WOMEN’S FOOTBALL WEEKLY

After months of speculation, WSL Football has finally revealed its plan for the future: expansion, playoffs, and a new era for the women’s game. Meanwhile, Adidas have launched their first women’s-fit boot, transfers are heating up (Danielle van de Donk to London City Lionesses is just the start), plus, new kits, contract news, and plenty of drama. Let’s get stuck in.

P.S. Euro 2025 Wall Charts are now on sale. Just £5 (+P&P) for subscribers with this code: SUBSCRIBERS5. Limited availability - get yours here

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🔍 IN FOCUS

WSL Expansion – What’s Changing and Why it Matters 

The WSL is set to expand from 12 to 14 teams and introduce a promotion/relegation playoff, marking the biggest shake-up since the league’s launch. It’s a move packed with opportunity, jeopardy, and a fair few risks for clubs lower down the pyramid.

Timeline:

• June 2025: WSL and WSL2 clubs voted to expand the top division and introduce a playoff system.

• 20 June 2025: The FA board formally approved the WSL Football proposals.

• 2025/26 season: The transitional year – top two WSL2 teams promoted automatically, third-placed team faces the bottom WSL club in a playoff.

• 2026/27 onwards: WSL becomes a 14-team league; bottom club relegated, second-bottom faces WSL2 runners-up in a playoff. WSL2 becomes fully professional.

Why it matters:

• More drama: The playoff adds real jeopardy and keeps more teams invested throughout the season.

• More opportunity: Ambitious clubs below the WSL have a real shot at the top tier, especially during the expansion period. We might see some serious investment incoming.

• Better standards: WSL2’s move to full professionalism raises the bar for facilities, staffing, and support.

• Risks for lower league clubs: Many clubs struggle to meet the new standards – Blackburn Rovers Women have already withdrawn, citing unsustainable costs. The financial gap between the top and the rest remains a serious challenge.

• Yo-yo effect: Recent years have seen promoted clubs bounce straight back down, raising fears that expansion could just mean the same teams swapping places unless investment is matched across the board.

Our take:
This is the best of both worlds: the WSL avoids becoming a closed league while giving existing clubs a decent shot at survival. The playoff is a masterstroke for fans and broadcasters, and the next couple of seasons are a golden chance for ambitious clubs to push for promotion. But let’s not kid ourselves—the financial gulf between the top and the rest remains huge. Many lower league clubs simply can’t afford to go fully professional, and unless funding and support trickle down the pyramid, we could see more clubs dropping out or struggling to keep up.

What the fans are saying:
“Love the playoff idea, but I worry about teams coming up and going straight back down. It’s tough to compete when the budgets are so different.”

“It’s about time we had more teams and more chances to get promoted. Just hope the new teams can actually compete and not just get stuck in a cycle of relegation.”

💥 MERCH DROP

Twentytwo x Euro 2025 Wall Chart – Now on Sale

Follow every fixture. Fill in every result. Frame it when it’s all over.

This isn’t one of those flimsy freebies with shouting fonts and questionable colour choices (unless you hate yellow). We’ve designed a wall chart you’ll actually want on your wall. Simple, clean lines, Swiss grids (because the tournament’s in Switzerland — and who doesn’t love a strong Swiss grid?) and a nice little discount code for our loyal subscribers.

• Fixtures, dates, venues and knockout paths

• Space to fill in scores and results

• Digitally printed on heavyweight 200 gsm uncoated paper

• Looks good now, looks even better framed when the Euros are over

It’s a limited run. Once they’re gone, that’s it.

£5 (+P&P) for subscribers with this code: SUBSCRIBERS5.

Please note. Orders will start shipping from 25 June 2025

🚨ICYMI

Top Headlines

⚽ Wales have announced the squad for their first-ever major tournament, with Angharad James captaining the group to Switzerland. The big story is the inclusion of Sophie Ingle, who’s back after a serious ACL injury last September – a huge boost for a squad packed with experience, including Jess Fishlock and Hayley Ladd.

