Are you a women’s football fan who counts down to every kickoff or an aspiring female player dreaming of a pro contract? Women’s soccer has never been more exciting than it is NOW.
Now, records show that crowds are growing, broadcast deals are getting bigger, and talent is now moving between continents faster than ever.
So which is the best women’s soccer league in the world? The honest answer depends on what you value: star power, competitive balance, atmosphere, or the pathway for young players. To make it easier, this guide walks through 19 women’s soccer leagues, ranked from strongest to weakest.
If you want to find the best women’s soccer league near you, or work out which one to follow this season, start here.
1) National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) (USA)
Founded: 2013 | Teams: 16 | Latest champion: Gotham FC (2025)
For many women’s football fans, the NWSL is the best women’s soccer league on the planet right now, and the ranking agrees: it sits first.
The NWSL league has 16 clubs in 2026, with Boston Legacy and Denver Summit joining as expansion teams. A record 63,004 fans watched Denver host Washington on 28 March 2026, far above the previous league record of 40,091.
The NWSL league runs from March to November, followed by playoffs, and has no promotion or relegation.
Gotham FC won the 2025 title, and Kansas City took the 2025 Shield.
As of 15 October 2026, Gotham lead the 2026 table on 55 points, with San Diego (51) and Washington (49) chasing. The regular season ends on 1 November, and the playoffs run from 6 to 21 November.
Some of the best women’s soccer stars to watch in the NWSL include:
- Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit, signed through 2028)
- Temwa Chawinga, one of Africa’s best female soccer players, plays for Kansas City Current
- Sophia Wilson (Portland Thorns)
- Mallory Swanson (Chicago Stars)
Biggest clubs to watch in the NWSL:
- Portland Thorns (three championships, the most in league history)
- Gotham FC, North Carolina Courage and Kansas City Current.
Where to watch NWSL league soccer matches: CBS, ESPN/ABC, Prime Video, ION, and the free streaming service Victory+.
2) Women’s Super League (WSL) (England)
Founded: 2011 | Teams: 14 | Latest champion: Manchester City (2025-26)
England’s WSL is the NWSL’s closest rival at the top of the best women’s soccer league table. It has been fully professional since 2018-19 and now draws huge crowds. From 2026-27, the league grows from 12 to 14 teams, with Birmingham City, Charlton Athletic and Crystal Palace coming up.
Manchester City won 2025-26, finishing on 55 points ahead of Arsenal (51) and Chelsea (49). It was City’s second title and their first since 2016.
Chelsea still hold the record with eight titles, followed by Arsenal with three. The season record crowd was 56,537 for Arsenal against Chelsea at the Emirates in November 2025.
Women football stars to watch in the WSL:
- Khadija Shaw, one of the female football players who wears jersey number 9 (Manchester City, 2026 PFA Players’ Player of the Year)
- Alessia Russo and Mariona Caldentey (both Arsenal)
- Lauren James (Chelsea)
- Alexia Putellas (London Lionesses)
Where to watch WSL women’s football matches: Sky Sports and the BBC, under a record £65m domestic rights deal.
3) Liga F (Spain)
Founded: 1988 | Teams: 16 | Latest champion: Barcelona (2025-26)
If you are looking for the best women’s soccer league for pure technical football, Liga F is hard to beat. Spain’s top flight began in 1988 and is home to the dominant force in the women’s game.
Barcelona won the 2025-26 title, their seventh in a row, and hold the most championships in the league’s history.
The 2026-27 season runs from 29 August 2026 to 23 May 2027 with 16 clubs, including newly promoted Alavés and Valencia. The biggest crowd of last season was 36,276 for Barcelona’s 4-0 win over Real Madrid in November 2025.
Stars to watch in Liga F include:
- Two-time Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmatí, Caroline Graham Hansen and Clàudia Pina, all of Barcelona. Pina scored 21 league goals last season.
The biggest women’s soccer clubs in Liga F are: Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid and Athletic Club.
Where to watch Liga F women’s football: DAZN, TVE and TV3, under a deal that runs from 2026-27 to 2028-29.
4) Première Ligue (France)
Founded: 1975 (as Division 1 Féminine) | Teams: 12 | Latest champion: Olympique Lyonnais (2025-26)
France’s top division started in 1975 and has since been rebranded as the Première Ligue, currently known as Arkema Première Ligue for sponsorship reasons.
