Barclays Women's Super League expands to 14 clubs for 2026-27 season
3 sources • 2 min read • Latest: Sep 4, 2026, 1:25 PM
Last updated Sep 4, 2026
The Barclays Women's Super League begins its 2026-27 season this weekend with an expanded field of 14 clubs. London City Lionesses host Manchester United on Friday to open the campaign. Birmingham City, Crystal Palace and Charlton Athletic join the top flight following promotion from WSL 2. Manchester City enters the year as the defending champion after concluding Chelsea FC's six-year title run. The league has introduced a new qualification structure where the top three finishers earn spots in the Champions League, while the bottom club faces direct relegation and the 13th-place team enters a play-off. Paramount+ will stream 183 matches, with additional coverage provided by CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network.
- •The 2026-27 season features 14 clubs following the promotion of Birmingham City, Crystal Palace and Charlton Athletic.
- •London City Lionesses and Manchester United play the season opener this Friday.
- •Manchester City enters as the defending league champion.
- •Top three teams qualify directly for the Champions League under the new format.
- 1:25 PMCBS Sports — Barclays WSL kicks off on CBS Sports and Paramount+: Who to watch as Arsenal, Chelsea, Man City aim for title
- 10:27 AMThe Guardian Sport — The WSL returns bigger than ever and with a mouthwatering title race
- 4:47 PMCBS Sports — WSL Power Rankings: Manchester City aim to defend their title with Chelsea and Arsenal close behind
"At the top end, the title race is wide open from the outset, with Manchester City bidding to retain their crown It has been a summer of change for women’s football in England, with expansion of the Women’s Super League to 14 teams bringing three new sides into the fold, huge transfers hitting the headlines, changes to the League Cup and a new name on the WSL trophy as we prepare for kick-off on Friday. Players have had a proper break over the summer, with no major international women’s tournament for the first time in six years (Covid delays pushed back the Tokyo Olympics to 2021 and the European Championship to 2022, followed by the 2023 World Cup, 2024 Paris Olympics and Euro 2025). As a result, managers have had a full pre-season with all available players for the first time in more than half a decade, too. Continue reading...
"WSL comes to CBS Sports and Paramount+ as some of the biggest names in the women's game get set for England's season to begin
"One player for each team to keep an eye on during Barclays WSL ahead of season start
Sources
External links- CBS SportsSep 4, 2026, 1:25 PMBarclays WSL kicks off on CBS Sports and Paramount+: Who to watch as Arsenal, Chelsea, Man City aim for title
One player for each team to keep an eye on during Barclays WSL ahead of season start
- The Guardian SportSep 3, 2026, 10:27 AMThe WSL returns bigger than ever and with a mouthwatering title race
At the top end, the title race is wide open from the outset, with Manchester City bidding to retain their crown It has been a summer of change for women’s football in England, with expansion of the Women’s Super League to 14 teams bringing three new sides into the fold, huge transfers hitting the headlines, changes to the League Cup and a new name on the WSL trophy as we prepare for kick-off on Friday. Players have had a proper break over the summer, with no major international women’s tournament for the first time in six years (Covid delays pushed back the Tokyo Olympics to 2021 and the European Championship to 2022, followed by the 2023 World Cup, 2024 Paris Olympics and Euro 2025). As a result, managers have had a full pre-season with all available players for the first time in more than half a decade, too. Continue reading...
- CBS SportsSep 2, 2026, 4:47 PMWSL Power Rankings: Manchester City aim to defend their title with Chelsea and Arsenal close behind
WSL comes to CBS Sports and Paramount+ as some of the biggest names in the women's game get set for England's season to begin
Original reporting and copyright belong to the linked sources. SportsNewsReport.com aggregates and links — it does not republish full articles.
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