League: EPL Sport: Soccer Country: England Category: Rankings

Barclays Women's Super League expands to 14 clubs for 2026-27 season

CBS Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Sep 2, 2026, 4:47 PM

Last updated Sep 2, 2026

Barclays Women's Super League expands to 14 clubs for 2026-27 season

Summary

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.

Source Links

CBS Sports

Key Details

•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.

Latest Updates

4:47 PMCBS Sports — WSL Power Rankings: Manchester City aim to defend their title with Chelsea and Arsenal close behind

What they're saying

"
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
— CBS Sportsby Sandra Herrera

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