📺 The BBC has unveiled its all-star line-up for Euro 2025 coverage, with Gabby Logan, Alex Scott, and Jeanette Kwakye leading the team. They’re joined by a stacked panel of former Lionesses and international stars, including Jill Scott, Steph Houghton, Fara Williams, and Arsenal boss Renée Slegers, making her punditry debut.

🏆 The UEFA Women’s Champions League is set for its biggest season yet, with 74 clubs from 50 countries entering the new-look competition – including champions Arsenal, Barcelona, Lyon, and Wolfsburg. Disney+ will show every match live across Europe and the US, bringing major marketing muscle and a big boost for visibility, while the BBC will broadcast select matches free-to-air in the UK, ensuring the competition reaches a much wider audience. The 2025/26 league phase kicks off in October, and the final will head to Oslo’s historic Ullevaal Stadion in 2026.

⚽ England’s U19s crashed out of the Euros in heartbreaking fashion, conceding a 96th-minute winner to Spain in a dramatic quarter-final, ending hopes of silverware but leaving plenty of lessons for the future. Despite the loss, they’ve still qualified for the U20 World Cup in 2026. Watch the highlights

👥 Chelsea’s Aggie Beever-Jones, Grace Clinton (Man Utd), Olivia Smith (Liverpool), and Mary Fowler (Man City) are among the nominees for the Women’s PFA Young Player of the Year. Chelsea dominate the shortlist, with three of the six spots.

🧤 All charges against England goalkeeper Khiara Keating have been dropped almost a year after she pleaded not guilty to possession of nitrous oxide canisters. The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed the case was discontinued due to insufficient evidence. Keating, who’s in England’s Euro 2025 squad, says she’s relieved and is now focused on the tournament and her family.

👀 FAVE FINDS

In a Cardiff Tesco, a giant Lucozade display invited shoppers to “win and meet the Lionesses,” just weeks before Wales make their first-ever Euros appearance. Cue the tumbleweed as Tesco execs realised their oopsie and pulled the plug, leaving Welsh fans to wonder why their own team wasn’t front and centre. Missed opportunity? Absolutely. With Wales finally on the big stage, Tesco had the chance to put the Dragons in the spotlight and make their faces household names. Instead, we got a masterclass in how not to read the room.

✍️ INSIDE TRACK

Transfer Round-up

The summer transfer window has started heating up. London City Lionesses turned heads after landing Danielle van de Donk as their first big signing in a crucial summer for the newly promoted WSL team.

CONFIRMED TRANSFERS

→ Arsenal: Lina Hurtig has left for Fiorentina after winning the Champions League with the Gunners.

→ Barcelona: Laia Aleixandri has signed for Barca, leaving Man City on a deal that takes her through to 2029.

→ Brighton & Hove Albion: Brighton have brought in Japanese international defender Moeka Minami from AS Roma, where she won two league titles. Minami, 26, has 61 caps for Japan and played in the last two World Cups and the most recent Olympics. Defender Li Mengwen has left the club after her contract expired.

→ Burnley: Two-time WSL winner Matt Beard has been appointed as Burnley’s new manager. Beard, who previously managed Chelsea and West Ham and led Liverpool to back-to-back WSL titles in 2013 and 2014, takes on his first role below the second tier of English football.

→ Everton: Sara Holmgaard has left Everton as her contract expires. The club has also confirmed several contract updates, including Justine Vanhaevermaet and Heather Payne, who will leave the Club.

→ London City Lionesses: Danielle van de Donk has joined London City Lionesses from Lyon. The Dutch international midfielder, 33, has won league titles in France and England, as well as the Champions League and Euros. She’s expected to be a key figure for the newly promoted WSL side.

→ Manchester City: City have signed Swiss international forward Iman Beney from BSC YB Frauen on a four-year deal and Canada defender Jade Rose from Harvard University. Beney, 18, is already a full international with 10 caps, while Rose will wear the No. 4 shirt as City continue to strengthen for next season.

