Women's football

Manchester City and Australia star Mary Fowler has revealed she and another team-mate were the victims of a vile racist prank after their final game for Montpellier. The incident, which occurred in 2020, came after other departing players had received flowers. Fowler, one of only a few players of colour on the squad, called the act "hard to laugh off" and questioned whether it was "just a simple error".

When the draw for the first ever league phase of the Women's Champions League was made back in September, there were a lot of ties that caught the eye. From the repeat of last year's semi-final between eventual champions Arsenal and eight-time winners Lyon, to the return of Mary Earps to Old Trafford as her current side, Paris Saint-Germain, faced former club Manchester United, it was a draw that certainly did not disappoint. But no fixture drew the attention quite like that which will take place on Thursday at Stamford Bridge, between Chelsea and Barcelona.

England manager Sarina Wiegman has broken her silence on comments made by Mary Earps in her explosive autobiography. In that, the former Lionesses goalkeeper questioned some of the selection calls made by the Dutch coach. Wiegman feels no need to explain any of the decisions that she has made down the years, with every one of those intended to help deliver collective success.

London City Lionesses star Freya Godfrey has been handed a maiden call-up to the England squad, as Manchester City duo Lauren Hemp and Grace Clinton return to the fold. Sarina Wiegman has selected 25 players for the upcoming ‘Homecoming Series’ that will see the Euro 2025 winners take on China at Wembley Stadium and Ghana at St Mary’s in Southampton.

It's no wonder Camilla Kuver can't stop smiling. After making her Champions League debut only a couple of weeks prior, the 22-year-old has just won her first and second caps for Germany, starting both games against France over the last international break to help her country qualify for the Nations League final. These would be milestones worth celebrating for any player, but they are particularly special for the Wolfsburg defender, given the incredible bad luck she has had with injuries over the past four years.

Manchester United and USWNT goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce has suffered a fractured eye socket, with medical assessments confirming she is facing a spell on the sidelines. The 28-year-old missed United’s historic Women's Champions League win over Paris Saint-Germain and was seen wearing sunglasses alongside teammates, with the club insisting player safety remains the priority as she recovers.

Chelsea captain Millie Bright made history after breaking the Women's Super League appearances record in her side's 1-1 draw at Liverpool on Sunday. Initially, it looked like the former England international would enjoy a day of celebration over playing her 211th game in the division but Alyssa Thompson's opener was cancelled out by Beata Olsson's individual effort.

Chelsea made Women's Super League history on Sunday afternoon despite being held to a 1-1 draw. The Blues have made an unbeaten start to their title defence but their stalemate with Liverpool at the Totally Wicked Stadium means they have now failed to win back-to-back league matches for the first time since the 2021-22 season as they were pegged back by the Reds.

USWNT star Alyssa Thompson continues to shine in the Women's Super League, with another stunning goal being recorded for Chelsea. The highly-rated forward has only been in England for a matter of months, but her undoubted talent is being showcased in the best possible manner. Her second WSL goal was crashed into the top corner during a 1-1 draw with Liverpool.

Manchester United manager Marc Skinner delivered a surprisingly defiant assessment after his side suffered a heavy derby defeat at the Etihad. He insisted that Manchester City were “not that far ahead” despite a humbling 3-0 scoreline that leaves United’s title hopes hanging by a thread. United were outplayed from the first whistle to the last as they registered zero shots on target and struggled to generate any attacking threat. The shocking performance comes just three days after their historic 2-1 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the Women’s Champions League at Old Trafford.

Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor has revealed that Hannah Hampton could miss the rest of 2025 with a quad injury, potentially ruling her out of the Lionesses upcoming friendlies against China and Ghana later this month. The renowned shot stopper missed Chelsea's 6-0 win over St. Polten in the Women's Champions League, after picking up the injury during the Blues 1-1 draw with Arsenal last Saturday.

Gary Lineker is reportedly in talks with Netflix to feature in its US coverage of the 2027 Women's World Cup. The former Match of the Day host left the BBC's flagship football show in May after a string of controversies. Now, the former England international could return to sports broadcasting in 2027, with fellow Rest is Football podcast hosts Alan Shearer and Micah Richards potentially also being involved.

Luis Rubiales was pelted by eggs during his own book launch on Thursday, which is titled "Matar a Rubiales" (Killing Rubiales). Rubiales’ attempt to relaunch his public image descended into complete chaos as he confirmed afterwards it was his own uncle who turned up and hurled eggs at the former Royal Spanish Football Federation president in front of cameras.

Mary Earps has posted a message to her personal Instagram account following her return to Old Trafford, thanking the Manchester United fans for their "warm welcome", despite receiving a mixed response from the home fans during her PSG side's 2-1 defeat. The former Sports Personality of the Year was booed throughout, however, some fans continued to cheer for the shot stopper.

