Ipswich Town Women head into the Barclays WSL2 2026/27 season looking to build on last year's ninth place finish. After a busy summer of recruitment, David Wright's side have added plenty of quality to the squad as they aim to make further progress in the second tier. With several new faces arriving, there is plenty of optimism ahead of the new campaign.

Ipswich have been one of the busiest clubs in the transfer market this summer, making twelve new signings ahead of the season.

Tottenham Hotspur is on the back of a record-breaking season in the Barclays Women’s Super League, securing more points in the 2025/26 season than ever before. However, the club’s success and ambition rely heavily on the Scandinavian influence. 

It’s no secret that Spurs heavily rely on the Scandinavian leagues to produce promising young talents with an ambition to further their careers in the UK. They provide players with an opportunity to begin their footballing journey, spotlighting them as future stars of the game to capture attention across the nations.  

The Copperjax Stadium was buzzing with excitement during London City Lionesses’ friendly against Atletico Madrid, and it wasn’t just Alexia Putellas’ Bromley debut that was causing a stir.

Following on from a summer of almost unbelievable signings, London City have had something crucial to prove in their pre-season fixtures, that these new players will make an impact on the pitch as well as off it. After wins against Sevilla and Benfica, and a draw with Sporting CP, expectations were high going into the match, with Liga F team, and competitors in last season’s Champions League, Atlético Madrid expected to be their toughest competition yet. As their only home match before the 26-27 season, it was the perfect opportunity to prove themselves against the tough Spanish team.

Even before the semi-finals kicked off on Wednesday, one thing was certain; there is going to be a first-time WAFCON winner this year!

With the reigning champions and record winners Nigeria shockingly eliminated in the quarter-finals, and hosts Morocco losing unexpectedly in the semi-finals, the final will be between Cameroon, one of the most solid defences of the tournament, and Malawi's seemingly unstoppable attack. 

Two promotions in two seasons is a feat most can only dream of. Fulham FC Women have ascended from tier 5 to tier 3, winning the London & South East Women's Regional Football League Premier Division in 2025, their monumental rise continuing as they secured the double last campaign becoming victors of the National League Division One South East seven points clear and the London County Cup. 

Reformed in 2014, Fulham spent several years finding their feet before launching their charge for glory. Without losing a single game, the South London outfit have already conquered two leagues; now wanting to make their mark on the Southern Premier Division, can they do it all again?

Ambition was at the forefront of everyone’s minds in anticipation of London City Lionesses’ media day ahead of the 2026/27 Women’s Super League (WSL) season. And they were not putting it lightly. 

Fresh from winning promotion to the top flight in 2025 and becoming the first fully independent club in the WSL, London City have gone from strength to strength. Strong signings this summer transfer window propelled the Lionesses to the front of the WSL, with the club and key investor Michele Kang not afraid to splash the cash in Bromley. 

Alexia Putellas. Mapí León. Mary Earps. And this is just the beginning. 

After a win against Liga F side Granada on Sunday, Tottenham Hotspur continue their performance campaign in Spain with their second pre-season friendly against Real Madrid at the Pinatar Arena on the 12th of August. Speaking ahead of the match, Martin Ho affirmed his confidence in his side as they look to capitalise on the strength of their new signings and a successful start to their pre-season campaign.

The Saints finished 5th in the Barclays Women’s Super League (WSL2) last season, missing out on promotion for the fourth successive campaign. Southampton finished with 35 points and had the joint second highest goal difference at 18 which was helped by a staggering 4-0 victory over Ipswich Town on the opening weekend, but they struggled with irregular form and closely fought draws. 

Newly promoted Crystal Palace are determined to achieve a better finish than their first season in the WSL, following a statement signing of UEFA European Championship winner Bethany England. 

Crystal Palace achieved promotion following a strong and successful WSL2 campaign where they beat Portsmouth 6-1 on the final day, securing a second-place finish. Palace won 12 of their 14 league games, an impressive tally for manager Jo Potter’s first season with the club after previously spending two years at Rangers. She was brought in following a disappointing season in the WSL in 2024/25 where Palace finished 12th, ten points behind Tottenham Hotspur in 11th, where they only scored four league goals and registered two wins. 

Newly promoted Watford FC are looking to cement their place in the Women's Super League 2 (WSL2) with new investors and a statement transfer window that makes The Hornets a very different prospect from their previous WSL2 campaigns.

Winners of the FA Women’s National League Southern Premier Division by one point last season, this is not the club's first stint in the WSL2 (formally Championship). They were a Championship side between 2014-2018 before relegation to the third tier, then having two one season promotion bouts in the 2021/22 and 2023/24 campaign but went straight back down to the National League again.

On Wednesday 22 July, Wrexham made their first ever appearance in the UEFA Women’s Champions League (UWCL) and their second against Dinamo Riga this weekend. Competing in the qualifying rounds, they pushed towards their dream of Champions League football next season.

For Wrexham, this is a historic achievement and remains an incredible opportunity for Welsh football as a whole. However, they fell short in the second fixture.

On Wednesday 22 July, Wrexham made their first ever appearance in the UEFA Women’s Champions League (UWCL) and their second against Dinamo Riga this weekend. Competing in the qualifying rounds, they pushed towards their dream of Champions League football next season.

