#womens-football

#womens-football

The AFC Women's Asian Cup heads to Australia next year, as Australia get set to host their second major women's football competition in three years after the 2023 World Cup. From March 1-21 2026, 12 nations will take part in the competition, with a total of 27 matches taking place across Perth, Sydney and the Gold Coast. With nine titles under their belt, reigning champions China are the most successful team in the competition.

"Until a few years ago, we didn't even need somebody to do that job,"

The Australia international right-back opened the scoring against Chelsea's biggest European foe, but squandered what should have been the match-winner at Stamford Bridge. Though she missed the golden opportunity to seal victory, her contribution to the club since joining in July has elevated the side to new heights, something rather incredible given the world-class team she stepped into.

The Portuguese side started and finished strongly, with City goalkeeper Lee Gibson busy in the opening minutes. Having been under the cosh for 25 minutes, the SWPL leaders began to find some rhythm and stunned their hosts by taking the lead four minutes before the break. A deep free-kick from Lisa Evans was helped on by Kimberley Smit, with Kozlova ghosting in to finish from close range.

The 41-year-old made 313 appearances for Arsenal between 2002 and 2018, in addition to spells at Birmingham City and in the United States at the Boston Breakers. Scott also represented England 140 times and played five times for Team GB at the 2012 London Olympics. Following her retirement from football, Scott began a full-time media career, having regularly appeared as a pundit during her playing career. Scott has been the presenter of Football Focus since 2021.

Playing against Ascot United in November 2024, 30-year-old Cheatley controlled a bobbling pass into the box, flicked the ball up and acrobatically finished with her back to goal. The goal puts Cheatley, who plays for the Bees in the fifth tier of the English women's pyramid, in exulted company alongside a great in Marta and Lizbeth Ovalle, the most expensive player in the history of the women's game.

Switzerland were the toast of the continent this summer as hosts of the Women's European Championship. The national team reached the quarter-finals for the first time and a total of 623,088 were in attendance at the 31 matches, a tournament record. The hope within Switzerland was for a boost at club level similar to what England experienced three years previously. Those heights have not been reached, but there has been a definite bump.

GK Barry, a podcast host, TikTok influencer and the youngest panellist on ITV's Loose Women, is a bona fide UK queer icon these days, and she's also one half of a couple that includes talented footballer Ella Rutherford. Last year, she joined other famous faces in the Australian jungle for I'm A Celebrity, which means she had to leave her girlfriend Ella behind. Ella Rutherford is a 25-year-old footballer who plays for Ipswich Town.

"Rosi's transition into the professional game is monumental for her, but what we have achieved together is truly remarkable. "Providing her with the opportunity to enter the men's game was never in question and she has been outstanding in her time here. "As a coach and as a person, she is exceptional."

"We are thrilled to welcome the Kansas City Current and San Diego Wave FC to our exhilarating 7v7 tournament, where they will compete against top clubs from across the Americas," Sarah Cummins, CEO of W7F, said in a news release. "This high-stakes competition showcases the talent and ambition fueling the women's game today. "We know the fans will come out and cheer on these world-class teams as they compete for the title and a significant prize, reflecting our ongoing commitment to creating opportunities that reward excellence and elevate women's football on the global stage."

However, the Campus is increasingly unable to fit the growing demands of the games played there. The Frauen in particular have been exponentially growing in popularity, with their last game at the Allianz Arena selling over 50,000 tickets. What's more, the campus is not exactly fan friendly when it comes to public transport, with only bus service to and fro.

The BBC Women's Footballer of the Year award launched in 2015. It is decided by a global public vote after a panel of experts - including coaches, players, administrators and journalists - selects a five-player shortlist. Here are the previous winners: 2015: Asisat Oshoala Nigeria and Liverpool forward Asisat Oshoala was the very first BBC Women's Footballer of the Year. Then 20, Oshoala was player of the tournament at the Under-20s World Cup in Canada and helped Nigeria's senior team win the African Women's Championship. Also shortlisted were Veronica Boquete, Nadine Kessler, Kim Little and Marta.

I grew up in a war zone, full of insecurity and injustice. I was at risk of being attacked, singled out, or arrested. Fear came from everywhere: from my parents, from society, from the world, she recalls now. What did we do to deserve this? she constantly asked herself. Honey Thaljieh (Bethlehem, 41) pretended to be a normal girl in a context that wasn't, and she found refuge in the ball. It was a tool to escape social pressure and trauma, to free myself.

Good to see Taylor Hinds on from the start; she's less, er, combative than Katie McCabe but seems to have more zip about her at the moment. Kyra Cooney-Cross in midfield will please a lot of fans who want a bit more oomph in that department. Delighted to see Lotte Wubben-Moy back in, of course; but it only underscores the fact that Leah Williamson is still very much out and very much missed.

The Rome native joined the Turin club aged just 17, moving to an unknown city up north and to a team that had just been created. It was new territory for Caruso, whose childhood idol was Rome's own Francesco Totti. She would stay with Juventus for seven and a half years, becoming part of a project that has helped shape women's football in Italy. She became captain, a senior international and the club's record appearance holder with over 200 games.

Campbell has been without a club since leaving London City Lionesses at the end of last season following their promotion to the WSL. The 32-year-old won 57 caps for Republic of Ireland after making her senior debut in August 2011 against Switzerland. Campbell, who could play left back or centre back, was a member of the Irish squad that qualified for the 2023 Women's World Cup, but she missed the tournament through injury.

"When I was three, they closed my heart up, and as I grew older the difference in leg length grew bigger. "Because the difference was getting so much bigger, I had to get special shoes. On the right side they cut the heel and put extra material in it so I could walk equally. "They measured when I could have surgery when my left leg stopped growing and my right leg could grow equally - and when I was 12 I had that surgery."

I've played in a few different places now and each one has brought different challenges for me, says Eaton-Collins, who also spent time in the US college system and had a short spell back in England with Leicester. Sporting in particular has been a big learning curve for me in terms of the technical side of the game because I'm surrounded by very smart, technical players every day and that's helped bring out a different side to my game.

In European women's football, FC Barcelona have long set the standard by which Europe's elite are measured. Three UEFA Women's Champions League titles in the last five years, as well as national dominance with impressive consistency: the Catalans are undoubtedly one of the continent's top teams. They play a precise, technically brilliant brand of football, carried by a natural footballing ability that is second to none.

Offers had come in, and sources told ESPN that both Manchester United and Brighton & Hove Albion made loan approaches, but although she wanted to remain closer to home in Manchester, City weren't keen for her to join their rivals and eventually accepted Brighton's offer ahead of deadline day. Kelly didn't want to go to Brighton, however. So, with no movement over a new contract at City and her mental health deteriorating on the sidelines, she took the bold step of speaking out publicly.

France midfielder, Grace Geyoro, signed for newly-promoted London City Lionesses (owned by wealthy businesswoman and serial football investor, Michelle Kang) in September for a fee of about 1.6 million ($1.9 million). Geyoro's move was the fifth to break the world transfer record in 2025, with each player moving to either the NWSL in the USA or the WSL in England.

"I was going to wait till after the game to speak because I'm done being quiet. I was subjected to racial abuse in my DMs."