New season, new structure: FA WSL expansion approved
The changes still require ratification by the FA Board.
Photo byA new promotion and relegation mechanism will come into effect across the top three tiers of women's football in England from the end of the 2026/27 season. Under the revised system, the team finishing bottom of the WSL will be relegated automatically, while the Championship winner will be promoted. The second-from-bottom WSL side will face a play-off against the Championship runners-up.
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The situation below that remains more fluid. The FA is still to confirm whether the current two-up, two-down system between the Championship and the FA Women's National League will continue. Presently, the bottom two sides in the Championship drop to the third tier, but this could be reviewed in light of the broader changes.
Importantly, the Championship will remain a 12-team division. Only the WSL will expand, meaning transitional changes will take place at the end of the 2025/26 season. Either zero or one team will be relegated from the WSL, with two or three promoted from the Championship to bring the top flight to 14 clubs. The top two Championship teams will be promoted automatically, while the third-placed side will play off against the WSL's bottom club for a potential spot.
That raises the possibility of no relegation from the WSL in 2025/26, should the bottom-placed club win their play-off.
UEFA Women's Champions League qualification will remain unchanged. As England finished the 2024/25 season ranked as the top association, the WSL champions and runners-up in 2025/26 will both qualify directly for the group stage of the 2026/27 UEFA WCL. The third-placed club will enter in Round 3 of qualifying.
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While the expansion is broadly welcomed, the 2026/27 season will pose significant scheduling challenges. The addition of four extra league games will place further strain on an already crowded calendar. With the FIFA Women's World Cup 2027 scheduled to begin on 24 June, and clubs also competing in the FA Women's Cup, the Continental Tyres League Cup, and an expanded UWCL format, fixture congestion is likely to intensify.
As FIFPRO continues to raise concerns about player workload and the rise in injuries, the demands of a longer domestic season may heighten risks for elite players.
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