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WSL Expansion
For the Women’s Soccer League (WSL), the number of teams will be expanding from 12 to 14, a big growth for women’s football in England.
This expansion, approved by clubs in both the WSL and the Women’s Super League 2 (WSL 2), is part of WSL Football’s ten-year plan to professionalize and elevate soccer.
For the 2025–26 season, the top two teams from WSL 2 will be automatically promoted to the WSL, offering them the opportunity to earn up to £500,000. The 12th-placed WSL team will then enter a playoff against the third-placed WSL 2 team for the final spot in the 14-team league.
This creates a slight pause for this single season.
From 2026-27 onwards, the bottom team (14th place) in the WSL will be automatically relegated, replaced by the WSL 2 champions. A playoff will be introduced, with the 13th-placed WSL team facing the WSL 2 runners-up to determine the final spot in the top division.
“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,” said Nikki Doucet, CEO of WSL Football. She explained that the process included engagement across clubs, players, broadcasters, and commercial partners, along with detailed financial modeling and scenario planning to ensure that the league’s future growth is sustainable and inclusive.
In opposition, In a post by BBC Sport journalist Tom Garry, he argued, “It needs expanding and they should find a way to do that which doesn’t involve changing the way the English football pyramid works.” Critics of the new structure worry that altering promotion hurts the traditions of the pyramid system of English football. Some also express concern that rapid changes may disproportionately affect smaller clubs without enough resources to keep up.
However, the Football Association (FA) still needs to approve the plans for the 2026-2027 season before it starts, so it can be introduced officially and has time to adjust.

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Catherine Wang