Atletico Madrid star Andrea Medina suffered a “traumatic brain injury” during a Women’s Champions League clash with Juventus. She required urgent medical attention on the field before being rushed to hospital. A positive update on her condition has been delivered as the 21-year-old starts out on the road to recovery - with the wider footballing world wishing her well.

Lionesses star Alex Greenwood has put pen to paper on a new contract at Manchester City. The 32-year-old has signed an extension that will keep her at the club until 2027 and says she has "unfinished business" with the Cityzens. Greenwood was into the final year of her existing deal but has now committed her future to the club after a strong start to the new WSL campaign.

Former Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales has claimed his sexual assault conviction for kissing Jenni Hermoso was the result of a political witch hunt, insisting the incident was “blown out of proportion.” The ex-RFEF chief broke his silence in a TV interview, defending his actions during Spain’s 2023 Women’s World Cup celebrations and alleging political motives behind his downfall.

Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham is hopeful that the new Manchester United stadium will host the Women's World Cup final in 2035. The Red Devils have outlined plans to build a new 100,000-seater stadium worth £2 billion, which is being called the 'Wembley of the North'. United part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is aiming to knock down Old Trafford and build the new venue by 2030.

It's crazy how quickly things can change in football. Mary Earps, who has made plenty of headlines over the past fortnight around of the release of her book 'All In', is a prime example of as much. Only six months ago, the goalkeeper stood tall as a true England hero, having delivered world-class performances in the Lionesses' 2022 European Championship triumph and their run to the 2023 Women's World Cup final. Recent events, however, have seen Earps veer more towards villain territory than anything else.

Mary Earps is preparing for a hostile reception on her return to former club Manchester United in the Women's Champions League this week, having turned down a new contract with the Red Devils in 2024 and departed on a free transfer. Her Paris Saint-Germain side visit Old Trafford, which also comes on the tail of the storm whipped up by revelations in her autobiography.

Eni Aluko has spoken out in support of Mary Earps after seeing the former England goalkeeper attract criticism for some of the comments made in her new book. Hannah Hampton, who helped the Lionesses to Euro 2025 glory, was among those to feature in Earps’ tales. Aluko claims the legendary shot-stopper has every right to share her side of a professional story and should not be “demonised” for doing so.

Chelsea have been handed an injury blow ahead of their Women's Champions League clash against St Polten as first-choice goalkeeper Hannah Hampton has been ruled out of the match due to injury. Swiss international Livia Peng is set to take Hampton's place in the starting XI for the match in Austria as Sonia Bompastor's side aim to maintain their unbeaten start to the league phase.

Arsenal confirmed on Monday that young centre-back Katie Reid has been hit with a devastating injury blow and is expected to miss the remainder of the 2025-26 season. The Lionesses prospect is set to undergo surgery shortly after becoming the latest player to suffer a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament, a serious knee injury that continues to plague women's football.

Arsenal and Chelsea managers Renee Slegers and Sonia Bompastor called for the introduction of VAR in women's football after a nail-biting Women's Super League clash between the two London rivals on Saturday. The reigning champions took the lead through Alyssa Thompson's first half strike, while the Gunners staged a comeback in the second half as Alessia Russo scored a late equaliser.

Former Premier League footballer Joey Barton has been found guilty of sending "grossly offensive" social media posts. The 43-year-old called broadcaster Jeremy Vine a "bike nonce" and compared pundits Lucy Ward and Eni Aluko to serial killer couple Fred and Rose West on X. Now, jurors have accepted the prosecution's argument that Barton "crossed the line between free speech and a crime" on six counts.

It's been impossible to escape the storm surrounding the release of Mary Earps' new book this past week, with the former England No.1 making headlines aplenty for her comments on Sarina Wiegman and Hannah Hampton in particular - and not in a good way. Earps has since said she "never intentionally" meant to "hurt" anyone, but it's hard to imagine that Hampton has not been negatively impacted by everything that has unfolded over the course of the last seven days.

England legend Ellen White has suggested that Mary Earps broke an "unwritten oath" when she criticised Lionesses boss Sarina Wiegman and fellow goalkeeper Hannah Hampton in her upcoming book. Earps has been under fire for saying Wiegman rewarded "bad behaviour" when Hampton was recalled to the national squad after previously getting dropped for allegedly being "disruptive and unreliable". Now, White has had her say.

There was a lot to like about Arsenal's win over Leicester City on Sunday. Despite concluding last season by stunning Barcelona to win the Champions League, the Gunners have been nowhere near their best at the start of this new campaign, suffering four successive defeats in all competition for the first time since January 2022. Unconvincing but vital wins against Brighton and Benfica allowed them to fight back before the international break and their return to action at the weekend, in a 4-1 victory over the Foxes, was much-improved.

England's record cap holder, Fara Williams, has weighed in with her opinion on Mary Earps, after the former Lionesses No.1 made comments claiming successor Hannah Hampton was rewarded for "bad behaviour" when Sarina Wiegman restored her to the squad. The former midfielder accused Earps, who retired just before Euro 2025, of lacking respect towards her team-mate and manager.