The Women’s Super League (WSL) is ready to grow.
A proposal to expand the WSL to 14 teams and incorporate a promotion and relegation play-off was given the green light during a WSL Football shareholders meeting on Monday.
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The changes still need to be approved by the Football Association (FA) board, but should it get rubber-stamped, the changes will be enacted for the start of the 2026/27 campaign.
It would also mean the 2025/26 season would finish with a promotion and relegation play-off.
“Over the past few months, WSL Football has led a thorough and robust, consultative process backed by research and analysis which
explored multiple options that could drive the game forward and help it reach its potential,” WSL Football chief executive Nikki Doucet said.
“Our priority was to find a route that would benefit the whole women’s game pyramid, and we believe this next evolution of women’s professional football will raise minimum standards, create distinction and incentivise investment across the board.
“Subject to the approval from The FA Board, expanding the BWSL to 14 teams will stimulate movement between leagues and through the pyramid which increases opportunities.
“The introduction of a promotion/relegation playoff creates distinction for the women’s game and introduces a high-profile, high stakes match.”
For the 14-team WSL expansion to happen, three teams will be promoted from the WSL 2 at the end of the 2025/26 campaign.
The top two from the second tier will be automatically promoted, while the third-placed team in WSL 2 will enter a play-off against the 12th-placed WSL team.
From the 2026/27 season onwards, the 14th-placed team will be automatically relegated while the play-off would be contested between the 13th-placed team in the WSL and the runners-up in the WSL 2.
Fans on social media were quick to react to the news, with some hailing it as an overdue change.
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One wrote on X: “Today is the day the WSL changed forever.”
Another posted: “Really glad they’ve come to the realisation that you can expand the WSL without completely removing the threat of relegation, there needs to be some sort of jeopardy to keep fans and clubs invested.”
A third said: “This is good! League expanded to 14 teams instead of 12 AND 2 teams automatically go up/down between WSL and WSL 2. AND there’s a playoff between 12 in the WSL and 3rd in WSL 2 for potentially an extra promotion! More jeopardy! More entertaining!
A fourth added: “This is so novel, an update to the WSL that’s actually something fans have been asking for for AGES instead of more poorly workshopped ideas!”
With the two extra teams, it will increase the WSL’s fixture load for clubs from 22 games to 26 from 2026/27 onwards.
Chelsea won the 2024/25 edition of the WSL as they finished a whopping 12 points ahead of second-placed Arsenal.
What are the WSL changes and when do they kick in?
In the 2025/26 season
WSL 2 champion will be automatically promoted to the WSL
WSL 2 runners-up will be automatically promoted to the WSL
WSL 2 third-place will play the 12th-placed WSL team, the winner will play in the WSL
From 26/27 season onwards
14th place in WSL will be relegated
WSL 2 champion will be automatically promoted to the WSL
WSL 2 runners-up will play the 13th-placed WSL team, the winner will play in the WSL
Crystal Palace were relegated as they finished with just ten points, ten away from 11th-placed Tottenham Hotspur.
The disappointing finish prompted the north London outfit to part ways with manager Robert Vilahamn.
Taking Palace’s place in the 2025/26 WSL will be London City Lionesses, who will become the first independent women’s club to compete in the top flight.
The Lionesses are bankrolled by American businesswoman Michele Kang, who boasts an eye-watering net worth of $1.2billion (£882b).