Women's football

Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor has addressed reports linking Manchester City superstar Khadija "Bunny" Shaw with a blockbuster summer move to the Blues. The Jamaica international is expected to depart Joie Stadium as contract negotiations with the newly-crowned Women's Super League champions have reportedly reached a standstill.

Vivianne Miedema has revealed the emotional reason behind her absence as Manchester City Women celebrated their league title. The Dutch forward has been at her mother’s bedside after serious complications following cancer treatment left her in intensive care. Miedema shared a heartfelt update on her family’s difficult weeks.

Fran Kirby's achievements throughout her career to date make for remarkable reading. Part of the Lionesses side which beat Germany in the European Championship final at Wembley back in 2022, the 32-year-old also lifted 16 major honours during her incredible nine-year stay at Chelsea, with individual accolades galore coming in and amongst all of that. She was there for England's first major title and Chelsea's first major title; now, in Brighton colours, Kirby will hope she can help another ambitious side hit new heights.

Manchester City star Khadija Shaw is set to leave the club this summer at the end of her contract, according to a report which emerged just hours after her side claimed a first Women's Super League title in 10 years. Shaw's goals were a key factor in that triumph but speculation about her future has rumbled on throughout the season and now she looks set to depart, with domestic rivals Chelsea heavily linked with a move.

For the first time in 10 years, Manchester City are Women’s Super League champions. The crowning moment may not have been what the runaway leaders expected, with Arsenal’s draw at Brighton on Wednesday night confirming their triumph without them even needing to take to the field. But it won’t taste any less sweet for a City side that has endured five second-placed finishes since their last title triumph in 2016.

Aitana Bonmati has won each of the last three Ballons d'Or Feminin - but the accolade will go to someone else in 2026. Will it be two-time winner and fellow Barcelona star Alexia Putellas who reasserts herself as the best player in the women's game? Or could there be a new name on the honour roll when the Golden Ball is handed out in Paris in October?

With 20 goals across the four games, and late drama at the end of both ties, it's fair to say the 2025-26 Women's Champions League semi-finals delivered. Out of them emerged Lyon, the eight-time winners, and Barcelona, the three-time champions, to set up a truly mouth-watering final in Oslo on May 23, in which there will be so many fascinating storylines.

After talks with the DFB collapsed, the Women's Bundesliga is poised to secure its future with substantial investment.

Barcelona will face Lyon in the Women's Champions League final after beating Bayern Munich 4-2 on Sunday, for a 5-3 win on aggregate in the semi-finals. The German champions gave the three-time winners a tough match last week but the Catalans asserted their authority at Camp Nou, as goals from Salma Paralluelo, Ewa Pajor and an Alexia Putellas brace set up a fourth UWCL final between Barca and Lyon.

Bayern Munich goalkeeper Ena Mahmutovic caught the eye with her unusual playing kit during the Champions League semi-final second leg against FC Barcelona.

Manchester United manager Marc Skinner has admitted he is solely accountable for the club’s underwhelming conclusion to the campaign following a frustrating draw with Brighton. The disappointing result has left the Red Devils’ aspirations for Women's Champions League qualification in serious jeopardy as their winless domestic run continues.

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.

The rematch with FC Barcelona arrives at an opportune moment for FC Bayern winger Linda Dallmann.

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.