while Alexis Ohanian, the Reddit co-founder and husband of tennis great Serena Williams, acquired a stake in Women's Super League champions Chelsea that same month.
Deloitte recently reported that WSL revenues climbed by 34% during a record-breaking 2023-24 season, and are forecasting WSL clubs' total revenue will reach a record £100 million pounds (€117 million) in the 2025-26 season.
WSL attendance, however, has dropped after it peaked in 2023-24 on the heels of the 2023 Women's World Cup, but is expected to have another rise after the European Championship next month in Switzerland.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
39 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
David Coote hit with two FA charges for Jurgen Klopp rant as shamed referee is accused of aggravated breach of rules
DAVID COOTE has been hit with two FA charges for his rant about Jurgen Klopp. The shamed referee has been accused of an aggravated breach of FA rules following an infamous video showing him hitting out at the ex-Liverpool manager. Advertisement 1 David Coote has been hit with two FA charges after his rant about Jurgen Klopp Credit: Getty In the viral video, he referred to Liverpool as "s***" and extraordinarily dropped the C-bomb to describe ex-Reds boss Klopp. Coote said: "Liverpool were s*** . Klopp is an absolute c***. "Aside from having a right pop at me when I was refereeing them against Burnley in lockdown, he accused me of lying and then had a right f***ing pop of me. "I have no interest in speaking to someone who is f***ing arrogant. So I do my best not to speak to him. James Milner is all right, I get on with him. Advertisement "You can see me there with a 'mask' on. But, my god, German c***, f*** me." Coote was handed a 16-month ban by Uefa for the video, as well another Sun clip which showed him take cocaine. And now, the FA have issued a statement confirming that the shamed ref has been hit with two charges for his Klopp rant. It read: 'David Coote has been charged with a breach of FA Rule E3 in relation to comments that he made about Jurgen Klopp in a video recorded around July 2020 which appeared on social media in November 2024. Advertisement Most read in Football Latest Latest 'It's alleged that the referee acted in an improper manner and/or used abusive and/or insulting words contrary to FA Rules E3.1. 'It's further alleged that this constitutes an 'Aggravated Breach', which is defined in FA Rule E3.2m as it included a reference – whether expressed or implied – to nationality. Shamed Prem ref David Coote filmed delivering Evri packages after cocaine video & Klopp rant destroyed career 'No charges have been issued in relation to allegations of gambling misconduct against David Coote, which were also fully investigated.' THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY.. Advertisement The Sun is your go to destination for the best football, boxing and MMA news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video . Like us on Facebook at
Irish Times
3 hours ago
- Irish Times
Johnny Sexton on the lure of the Lions
While Armagh, Meath, Monaghan and Tyrone put their feet up for a fortnight, all of them already through to the quarter-finals of the football championship, we now know who's facing who in the battle to join them : Dublin v Cork, Donegal v Louth, Down v Galway and Kerry v Cavan. Conor McManus puts his ranking cap on to share his thoughts on who's best placed to advance, and whose hopes of spending the year in the company of Sam Maguire are the strongest. Cavan? Look away now. Malachy Clerkin, meanwhile, looks back at The Weekend That Was in football and picks out what lessons the survivors in the championship can learn from Roscommon, Mayo, Clare and Derry, 'the first teams to be kicked out onto the street'. In rugby, Gerry Thornley was at the Lions' training base in UCD on Monday, where they're fine-tuning their preparations for Friday's game against Argentina at the Aviva Stadium. He heard Johnny Sexton talk about how the persuasive powers of Andy Farrell lured him back in to, first, the Irish set-up and, now, the Lions' coaching ticket. Johnny Watterson was in Belfield too where Ben Earl spoke with the media , the Saracens man insisting he brings no animosity from 'an often-fiery Six Nations' in to the Lions camp. Gerry also looks back on Leinster's season, dismissing that notion that they're 'chokers' . 'They won one of only two trophies on offer and reached the semi-final of the other ... with any other club, region or province, that would be considered a successful season. Anyone other than Leinster.' READ MORE Owen Doyle doffs his cap too to Leinster's URC success, but his chief focus in today's column is referees being subjected to 'interrogations' by players 'constantly appealing' their decisions. 'It is clear that match officials have overdone their desire to be seen as the players' understanding friend. That approach is now backfiring,' he writes. In golf, Philip Reid reflects on a remarkable US Open where JJ Spaun somehow survived five early bogeys in his final round to win his first major. The company that make the putter used by Spaun to sink that 65 feet putter on the 18th on Sunday will have been especially chuffed with his success, sales of the L.A.B. Golf DF3 putter no doubt soaring. And in racing, Brian O'Connor previews Royal Ascot which starts today, Irish jockey Colin Keane 'firmly in the spotlight' after his appointment as number one in Europe to the Juddmonte organisation. Keane, says Brian, is 'a cool customer', but while 'pressure might indeed be a privilege in elite sport, it can quickly become a burden too'. TV Watch: Royal Ascot gets under way today, but you'll be worn out from the channel-hopping if you want to follow it all - it'll be spread across UTV, ITV4, Virgin Media One and Virgin Media Two between 1.30 and 6.30. It's a bit more straightforward for hockey fans wishing to see Ireland take on Australia in the men's Pro League - the game is on the TG4 Player at 2.30pm.
