Women's football

For weeks now, the Women's Super League's title race has felt like a formality. Manchester City were nine points clear at the end of January. Then, a week later, they thrashed defending champions Chelsea 5-1 to extend that advantage to 11 points. Surely that was that, right? And yet, despite City only having two games to play, the race now looks set to head to the final day.

Tottenham Hotspur captain Bethany England has confirmed she will leave the club at the end of the season, bringing a three-and-a-half-year spell in north London to an end. The 31-year-old forward announced the news in a tearful video message to supporters after the club opted against renewing her current contract.

Arsenal have received a massive boost ahead of the new campaign with the news that Leah Williamson has officially committed her future to the club. The England captain, who has risen through the ranks to become the heartbeat of the Gunners’ defence, has put pen to paper on a new deal to extend her storied career in North London.

Chelsea captain and former Lionesses star Millie Bright has announced her immediate retirement from football, following on from her international retirement earlier this season. Bright has spent the last 12 years with the Blues, winning 20 trophies, and hangs up her boots as an eight-time Women's Super League champion, the division's all-time record appearance holder and a European Championship winner.

Arsenal icon Leah Williamson is set to sign a new contract at the club, extending her already 20-year stay with her childhood team. The Lionesses captain is one of the Gunners' most important players, but her current deal was set to expire in just a few weeks' time. According to a report, though, Arsenal are now on the verge of agreeing new terms with their star defender.

As Arsenal hosted Lyon in the first leg of their Women's Champions League semi-final, there was no shortage of bad news when it came to team news. Steph Catley hadn't recovered from a calf injury in time to participate, with Beth Mead also ruled out of the game due to personal reasons. Then, on the day, Chloe Kelly was absent due to a minor muscle issue. Fortunately, there was one huge returnee to cushion the various blows: Leah Williamson.

Beth Mead and Katie McCabe are both attracting interest from Manchester City as their respective Arsenal contracts prepare to come to an end, according to a report. Rumours of McCabe's departure have been rife for a while and now it appears she could be joined by her Gunners' team-mate at her next destination, in a move that would see Mead join long-time partner Vivianne Miedema in Manchester.

England international Missy Bo Kearns has opened up on her devastating miscarriage for the first time and revealed how the medical team at Aston Villa "saved my life" as she was given a "shock" sepsis diagnosis. The Lionesses midfielder announced that she was pregnant with her first child back in March and has now sat down for a lengthy interview on the heartbreak that has occurred since, hoping it will help others.

Sam Kerr moved into the history books as Chelsea tightened their grip on a Champions League spot in the WSL table with a ruthless 4-1 victory over Everton. The Australian striker was in scintillating form at Goodison Park with two goals, proving exactly why she remains the focal point of the Blues' attack under Sonia Bompastor.

Lindsey Heaps has done a lot of incredible things in her career to date. With the United States women’s national team, she has won the World Cup, and at she has lifted another 12 major titles at club level, including the Champions League. But perhaps her biggest impact on the sport has been her trailblazing efforts for U.S. women’s soccer, in more ways than one.

Arsenal will be without Beth Mead and Steph Catley for the first leg of their Women's Champions League semi-final against Lyon this weekend, with the latter's absence placing further focus on the fitness of the recently returned Leah Williamson. The England captain played her first minutes in over a month while on international duty last week, the timing of which could be potentially vital for the Gunners' European title defence.

When Arsenal stunned Barcelona to win the Women's Champions League last year, there were so many individuals who deserved to be singled out for praise. Be it the exceptional turnaround overseen by interim-turned-permanent coach Renee Slegers, the goal-scoring exploits of Alessia Russo or the timeless class of Kim Little in midfield, there were so many reasons for the success. It was hard, though, not to be drawn in particular to the impact of Mariona Caldentey.

Barcelona Femeni have reaffirmed their absolute supremacy in Spanish football by clinching their seventh consecutive Liga F title. A commanding 4-1 victory over city rivals Espanyol on Wednesday moved the Catalan giants into an unassailable 16-point lead at the summit, marking the club's 11th domestic league crown during a historic era of dominance.

