Women's League Cup renamed Players Cup with shootouts and regional
Short overview
The Women's League Cup will become the Players Cup from 2026-27, featuring a league system with regionalised matches and penalty shootouts for draws. Champions League-qualified teams are excluded, guaranteeing a first-time winner.
The Women's League Cup will be renamed the Players Cup and adopt a league system with regionalised matches starting in the 2026-27 season, following a vote by clubs in the Women's Super League (WSL) and WSL 2 last November. The revamp aims to address scheduling issues and protect player welfare.
New format details
Under the new format, teams that have qualified for the Women's Champions League will be excluded. This means reigning League Cup holders Chelsea, WSL champions Manchester City, and runners-up Arsenal will not participate in the 2026-27 edition. The remaining 23 teams from the top two divisions have been split into Northern and Southern sections but will compete in a single table.
Matches will take place from September to December on nights when Champions League fixtures are scheduled. Each team will play three home and three away games against sides in their region, with three points awarded for a win. Any match level after normal time will be decided by a penalty shootout, with the winner earning two points and the loser one.
The top eight teams will advance to the quarter-finals in January, with higher-placed finishers granted home advantage. After a one-legged semi-final hosted by the higher seed, the final will be held at a neutral venue on the weekend of 13–14 March.
Rationale behind changes
Zarah Al-Kudcy, chief revenue officer of the WSL, said: “We wanted meaningful playing minutes for young and fringe players and to address disparity on playing opportunities across the leagues, without compromising our player welfare principles.”
The previous format saw teams play three or four matches across five groups, with group winners joined at the quarter-final stage by sides competing in European competitions. The new structure mirrors the Swiss-style format of the Champions League and aims to provide more playing time for teams that did not finish in the top three of the WSL in 2025-26.
By excluding top European qualifiers, the competition offers greater parity and guarantees a first-time winner. Only Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester City have ever won the League Cup; all three are absent from the 2026-27 Players Cup.
Regional sections
The Northern section includes: Aston Villa, Birmingham City, Burnley, Durham, Everton, Liverpool, Manchester United, Newcastle, Nottingham Forest, Sheffield United, and Sunderland. The Southern section comprises: Brighton & Hove Albion, Bristol City, Charlton Athletic, Crystal Palace, Ipswich Town, Leicester City, London City Lionesses, Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, Watford, West Ham United, and Wolves.
Fixtures will be announced on Thursday, 6 August.
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