Hemp leads England past Spain to boost Women’s World Cup qualifying hopes Lauren Hemp scored the sole goal in England’s 1-0 win against Spain as the Lionesses maintained their perfect record in the 2027 Women’s World Cup qualifiers

Match report for @sport.theguardian.com as the European champions beat the world champions 1-0 #Lionesses
www.theguardian.com/football/202...

Unequal game: Levy paid more last season than entire Spurs women’s team and staff Daniel Levy, the former executive chairman of Tottenham, received £5.76m in remuneration for the 2024-25 campaign, a sum which exceeded the pay for all 64 players and staff at the club’s women’s team ...

Daniel Levy, the former executive chairman of Tottenham Hotspur, was paid more during the 2024-25 season than all 64 players and staff at the club’s women’s team combined, the publication of their latest financial accounts has shown. #BarclaysWSL #SpursWomen
www.theguardian.com/football/202...

Aston Villa & Manchester United are in 28-30 May's edition of World Sevens Football in Brentford, London.
All 8 teams will be English this time.
The reduced prize pot is $1.5m overall.
Players will get 50% of prize money, clubs 50%.
The final is the day before the FA Cup final.
#WorldSevensFootball

Done deal: Liverpool have reached an agreement to sign the Germany forward Vivien Endemann from 1 July when her contract at Wolfsburg expires. #LFCwomen #BarclaysWSL

Women’s football in England at risk without WSL academy teams in third tier, FA claims Sue Day, the FA’s director of women’s football, has defended plans to radically change the structure of the women’s lower leagues

Sue Day, the FA’s director of women’s football, has defended plans to radically change the structure of the lower leagues, including introducing four WSL academy [PGA] sides into the third tier, saying she believes the game is at a “crucial turning point”. #FAWNL
www.theguardian.com/football/202...

The Women's National League play-offs will be held at Burton's Pirelli Stadium between 2-4 May over the bank holiday weekend, the FA confirms:
- Sat 2nd May, Div 1 Midlands v Div 1 North (tier 4)
- Sun 3rd May, Div 1 SE v Div 1 SW (tier 4)
- Mon 4th May, Northern Premier v Southern Premier
#FAWNL

Women’s Super League academy teams to play in third tier under new FA proposals The FA has proposed having four WSL academy teams in the Women’s National League in an attempt to raise third-tier standards and help young talent

Exclusive by @tomjgarry.bsky.social:

New FA proposals include four WSL academy sides entering tier three of the pyramid from 2027, plus the introduction of a mid-season split similar to that used in Scotland

Women’s Super League academy teams to play in third tier under new FA proposals The FA has proposed having four WSL academy teams in the Women’s National League in an attempt to raise third-tier standards and help young talent

Exclusive for @sport.theguardian.com on major structural changes planned in the #FAWNL:
- Four WSL academy sides could join tier three from 2027
- Introduction of a mid-season split similar to Scotland
- Around £1m of investment pledged
- Enhanced loan system
www.theguardian.com/football/202...

Bay Collective agrees deal to buy Sunderland Women and sets ambitious target Sunderland’s women’s team are to be taken over by the multi-club ownership group Bay Collective, subject to league approval

Story for @sport.theguardian.com as Sunderland Women are to be taken over by Bay Collective www.theguardian.com/football/202...

Total agents fees paid by the current WSL2 clubs between 4 Feb 2025 & 3 Feb 2026:

Palace £101k
Newcastle £93k
Birmingham City £68k
Bristol City £57k
Southampton £35k
Sheffield United £34k
Nottingham Forest £32k
Charlton £32k
Sunderland £30k
Ipswich £21k
Portsmouth £14k
Durham £12k

Total £529k

Total agents fees paid by WSL clubs between 4/Feb/2025 and 3/Feb/2026:

Chelsea £1.08m
Man City £510k
London City £467k
Arsenal £446k
Villa £265k
Everton £211k
Man Utd £197k
Brighton £156k
Spurs £153k
Liverpool £116k
Leicester £101k
West Ham £97k

Total: £3.8m

Manchester United wage bill revealed as half that of WSL rivals Arsenal last season Marc Skinner’s side spent £5.88m on wages compared with Arsenal’s £11.3m. Manchester United will face Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday

Manchester United's wage bill was only around half that of their WSL rivals Arsenal last season, the publication of #MUwomen's latest financial accounts has revealed. United also recorded a pre-tax profit of £510k.
More details here for @sport.theguardian.com
www.theguardian.com/football/202...

Marc Skinner tries to gee up his players for tomorrow night's #UWCL second leg here in Munich: "It’s the last match of the block for us, so it is ‘empty the tank’ time, it is ‘give absolutely everything’ and I think you’re going to see that tomorrow night."

Terland remains sidelined for #MUwomen.

It was a record-breaking WSL & WSL2 weekend for the cumulative attendance, with 111,000 people attending games across the top two division's 12 fixtures. The six largest were...
46,123 (Arsenal)
24,983 (Man Utd)
10,156 (Sunderland)
9,142 (Ipswich)
5,292 (Everton)
3,822 (Crystal Palace)
#BarclaysWSL

Kosovare Asllani has suffered what London City Lionesses have called a "complex multi-ligament injury", including an ACL injury, and will now see a specialist. #BarclaysWSL

Goal-shy Leicester rooted to bottom of WSL but manager and fans not giving up A relegation playoff against a WSL2 side beckons if Rick Passmoor’s team cannot end their losing run, which extended to seven games against Brighton

Leicester's seven-match losing run in the league has coincided with a significant upturn in results for Liverpool, who now look all but safe, after their impressive January transfer activity. A look at the relegation battle here. #barclaysWSL
www.theguardian.com/football/202...

Miedema propels Manchester City closer to WSL title with derby stroll against United Manchester City need a maximum of five points from their three remaining games to secure the Women’s Super League title after a convincing 3-0 win at Manchester United

On-the-whistle match report for @sport.theguardian.com as the champions elect Manchester City continue their WSL title victory lap with a statement victory at Old Trafford www.theguardian.com/football/202...

Miedema propels Manchester City closer to WSL title with derby stroll against United The latest leg of Manchester City’s victory lap took them to Old Trafford and they did not simply show Manchester United why they are going to become the Women’s Super League champions. They tore them apart in the process. The away side’s symbolic 3-0 win at the home of their embarrassed neighbours demonstrated their vast superiority, and perhaps the only surprising thing was that they did not score more than Vivianne Miedema’s two headers and Kerstin Casparij’s far-post finish from a Lauren Hemp cross. It could easily have been five or six, with Hemp hitting the bar before a disallowed Rebecca Knaak goal, which left everybody in the stadium confused, in a first half when the visitors carved open the home defence with ease. Continue reading...

Miedema propels Manchester City closer to WSL title with derby stroll against United

Man City now only need a maximum of five points from their remaining three league matches - all of which are against teams in the bottom four - to clinch their first league trophy in a decade. #MCWFC #BarclaysWSL

‘Trust your own feeling’: Everton’s Katja Snoeijs on her endometriosis diagnosis The Netherlands striker tells Tom Garry about the condition that temporarily derailed her Everton career and the symptoms to look out for

"I couldn’t run, I was in so much pain.'
Exclusive interview for @sport.theguardian.com with Everton's Katja Snoeijs as she discusses her endometriosis, her recent keyhole surgery and trying to encourage more women experiencing symptoms to seek help. #BarclaysWSL
www.theguardian.com/football/202...

