Women's Super League Expands to 14 Teams for New Season, Paramount+ to Stream All 183 Matches

The 2026-27 Women's Super League (WSL) season officially kicked off this Friday. The league has expanded to 14 teams for the first time this season, and Paramount+ will stream all 183 matches, making it the largest number of available matches under the league's expanded new format.

This is the first WSL season on Paramount+. CBS Sports Network will also broadcast one additional match each week, while some featured games will be shown on the CBS Sports Golazo Network. To celebrate the start of the new season, the platform selected one player from each team to watch.

Three promoted teams join the competition

This season marks the first time the WSL has expanded to 14 teams, with Crystal Palace, Birmingham City, and Charlton Athletic promoted from the WSL 2 league. The arrival of the new teams makes the competitive landscape more complex and provides more players with a stage to showcase their abilities.

Arsenal: Olivia Smith

The Canada international joined Arsenal last season in one of the biggest transfers in women's football history. She started 15 of 20 appearances and recorded five goals and three assists before a head injury in February affected her playing time. The new season will be her second year with the club, and her performances will be highly anticipated. Other players to watch include Alessia Russo, Mariona Caldentey, and Emily Fox.

Aston Villa: Kamilla Melgård

Former England international Rachel Daly remains one of the team's veterans, but new signing Melgård is generating more excitement. The 20-year-old Norwegian player is one of several Nordic attacking players brought in during the offseason, with the aim of filling the attacking gap left by Kirsty Hanson’s departure. Whether she can quickly adapt to the pace of the league will directly affect Villa’s season. Other players to watch include Rachel Daly, Amalie Vangsgaard, and Noelle Maritz.