For Wrexham, this is a historic achievement and remains an incredible opportunity for Welsh football as a whole. However, they fell short in the second fixture.

Nigeria head into the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations determined to once again prove why they are one of the most successful teams in African Women’s football. With a victory over this year’s hosts, Morocco in the final last year, the Nigeria Super Falcons are looking to reach a record eleventh title in the tournament.

The Super Falcons have built a remarkable legacy in the competition, winning the tournament a record number of times. With a blend of experienced leaders and exciting young talent, they will once again be among the favourites to challenge for the title.

Former Spanish basketball player Pau Gasol has invested €55 million into Liga F, a landmark commitment that reflects growing confidence in the financial stability and long-term sporting potential of Spain's top flight. 

With women's football projected to become one of the world's top five sports by 2030, this private equity deal proves that everyone wants a piece of what women’s football has to offer. From an expanding fan culture, to record broadcast audiences and an increasingly competitive game which creates stars both on and off the field, recent years have propelled women's sport into one of the world's most marketable investment opportunities. 

For Liga F, as key figures depart and this major financial investment looking to reshape the structure and perception of the league, they enter a period of transition that will surely change the face of Spanish football, but at what cost?

Charlton Athletic return to the topflight in September for the first time since they were relegated from the FA Women’s Premier League at the end of the 2007/08 season. Their promotion will end an 18 year absence from the top flight, making them the 21st different club to compete in the Barclays Women’s Super League.

Karen Hills’ team secured this promotion after a competitive play-off final that saw the Addicks beat Leicester City on penalties, in front of a record crowd at The Valley. Following an impressive form in the WSL2 last season, Charlton are ready to make their WSL debut with statement performances and strong ambitions.

Entering what is set to be one of the most transformative transfer windows in recent European women’s football history, young ballers are owning the headlines.

In a year that's seen 19-year-old Michelle Agyemang rescue the Lionesses twice on their way to UEFA Women's Euro’s glory, Arsenal complete a then world-record £1 million move for 20-year-old Olivia Smith, and 18-year-old Clara Serrajordi start on the UEFA Women's Champions League final stage, it’s clear that this next generation are ready to take up the mantle and compete at a top of the game. 

As clubs create clearer pathways for young talent, Europe's brightest prospects have become the defining story of this window so far, the race to secure the next generation of stars is only just beginning.

From the high of finishing the season with a 3-0 victory against Nottingham Forest at St Mary’s Stadium, Southampton FC Women have been hit with devastating news during the summer break.

Ahead of the 2026/27 season, Southampton are set to make significant cuts to their women’s and girl’s programme reaching around £500,000. Around £100,000 of these cuts are expected to directly impact the senior team with the large remainder of the cuts expected to impact the club’s women’s and girl’s programme, including the demotion of the academy from Category 1 to Category 2 status.

ACL injuries remain one of the biggest challenges facing women’s football. Despite growing awareness and increased research, serious knee injuries continue to sideline players across domestic leagues and the international game.

Since 2022 there have been 820 ACL injuries, 83 of them just being this year. This amount of injuries has raised concerns about player welfare and the long-term future of the women’s game. Only halfway through the calendar year, this number of ACL cases sustained is increasingly concerning. And the number will continue to rise as the year progresses.

Whilst many elite players are able to navigate their recovery with top medical teams at higher profile clubs, others in lower leagues are unable to afford surgery and therefore face a long wait. With some top players having suffered and also some players that can’t afford to get ACL surgery. The problem has not disappeared, instead continued to grow rapidly.

Better representation for women in coaching and development of the female coaching pathways are pivotal to mirror the growth of the women’s game.

So many elite women’s footballers retire young in comparison to other industries, yet so few turn to top-level coaching after hanging up their boots. The most successful in the field are often ex-professional footballers, Sarina Wiegman and Renée Slegers two that immediately come to mind. With a wealth of first-hand experiences on the pitch, alongside in-depth knowledge of the game and the requirements of being a successful footballer, professional footballers are often expected to take the coaching route once retired from on-pitch duties. However, this is not the reality.

Only a small number of footballers consider the possibility of becoming coaches after their retirement. And others grow up without the possibility of pursuing a coaching career. There are several challenges faced by women and girls with aspirations of being the next top female coach: structural barriers, the ‘player to coach’ myth, a lack of awareness and representation, and financial burdens.

As soon as I stepped off the plane in Oslo, Caroline Graham Hansen, Barcelona’s super winger, greeted fans to her home city. Every escalator, billboard, metro station and major attraction had her, in partnership with Pepsi clad in an inspired shirt, shouting the strapline “Game on, Oslo!” rallying the city to get behind the biggest fixture of the European women's football calendar happening on Nordic soil. 

The UEFA Women’s Champions League final between Barcelona Femeni and OL Lyoness is a blockbuster event. A narrative that spans 8 years starting at the Catalonian side’s first final, lost 4-1, to their third where Lyon sealed their record 8th continental title in 2022. An historic night in a packed-out San Mames in 2024 sealed Barcelona's first victory against the French team, completing the quadruple that year, cementing themselves as continental giants. Under the lights in Oslo, an almost full circle 4-0 win officially confirms that Barcelona have taken over Lyon’s reign of terror over Europe cementing their 4th title in 6 years.