Women's League Cup Undergoes Format Changes Amid Scheduling Pressures
The quarter-final matchups for the Women's League Cup feature West Ham facing Manchester City, Liverpool playing Chelsea, Manchester United against Tottenham, and Crystal Palace versus Arsenal, with all top-four WSL clubs participating.
Recent voting among clubs has led to the decision to exclude teams competing in the Champions League from next season's League Cup. This move initiates a significant change in the competition's format, replacing the current group stage with a Swiss-style league system. Under this proposed structure, the top eight teams from the Swiss league will advance to a knockout stage.
The exclusion of Champions League teams aims to reduce overload on key players and relieve scheduling pressures in an increasingly congested football calendar. Contributing to the calendar challenges is the WSL's planned expansion from 12 to 14 teams starting in the 2026-27 season, necessitating additional matchdays.
Further intensifying calendar congestion are new and expanded competitions including the Champions Cup, an expanded Champions League, increasing FIFA World Cup fixtures, and the introduction of a Club World Cup from 2028. While FIFA maintains that international football helps drive growth and advocates for smarter minute distribution and deeper squads instead of fewer games, the scheduling strain has prompted clubs to rethink domestic competition structures.
Though excluding Champions League teams may help manage workloads, it poses risks such as decreased opportunities to compete for domestic trebles and potential negative impacts on broadcast interest and sponsorship.
A preferred long-term resolution suggested is the establishment of an international calendar that respects domestic leagues. Should this not be achievable, more radical changes to competition formats may be necessary to better align with the demands of modern football schedules.
