Women's Super League facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Women's Super League

Founded	March 2010; 15 years ago (2010-03)
First season	2011
Country	England
Confederation	UEFA
Number of teams	12
Level on pyramid	1
Relegation to	Women's Championship
Domestic cup(s)	Women's FA Cup
League cup(s)	FA Women's League Cup
International cup(s)	UEFA Champions League
Current champions	Chelsea (7th title) (2023–24)
Most championships	Chelsea (7 titles)
Most appearances	Sophie Ingle (192)
Top goalscorer	Vivianne Miedema (80)
TV partners	Sky Sports BBC Sport see broadcasting for international
Website	womensleagues.thefa.com

The Women's Super League (WSL) is the top football league for women in England. It's also known as the Barclays Women's Super League because of its main sponsor.

The Football Association (FA) started the league in 2010. It has twelve teams, and all the players are professional. The WSL took over from the FA Women's Premier League National Division as the highest level of women's football. When it first started in 2011, there were eight teams. For the first two seasons, no teams were moved down to a lower league.

From 2011 to 2016, the WSL played during the summer, from March to October. But since the 2017–18 season, it has been a winter league, running from September to May. This is like the traditional football season in England.

Between 2014 and 2018, the WSL had two parts: FA WSL 1 and FA WSL 2. Teams could move up or down between these two divisions. Later, FA WSL 2 was renamed the FA Women's Championship.

In 2023, all 24 clubs in the Women's Super League and Women's Championship agreed to create a new group called NewCo. This new group will manage professional women's football in England instead of the FA.

The top three teams in the WSL get to play in the UEFA Women's Champions League the next season. The current champions are Chelsea. They won their seventh title in the 2023–24 season, which was also their fifth win in a row!

History of the WSL

The FA Women's Super League was supposed to start in 2010. It was planned to replace the FA Women's Premier League National Division as the best women's football league in England. However, it was delayed for a year because of a worldwide economic problem.

Sixteen clubs wanted to be one of the first eight teams in the league. Some of these clubs included Arsenal, Birmingham City, Chelsea, and Liverpool.

The very first WSL season began on April 13, 2011. The first match was between Chelsea and Arsenal, and Arsenal won 1–0.

Arsenal playing against Notts County in 2014

In 2014, a second division was added, called FA WSL 2. Nine teams joined this new division. One team from WSL 1 was moved down to WSL 2. This meant that WSL 1 had eight teams, and WSL 2 had ten teams. Manchester City was one of the new teams in WSL 1.

In 2014, the FA WSL announced plans to make WSL 1 bigger. They wanted to increase it from eight to ten teams over two years. This meant two teams from WSL 2 would move up to WSL 1 at the end of the 2015 season. Also, for the first time, a team from the FA Women's Premier League could move up to WSL 2. This connected the WSL to the rest of the English women's football system.

In 2016, the FA decided to change the league from a summer league to a winter league. This meant games would be played from September to May, like other football leagues in England. A short "Spring Series" season was played from February to May 2017 to make this change.

After the 2017–18 FA WSL season, WSL 1 was renamed back to the FA Women's Super League. It became a fully professional league for the first time, with eleven teams for the 2018–19 season. Clubs had to apply again to be in the league. They had to offer players contracts for at least 16 hours a week. They also had to create a youth academy.

The league grew to twelve teams for the 2019–20 season. Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur joined after moving up from the Championship.

In May 2020, the league season was cut short because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Chelsea was named the champion based on how many points they had per game.

After the 2020–21 season, several managers left their jobs. Some managers raised concerns about clubs not investing enough in their women's teams.

In November 2023, it was announced that all 24 clubs in the Women's Super League and Women's Championship agreed to form a new group. This group, called NewCo, will now run the professional women's game in England.

How the Competition Works

The FA Women's Super League currently has twelve clubs. When it first started, it was called a professional league. The top four players on each team were paid over £20,000 a year. However, it was later confirmed that only a few top players would be full-time professionals.

The 2011 season had a break in the middle. This was to allow players to take part in the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. The season then started again in July and finished in August 2011.