Women's FA Cup 1/4-final schedule:

Arsenal v Brighton
Sunday 5 April 13:00

Charlton v Liverpool
Sunday 5 April 14:30

Chelsea v Tottenham
Monday 6 April 13:30

Birmingham City v Man City
Monday 6 April 17:00

All live on TNT Sports & HBO Max, with Chelsea-Tottenham on Channel 4.
#WomensFACup

NWSL 2026 predictions: Denver’s debut, Hutton’s big move, and can anyone stop Chawinga? The 2026 NWSL season kicks off on Friday. Our writers discuss the teams, players and story lines they’re watching this year

Our 2026 NWSL predictions are live at @us.theguardian.com! Full of storylines, superlatives, stars, playoff qualifiers, and award winners. Can Gotham go dynastic?

With @ellabrockway.bsky.social, @tomjgarry.bsky.social, and @abigailsegel.bsky.social: www.theguardian.com/football/202...

Fridolina Rolfö: ‘It’s been a great first season at United but now the fun starts …’ Sweden winger was a serial winner at Barcelona and hopes her experience can help Manchester United claim their first Women’s League Cup trophy on Sunday against Chelsea

Exclusive interview: Fridolina Rolfö talks to @sport.theguardian.com about her move to Manchester United from Barcelona and bidding for trophies with #MUwomen, plus she shares some insight into her preparations for finals like Sunday's #SubwayWLCfinal v Chelsea.
www.theguardian.com/football/202...

Khadija Shaw close to extending Manchester City contract despite Chelsea interest The Women’s Super League’s leading scorer, Khadija Shaw, is close to agreeing a new contract at Manchester City

Excl. for @sport.theguardian.com - Understand Khadija Shaw is close to agreeing a new contract at Manchester City, despite interest from Chelsea. Talks between City and the Jamaica striker are understood to have progressed positively in recent weeks. #MCWFC www.theguardian.com/football/202...

London City Lionesses have sold out Bromley's CopperJax Community Stadium for the first time, with over 5,000 tickets sold for Sunday’s #BarclaysWSL visit of Arsenal.

NEW: Calgary Wild FC have confirmed that their head coach Lydia Bedford is leaving and has accepted a role with The Football Association as head coach of the England Women’s Under-23 team. #YoungLionesses

Liverpool Women’s total wage bill less than club directors, accounts reveal Liverpool directors earned more in pay than the combined salaries of all their women’s team’s 49 players and staff, latest accounts reveal

Liverpool spent more on women's football last term than they ever have before, but LFC's directors still earned more than the combined salaries of all the WSL side’s 49 players & staff, their latest financial accounts reveal. More here for @sport.theguardian.com
www.theguardian.com/football/202...

WSL’s promotion-relegation playoff will give WSL 2 side home advantage The Women’s Super League 2 side involved in the new promotion-relegation playoff decider will have home advantage in the one-legged contest

And we now know the 2026-27 season’s start and end weekend dates...
Opening weekend: 4-6 September 2026
Final weekend of the season: 21-23 May 2027
#BarclaysWSL #BarclaysWSL2 [3/3]
www.theguardian.com/football/202...

WSL’s promotion-relegation playoff will give WSL 2 side home advantage The Women’s Super League 2 side involved in the new promotion-relegation playoff decider will have home advantage in the one-legged contest

More details here for @sport.theguardian.com including other confirmed key dates:
- Sat 2 May, 3pm, the final round of all WSL 2 fixtures, with all six live on YouTube
- Sat 16 May, 1pm, the final round of all WSL fixtures, with all six live on Sky Sports.
[2/3]
www.theguardian.com/football/202...

WSL’s promotion-relegation playoff will give WSL 2 side home advantage The Women’s Super League 2 side involved in the new promotion-relegation playoff decider will have home advantage in the one-legged contest

NEW: The WSL2 side involved in the new promotion/relegation play-off will have home advantage in the one-legged tie, WSL Football has confirmed, with the top-flight side playing away. Sat 23 May, 12.30 kick-off, live on both BBC 2 & Sky Sports. #BarclaysWSL [1/3]
www.theguardian.com/football/202...