What are the key dates for the women's football season?

What the report says

BBC Sport’s Ask Me Anything team has published a guide to the main dates in the 2026-27 women’s football season. The piece says the campaign is already beginning with Women’s Champions League qualifying and the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, while domestic cup and league action follows later in the summer and autumn.

According to BBC Sport, the Women’s Super League and Women’s Super League 2 both start on 4 September 2026, with a winter break from 21 December to 3 January. The regular season ends in May 2027, followed by promotion and relegation play-offs. The article also sets out the Women’s FA Cup schedule, beginning with preliminary ties on 23 August and ending with the final on 15 May 2027.

The BBC’s rundown also includes the Subway Players Cup, which begins in September 2026 and concludes with the final in mid-March 2027. In Europe, the Women’s Champions League has its league phase draw on 4 September, with matchdays running from late September through December before knockout rounds in February and March and the final at the end of May.

The article places the season in a broader international context, noting five women’s international breaks and the build-up to the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil, scheduled for June and July 2027. The timing matters because clubs and national teams will need to manage a packed calendar across domestic, European and international competitions.