→ Manchester United: Aoife Mannion and Alyssa Aherne have both left Manchester United after their contracts expired. Mannion, a Republic of Ireland international, made 55 appearances and played a key role in United’s FA Cup triumph last season. Aherne, who spent last season on loan at Everton and Sheffield United, also departs after several years at the club.

→ Real Madrid: Real Madrid has signed German international midfielder Sara Däbritz on a two-year deal. Däbritz, a multiple league winner with Lyon and PSG, brings vast experience and leadership to the Spanish club.

RUMOUR HAS IT:

→ Washington Spirit: Alisha Lehmann has been tipped for a move to the NWSL side, with Juventus teammates reportedly wishing her well on her next chapter.

→ Everton are reportedly eyeing a double swoop for Japan’s Hikaru Kitagawa and Italy’s Ornella Vignola – two international talents who could add serious flair to their squad for next season.

→ Meanwhile, Manchester United are said to be keen on Liverpool midfielder Fuka Nagano, whose contract is up this summer. Nagano could reunite with fellow Japanese international Hinata Miyazawa if she swaps Merseyside for Manchester. With Liverpool hoping to keep her and United circling, this one’s set to go down to the wire.

👟 KIT DROP

Adidas Sparkfusion: It’s hard to believe this is actually Adidas’s first women's-fit boot – about time, you might say. The Sparkfusion is built from years of female foot scans and player feedback, so the fit and feel are spot on. The purple, lemon, and violet colourway is… fine, and might just be us, but we’d love a sleek black option for something a bit more understated and practical. Still, it’s a big step forward for women’s football gear – but we might hold out for a black colourway.

Grab your boots here - available with a range of soleplates, from turf to soft ground.

Jameson, Lovers FC, and The Goalposts League have teamed up for a Euro 2025 shirt collection that’s got nostalgia, dreams, and a little bit of what-could-have-been in every stitch. There’s a nod to Ireland (there had to be, even though they’re not at the Euros), a slick German-inspired long-sleeve, and a floral, rose-drenched England homage – each design packed with personality and a love for the game. The shoot itself was a proper British seaside adventure in Blackpool – think fish and chips, dodgy weather, and a kickabout with the Goalposts League crew. If you’re after a shirt with soul, this is the drop for you. Get yours here for a mere £45

Puma’s latest Brilliance 3.0 pack has dropped just in time for the Euros with bold teal, purple, and lime graphics on a white base. If you like a white boot and some punchy colours, then it’s the perfect addition for your summer kitbag. Now available

🛋️ DITCH THE SOFA

Upcoming Events

Baller FC X Afta Studios
England vs Jamaica (17:00 KO), plus Afta Studios book launch & signing, panel talk from creative voices shaping the game and a DJ to round things off post-match.
From 15:00, Sunday 29 June
The Volley - Old Street, London, EC1V 9NR
Numbers limited – Book your free ticket

A-Kin X This Fan Girl Supper Club
To celebrate the women’s Euros, A-Kin has teamed up with This Fan Girl to create a watch-along supper club for England vs Wales. A-kin has created a delicious 6-course menu inspired by some of their favourite takeaway dishes, because who doesn’t love settling down to watch a match with a takeaway?
19:00-23:00 – Sunday, 13 July
The Goods Inn, Unit 2a Infant Street Prestwich M25 1SS
Move fast to get your ticket

Is there a women’s football event happening near you? Give us a heads-up

📺 WEEKLY WATCHLIST

What We’re Watching

Your what-not-to-miss viewing guide (BST)

England finish their prep for this summer’s Euros with a friendly against Jamaica. The Euros kick off on 2 July.

Sunday 29th June
England vs Jamaica, Friendly (17:00, ITV1, ITVX)

📂 JOBS, JOBS, JOBS

More Women Working in Football

• Sports Lawyer | Livida Sport | Apply by 1 July

• Women's Team Casual Analyst | The Football Association | Apply by 1 July

• Club and Programme Reporter | Newcastle United | Apply by 1 July

• Senior Marketing Manager - FA Competitions | The Football Association | Apply by 4 July

• Head of Performance Psychology | PGMOL | Apply by 6 July