Denver awarded 16th NWSL franchise, paying record $110m
January 3 – Denver has beaten off bids from Cleveland and Cincinnati to become the National Women’s Soccer League’s (NWSL) 16th team, paying a record $110 million for the franchise.
Women
Fifpro study finds some women’s workload split between too many games and not enough
December 18 – Some elite-level female professionals are dealing with a packed schedule whereas at the opposite end of the scale, others don’t have enough games to play, according to global players’ union Fifpro.
Study finds huge gap between men’s and women’s game in UK at grassroots
September 27 – Despite a surge in women’s football participation with 4.4 million playing regularly across the UK, and 41% of women’s football clubs in the UK only being created in the last four years, research by Unilever’s antiperspirant brand Sure UK has found women’s football at a non-professional level still faces on-going equality challenges both on and off the pitch.
Kang launches Kynisca Sports with mission to ‘unlock female athletic potential’
August 2 – Women’s football investor Michele Kang (pictured), who owns Washington Spirit, Olympique Lyonnais Féminin and London City Lionesses, has created Kynisca Sports International as part of a mission to unlock the performance potential of women’s football.
Man City, PSG, West Ham and Leicester women’s teams head for Perth for pre-season
July 1 – Manchester City Women will travel down under this August to take part in the first Perth International Football Cup as part of the club’s preparations for the 2024/25 season – following a gutting end to 2023/24.
Arsenal Women to face Chelsea and Washington Spirit in pre-season US tour
June 11 – Arsenal Women, along with their men’s team, will pre-season tour in the United States this summer, though in different locations.
Data report finds top women’s leagues increasingly looking for overseas talent
May 28 – Exporting and importing talent from around the world is a key indicator for growth in football, with leading Women’s football leagues increasingly turning to expatriates to strengthen both squads on the pitch, and help develop fan bases off it.
Arsenal Women migrate to 60,700-capacity Emirates Stadium for their main home base
May 14 – The Emirates Stadium is set to become the main home for Arsenal Women’s team from the start of the 2024/25 season.
NWSL newcomers Bay FC load up sponsorship roster
April 3 – National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) newcomers Bay FC have announced a flurry of sponsorship deals with Sixth Street, Visa, Meriwest Credit Union and Lyft as the club begins the NWSL season with a last-minute upset.
Barclays poised to double its WSL sponsorship in 3-year deal
April 4 – The Women’s Super League and Women’s Championship are close to finalising a landmark sponsorship agreement, as Barclays prepares to double its financial support for the two leagues.
Steph Houghton to retire at end of season
March 28 – Manchester City legend and former England captain Steph Houghton has announced her retirement at the end of the current season.
Fledgling women’s multi-club ownership group Mercury 13 takes control of Como
March 5 – Mercury 13, a women’s football multi-club ownership group, has acquired its first club with a controlling stake in Como, who play in Italy’s Serie A.
Germany, Australia and Japan grab slots at Paris 2024 Olympics
February 29 – Germany claimed Europe’s last ticket to the Olympic women’s football tournament with a 2-0 victory against the Netherlands in the third-place playoff of the Nations League. In Asia, Australia and Japan clinched their spots for Paris.
Belgian top-flight women’s club White Star to pull put of Super League
February 23 – Belgian women’s club White Star Woluwe will withdraw from the top flight at the end of the season, citing “a lack of financial resources”.
Arsenal’s women to set WSL attendance record with Emirates Stadium sell-out
February 16 – The Emirates is poised for the largest crowd in Barclays Women’s Super League history after selling out for Arsenal’s match versus Manchester United on Saturday.