All you need to know about the new WSL season

What the report says

BBC Sport has published a season preview for the 2026-27 Women’s Super League, setting out the main changes, key arrivals and broadcast details before the campaign begins. The new season starts on Friday, 4 September, with London City Lionesses hosting Manchester United at 19:00 BST, and ends on Saturday, 22 May 2027. Manchester City go into the season as defending champions after winning the title last term, while the league expands from 12 to 14 clubs.

The biggest headline among summer transfers is London City Lionesses’ recruitment, led by two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas on a free transfer after 14 years at Barcelona. London City have also signed former Barcelona defender Mapi Leon and ex-England goalkeeper Mary Earps. Elsewhere, Arsenal have added England midfielder Georgia Stanway from Bayern Munich, Manchester City have signed Beth Mead, and Liverpool have brought in Mao Itamura from Feyenoord.

The promoted sides are Birmingham City, Crystal Palace and Charlton Athletic, with Leicester City moving down to WSL 2. Each club will now play 26 league matches, and the season includes a winter break from 21 December to 10 January. BBC Sport also notes that the BBC will show 25 WSL games across TV and iPlayer this season, beginning with Chelsea v Aston Villa on 5 September, alongside highlights and additional digital coverage. Sky Sports will carry most other matches, with some games available on the WSL’s YouTube channel.

The changes highlight the league’s growing scale and visibility, with more teams, more fixtures and a higher-profile transfer market shaping what could be a competitive title race.