After the league games, teams play in a cup competition called the FA WSL Continental Cup. In 2014, teams were put into three groups. The winners of each group and the best second-place team went on to play in semi-finals. Since 2015, the WSL Continental Cup has been played at the same time as the league season.

In 2017, the FA announced changes to the league. The goal was to have a fully professional top division with 8 to 14 teams. They also wanted a second division with up to 12 semi-professional teams. By the 2018–19 season, the top league became fully professional.

Clubs in the WSL

The following twelve clubs played in the 2023–24 season:

Players in the WSL

Arsenal players Ellen White (left) and Steph Houghton (right) with the WSL trophy

In the first WSL season, teams could only have 20 players in their squad. This rule was not very popular. So, for the 2012 season, the limit was increased to 23 players. Players from outside the European Union need a special permit to play in England.

In 2012, the FA said that a rule about salaries would help keep things fair. Only four players per team could earn over £20,000. Also, every club received £70,000 each season from a special fund. This was meant to stop some clubs from having much more money than others.

Some managers have said that it's hard to compete if their club has a smaller budget. For example, in 2023, the manager of Reading said her team struggled. Reading was the only WSL club not connected to a men's Premier League club. She explained that clubs with Premier League backing often have more money for player wages.

WSL Champions

The WSL trophy, used since 2018–19

The tables below show which teams have won the WSL title each season.

Winners by Season

• Teams in bold won both the WSL and the Women's FA Cup in the same season (a "double").
• Teams in bold and italics won the WSL, the Women's FA Cup, and the FA Women's League Cup (a "treble").

Year	Winners	Runners-up	Third place	Top goalscorer
				Player	Goals
2011	Arsenal	Birmingham City	Everton	Rachel Williams (Birmingham City)	14
2012	Arsenal	Birmingham City	Everton	Kim Little (Arsenal)	11
2013	Liverpool	Bristol Academy	Arsenal	Natasha Dowie (Liverpool)	13
2014	Liverpool	Chelsea	Birmingham City	Karen Carney (Birmingham City)	8
2015	Chelsea	Manchester City	Arsenal	Beth Mead (Sunderland)	12
2016	Manchester City	Chelsea	Arsenal	Eniola Aluko (Chelsea)	9
2017 (Spring Series)	Chelsea	Manchester City	Arsenal	Fran Kirby (Chelsea)	6
2017–18	Chelsea	Manchester City	Arsenal	Ellen White (Birmingham City)	15
2018–19	Arsenal	Manchester City	Chelsea	Vivianne Miedema (Arsenal)	22
2019–20	Chelsea	Manchester City	Arsenal	Vivianne Miedema (Arsenal)	16
2020–21	Chelsea	Manchester City	Arsenal	Sam Kerr (Chelsea)	21
2021–22	Chelsea	Arsenal	Manchester City	Sam Kerr (Chelsea)	20
2022–23	Chelsea	Manchester United	Arsenal	Rachel Daly (Aston Villa)	22
2023–24	Chelsea	Manchester City	Arsenal	Khadija Shaw (Manchester City)	21

Winners by Team

WSL Records

These tables show some of the top players in the WSL. Players who are still playing in the WSL are shown in bold.

Most Appearances

This table lists players who have played the most games in the WSL.

Rank	Player	Games Played	Position	First Game	Last Game	Ref.
1	Sophie Ingle	192	Midfielder	2012	2023–24
2	Jordan Nobbs	190	Midfielder	2011	2023–24
3	Mary Earps	189	Goalkeeper	2011	2023–24
4	Kerys Harrop	183	Defender	2011	2022–23
	Laura Coombs	183	Midfielder	2011	2023–24
6	Kate Longhurst	182	Midfielder	2011	2022–23
7	Millie Bright	181	Defender	2011	2023–24
8	Gemma Bonner	178	Defender	2011	2023–24
9	Gilly Flaherty	177	Defender	2011	2022–23
	Steph Houghton	177	Defender	2011	2023–24

Top Goalscorers

This table shows the players who have scored the most goals in the WSL.

