 (1).png){kind=spacer}
1 month ago
15
play
Sam Kerr heads Chelsea into the quarterfinals vs. Wolfsburg (2:02)
Chelsea fight back from a goal down to beat Wolfsburg and secure their place in the UEFA Women's Champions League quarterfinals. (2:02)
Emily KeoghJan 22, 2026, 12:05 PM
- Based in London, Emily Keogh is ESPN's women's soccer correspondent, specializing in the WSL and UWCL
The Women's League Cup will no longer include European qualified teams from the 2026-27 season, following a change of format for the competition.
Due to clashes with midweek Champions League games, teams playing in the continental competition have been added in at the quarter finals, skipping the group stage which has a regional divide.
Most commonly, at least one, if not all of the teams who are simultaneously competing in the Champions League make it to the semi-final and final.
The competition has only had three winners: Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City. In 2024, Arsenal won the trophy following their early exit from the Champions League qualifiers but Chelsea, the 2025 winners and holders, were only entered in the knockouts.
From next season, the competition will reformat, moving from a group stage model to a Swiss model but remaining with a regional split. Each team will now play six games and there will be no play-offs for knockouts. Teams will not be seeded like the Champions League, but a randomised draw will decide the knockout ties.
Teams qualified for Europe by finishing in the top three spots of the Women's Super League (WSL) table will be ineligible for the competition from next season, removing the possibility for teams to compete for the quadruple.
Chelsea and Manchester United, both still competing in the Champions League will meet in this year's final on March, 15 at Ashton Gate, Bristol. It could be the last time either are eligible to win the trophy if they remain within European qualification for the foreseeable future.
It is understood that even if a team reaches Champions League qualification but is knocked out before the League Phase, the team will not be automatically entered into the League Cup, which is also set to face a name change due not all League teams playing in the competition.
Subway are the current commercial partners of the competition. They signed on in 2024 on a two-year deal but have the option of an extra year for next season.
The change in format is subject to FA approval.
