For the fourth time in seven years, Lyon and Barcelona will go head-to-head in the Women's Champions League final on Saturday. The eight-time winners and three-time winners, respectively, are developing something of a rivalry in Europe's premier competition, with this season providing further support to the belief that they are the two best teams in the women's game right now.
Sam Coffey lifted the WSL trophy with Manchester City, Lindsey Heaps scored as OL Lyonnes won the Coupe de France, and Emily Fox helped Arsenal cruise past Aston Villa.
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.
Lindsey Heaps and Lily Yohannes starred in Lyon's win over Arsenal, and Emily Fox, while Sam Coffey, Alyssa Thompson, Phallon Tullis-Joyce, and more USWNT regulars made their mark across a busy weekend in Europe.
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.
Emily Fox starred in Arsenal’s win over Lyon, while Alyssa Thompson, Phallon Tullis-Joyce and more USWNT regulars made their mark across a busy weekend in Europe.
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.
And then there were four. One of Barcelona, Arsenal, Bayern Munich or Lyon will be crowned winners of the Women's Champions League next month, after the quartet progressed through an enthralling quarter-final stage over the past week. Bayern will take on Barca later this month while holders Arsenal will face Lyon, with the winners to meet in the final in Oslo, Norway, at the end of May.
GOAL reviews the top USWNT performances abroad across the weekend from Girma andThompson at Chelsea to Heaps and Yohannes at Lyon, Tullis-Joyce at United, Coffey at Man City and Fox at Arsenal.
The annual NXGN lists are back for 2026, as GOAL ranks the world's top teenage talents in men's and women's football, crowning winners that will follow in the footsteps of the likes of Jude Bellingham, Lamine Yamal, Lena Oberdorf and Linda Caicedo in being recognised as the best young footballers on the planet.
GOAL reviews top USWNT performances abroad, from Naomi Girma’s injury to Alyssa Thompson’s first League Cup with Chelsea and Heaps, Yohannes lifting the French Cup with Lyon.
GOAL breaks down the key moments from USWNT players abroad, including Girma helping Chelsea advance in the FA Cup, and Emily Fox rolling on gracefully with Arsenal.
U.S. Women’s National Team captain Lindsey Heaps is returning to her home state of Colorado, set to join NWSL expansion side Denver Summit FC in a blockbuster signing. The midfielder will link up with the club following the conclusion of her season with OL Lyonnes, expected in June 2026. Heaps has 170 international caps and has scored 38 goals.
With women's football in most countries on its winter break, it is prime time for clubs, players and agents to sit down and sort out contracts. But while there are some names entering the final six months of their current deals who many would be shocked not to see renew with their current teams, there are also plenty of others who are likely to be seriously considering other options in 2026.
GOAL reviews the top USWNT performances abroad in 2025, from Girma, Thompson and Macario at Chelsea to Heaps and Yohannes at Lyon, Tullis-Joyce at United and Fox at Arsenal.
Defending champions Arsenal will face London rivals Chelsea in the Women's Champions League quarter-finals, if they can defeat OH Leuven in the knockout play-offs. The Gunners beat the Belgian minnows 3-0 in the last round of the league phase and will be heavily favoured to do so again, making an all-English quarter-final incredibly likely.
Alessia Russo is one of 11 Lionesses on the list of nominees for this year's FIFPRO Women's World 11 which also includes seven players from the Spain side England beat in the European Championship final - but not Mariona Caldentey, who put La Roja ahead in that game and finished as runner-up to Aitana Bonmati at the Ballon d'Or.
USWNT midfielder Lily Yohannes announced her arrival on the Champions League stage with an extraordinary long-range strike for OL Lyonnes, scoring from 57 yards in a commanding 3-0 victory over Austrian side St. Pölten on Wednesday. The 18-year-old scored her first Champions League goal just hours after being named to Emma Hayes' USWNT roster.
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OL Lyonnes
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