Rank	Player	Goals	Games	Ratio	Position	First Goal	Last Goal	Ref.
1	Vivianne Miedema	80	106	0.75	Forward	2017–18	2023–24
2	Bethany England	74	162	0.46	Forward	2012	2023–24
3	Fran Kirby	63	114	0.55	Forward	2015	2023–24	'
	Beth Mead	63	155	0.41	Forward	2015	2023–24
5	Nikita Parris	62	169	0.37	Forward	2013	2023–24
6	Ellen White	61	144	0.42	Forward	2011	2021–22
7	Sam Kerr	58	75	0.77	Forward	2019–20	2023–24
	Jordan Nobbs	58	190	0.31	Midfielder	2011	2023–24
9	Kim Little	55	141	0.39	Midfielder	2011	2023–24
10	Khadija Shaw	50	57	0.88	Forward	2021–22	2023–24
	Rachel Williams	50	173	0.29	Forward	2011	2023–24

Hall of Fame

In September 2021, the Women's Super League started its own FA WSL Hall of Fame. This Hall of Fame celebrates important people who have helped women's football and the WSL grow in England.

Money and Sponsorship

Sponsorship Deals

As of November 2022, the WSL earned about $14.72 million each year from sponsors.

In March 2019, the WSL made a big sponsorship deal with the British bank Barclays. This deal started in the 2019–20 season and was for three years. It was worth more than £10 million. For the first time, the league champions also received £500,000 in prize money. The FA called this the "biggest ever investment in UK women's sport by a brand." Barclays renewed their sponsorship for another three years in December 2021. They also doubled their payment and extended their sponsorship to the FA Women's Championship.

Before Barclays, Continental Tyres was the main sponsor of the league from 2012 to 2019.

Investment from Premier League Clubs

In the 2022–23 season, 11 out of 12 WSL teams were connected to men's Premier League clubs. Only Reading was linked to a lower-tier men's team.

Big clubs like Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester City spent a lot of money on their women's teams. From 2011 to 2023, these clubs spent a total of £123.6 million on their women's sides.

How to Watch the WSL

In the United Kingdom and Ireland

Since 2017–18, many WSL games have been shown on TV by BT Sport. They are also available online and on BBC's red-button service in the UK. The BBC Sport website and iPlayer also show one game digitally each weekend. Sky Sports also broadcasts some matches.

Since the 2019–20 season, you can watch league games on The FA Player. This free online service also shows some FA Women's Championship games and highlights from other cup competitions. However, some games shown on BT Sport in the UK and Ireland are not available on The FA Player due to broadcasting rules.

In March 2021, the WSL announced a new TV deal with Sky Sports and BBC. This deal started with the 2021–22 season and was a record for women's football. Sky broadcasts 44 matches each season. The BBC shows 22 matches, with at least 18 on BBC One or Two. All other games are free to stream on The FA Player. This deal is worth about £8 million a season. It's the biggest TV deal for any professional women's football league in the world. It was also the first time the WSL's TV rights were sold separately from the men's games.

Before this, FA women's competitions were shown on ESPN from 2009 to 2013. In 2013, BBC Two also showed four WSL programs. These programs included goals, highlights, and previews.

Watching Internationally

For countries that don't have special TV deals, all WSL matches can be watched on The FA Player.

Country	Broadcaster
Albania	DAZN
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Croatia
Cyprus
Georgia
Greece
Hungary
Italy
Japan
Kazakhstan
Kosovo
Kyrgyzstan
Malta
Moldova
Montenegro
Macedonia
Romania
Serbia
Slovenia
Spain
Tajikistan
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Ukraine
Uzbekistan
Australia	Optus Sport
Brazil	ESPN
Canada	Sportsnet
Germany	Sky Sport
New Zealand	Spark Sport
United States	CBS Sports Network Paramount+

Images for kids

• 

  Arsenal playing against Notts County in 2014

• 

  Arsenal players Ellen White (left) and Steph Houghton (right) with the WSL trophy

• 

  The WSL trophy, used since 2018–19

• List of FA WSL clubs
• List of professional sports teams in the United Kingdom
• List of association football competitions
• Women's sports

In Spanish: Women's Super League para niños