Bayern Munich Women have been crowned Frauen-Bundesliga champions for the fourth consecutive season following a dramatic 3-2 victory over Union Berlin. The triumph marks a fitting domestic farewell for England international Georgia Stanway, who is set to depart the German giants this summer after playing a pivotal role in their recent era of dominance.

Almost every footballer's career has a sliding doors moment, and Georgia Stanway's came in the summer of 2022. It's remarkable to think now, given her role in the England team and her status as one of the best midfielders in the game, but as that year's European Championship approached, Stanway was not in Sarina Wiegman’s starting XI.

Barcelona are reportedly 'close' to losing star defender Ona Batlle to Arsenal on a free transfer, with speculation surrounding the futures of two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas and key centre-back Mapi Leon also growing as the pair near the ends of their current contracts in Catalunya. London City Lionesses have shown interest in both, as the newly-promoted Women's Super League side look to make a splash in the summer transfer window.

Chelsea will play all of their Women's Super League home fixtures at Stamford Bridge from the 2026-27 season onwards in a move that will see the women's team make the iconic ground their permanent home. The Blues have played many games at the venue in recent years but will now be there on a more full-time basis, moving away from the lower-capacity Kingsmeadow.

A complete guide to the United States' year, including the SheBelieves Cup and fixtures in qualifying for the 2027 Women's World Cup

Arsenal striker Stina Blackstenius has signed a new contract with the club, just months before her current deal was due to expire. The Gunners have a long list of first team players who are set to become free agents this summer but the Sweden international is no longer one of them, after she committed her future to the north London club.

Barcelona have been handed a huge boost in their chase for the quadruple with the news that Aitana Bonmati has returned to training. The three-time Ballon d'Or winner has been sidelined since late November after suffering a leg fracture that required surgery but she is back with the team now, just days before Barca's Champions League semi-final showdown with Bayern Munich.

Advantage, England. This international break was always going to feel decisive in the race between the Lionesses and Spain to secure the only automatic qualification spot for next year’s Women’s World Cup available in this cut-throat qualifying group, and it was the reigning European champions, rather than the world champions, who came out on top.

A complete guide to England women's year, including how to watch games live and more

England's Lionesses have always had great goalscorers. Even before the team was the major contender it is now, winning back-to-back European Championships under Sarina Wiegman and reaching a first Women's World Cup final, they could boast some incredible attacking talent, with Arsenal icon Kelly Smith, widely considered the Lionesses' greatest ever player, a prime example.

England women's national team has enjoyed a lot of success in recent years, winning the European Championships in 2022 and 2025 while also reaching the 2023 Women's World Cup final, and those involved in those successes in Sarina Wiegman's side are now starting to creep into the record books when it comes to caps, as well as trophies.

England boss Sarina Wiegman has provided an update on the fitness of Lionesses captain Leah Williamson, who missed the win over Spain on Tuesday night. Wiegman was hopeful that the Arsenal star would be able to play a part in Saturday's clash with Iceland, as England continue their World Cup qualifying campaign, and the status of her availability has now been revisited ahead of that crucial game.

Elisa Senß is a mainstay in the German midfield, but her uncertain future has the rumour mill in full swing. Could the next international be heading to England – or perhaps to Bayern Munich?

As the clock ticked into the 90th minute at Wembley on Tuesday evening, England were under the most pressure they had been all game. Having taken the lead with less than three minutes played, through Lauren Hemp's acrobatic effort, the Lionesses had done well to prevent Spain really putting them under the cosh, creating most of the better opportunities for themselves instead. However, in the dying moments, they would need Hannah Hampton, their world-class goalkeeper, to come up with something big.

Lionesses star Alessia Russo has been named the Women's Super League Player of the Month for March, after a rampant run that saw the striker bag four goals and one assist in just three outings for Arsenal. Russo had plenty of competition for the award, including from one England and Gunners team-mate as well as Golden Boot front-runner Khadija Shaw, but she managed to come out on top as Arsenal scooped up two of the league's three monthly accolades.

There had been serious concerns about Giulia Gwinn – now FC Bayern have announced a diagnosis.