The Irish Sun
4 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Inside Brian Barry-Murphy's life from TV star wife & kids to Cork GAA icon dad adored by Roy Keane
BRIAN Barry-Murphy's soccer coaching career reached new heights on Monday as he was appointed Leicester City's latest head coach. It's a clear sign that 6 Monday saw him confirmed as the Championship club's new boss Credit: PA 6 His wife Sarah-Jane Crawford is a high-profile figure herself owing to her TV and radio work Credit: Sarah-Jane Crawford Facebook 6 Brian joked he was doing some 'proper coaching' in this cute snap with their two daughters Credit: @brianbarrymurphy 6 Cork GAA fans will need no introduction as to who his father is Credit: Sportsfile - Subscription Having wound up his playing days Rochdale where he spent eight seasons, he was installed as the club's caretaker manager in 2019 after the departure of Keith Hill. Their fortunes improved under his watch such that his status was made permanent with him ultimately choosing to depart the club two years later. At that juncture he was tempted away to take over Manchester City's academy. His exact job title was manager of the club's Elite Development Squad. Read More On Irish Football That post raised his profile significantly across the Irish Sea as he worked with future Prem stars like He opted to leave this role in July before embarking on what turned out to be mission impossible of saving The Foxes from relegation with van Nistelrooy in December after Steve Cooper's sacking. Here, SunSport chronicle his life beyond the beautiful game: Who is Brian Barry-Murphy's wife? He is married to Sarah-Jane Crawford who is arguably more famous than he is owing to her various presenting work with ITV and the BBC. Most read in Football Among her credits are The Xtra Factor while she currently works on-air with Vanessa Feltz on her daily Channel 5 afternoon show. There's only 16 months between her and Brian's daughters. In one interview, Michail Antonio plays first match just six months after near-death Ferrari crash that 'completely shattered' his leg She smiled: "People say, 'Oh, brilliant, our kids grew up together, they're best friends'. "I think there's a lot of practical reasons and emotional reasons, in terms of siblings, why it's good. But I don't think I've necessarily had the luxury to think, 'You know what, I'll space them out a bit'." Who is his dad Jimmy Barry-Murphy? GAA agnostics may not realise it but he's the son of Cork GAA royalty. His dad Jimmy was the ultimate dual star who helped the county to six All-Ireland triumphs across Gaelic football and hurling as a player. In addition to that, the seven-time All-Star (five in hurling, two in football) guided their hurlers to hoist Liam MacCarthy in 1995 while he returned for a second stint in charge between 2011-2015. 6 Jimmy is a revered figure in his native county 6 He won everything there was to win with Cork and his club St Finbarr's Credit: Sportsfile - Subscription He did so on a Monday Night Football appearance in 2022 - in spite of his Sky Sports colleagues not then seeming sure what to ask about this mystery figure. Keano hailed: "Growing up again in Ireland - the GAA was a big part of my life. Hurling - watching Jimmy Barry-Murphy playing for Cork - you know, brilliant sportsman." The 70-year-old modestly remarked: "It was very, very special. I was delighted actually. "I was shocked for somebody like Roy, who I have great admiration for and he's probably our greatest ever sportsman to come out of Cork. "Himself and Denis Irwin were extraordinary. Denis is a Barr man, of course, so I have to give him a mention. But Roy, it was a lovely thing to say and I really appreciate it, I must say."