It is one of the best women’s soccer leagues for watching a title race decided in the playoffs: the top four clubs go into a knockout stage after the regular season. Lyon, the record champions, beat Paris FC 5-0 in the playoff final on 29 May 2026 to take the 2025-26 crown.
Paris Saint-Germain had a league-record crowd of 20,489 at the Parc des Princes against Lyon in 2024-25. The 2026-27 season opened on 4-5 September, and Betclic signed a partnership with the league running to 2030.
Stars to watch in the Première Ligue: Ashley Lawrence (Lyon), Romée Leuchter (PSG, 18 goals last season) and Évelyne Viens (Paris FC).
Where to watch Première Ligue women’s football: Canal+, DAZN, France Télévisions and M6.
5) Serie A Women (Italy)
Founded: 1968 | Teams: 12 | Latest champion: Roma (2025-26)
Italy’s top-flight women’s football league has been going since 1968 and became fully professional in 2022-23, when the salary cap was removed.
In 2025-26, Roma clinched the title on 2 May 2026 and won a domestic double. For 2026-27, the league plays a single 22-match schedule from 26 September 2026 to 16 May 2027, with no playoffs.
Historic powerhouses such as Torres and Juventus built the league’s reputation. Foreign talent is arriving too, with Tessa Wullaert (Como, the top scorer of 2025-26) and Alba Redondo (Juventus) among the names to follow, plus Sheila García of Inter.
Where to watch Serie A Women: DAZN shows every match, with Rai broadcasting one game each weekend.
6) Frauen-Bundesliga (Germany)
Founded: 1990 | Teams: 14 | Latest champion: Bayern Munich (2025-26)
Germany has long been a benchmark for the best women’s soccer league in Europe, thanks to its history of player development.
The Frauen-Bundesliga league started in 1990-91 and expanded to 14 teams in 2025-26.
Bayern Munich won last season with a record 74 points, 24 wins and not a single defeat, their fourth title in a row and seventh overall. Wolfsburg and Eintracht Frankfurt also have seven titles each.
The league is the Google Pixel Frauen-Bundesliga, and attendances averaged 3,589 last season. Hamburg are one of the clubs to watch for crowds, as they use the 57,000-seat Volksparkstadion.
Stars to watch in the Frauen-Bundesliga include:
- Pernille Harder (Bayern, 16 league goals in 2025-26)
- Alexandra Popp (Wolfsburg, 14)
- Larissa Mühlhaus (Werder Bremen), who topped the scoring charts with 17.
Where to watch Frauen-Bundesliga female football: MagentaSport, ARD, ZDF and Sport1 in Germany.
7) Liga MX Femenil (México)
Founded: 2017 | Teams: 18
Mexico’s league kicked off in July 2017 and has two seasons a year. América won the Clausura 2026, beating Monterrey 3-1 on aggregate. Tigres lead all clubs with seven titles.
In the current Apertura, after matchday 10, Monterrey have 27 points, ahead of América and Tigres on 25 and Toluca on 22.
The Liga MX Femenil league has big-match power too. About 58,156 fans filled Estadio Azteca for the second leg of the Clausura 2023 final, and Tigres reportedly sold Lizbeth Ovalle to Orlando Pride in 2025 for around $1.5 million, a women’s transfer record.
Players to watch in the Liga MX Femenil: Charlyn Corral (Pachuca).
8) Damallsvenskan (Sweden)
Founded: 1988 | Teams: 14 | Latest champion: BK Häcken (2025)
Sweden’s Damallsvenskan is a strong pick if you want the best women’s soccer league for a tight title race. Before the games of 4 October, Häcken led Hammarby 55 points to 50, and the two meet on 18 October as the 2026 season heads to its 15 November finish.
Häcken also won the inaugural UEFA Women’s Europa Cup in 2025-26.
FC Rosengård hold the record with 14 titles, ahead of Umeå (7), Öxabäck (6) and Jitex (6).
Stars to watch in the Damallsvenskan female soccer league: Maja Bodin and Anna Anvegård (both Häcken).
Where to watch Damallsvenskan league matches: Viaplay in Sweden.
9) A-League Women (Australia)
Founded: 2008 (as the W-League) | Teams: 11 | Latest champion: Melbourne City (2025-26)
Australia’s league was called the W-League until it became the A-League Women. Melbourne City won the premiership and the championship in 2025-26, beating Wellington Phoenix 3-1 in the Grand Final in front of 7,174 fans.
Western United was removed from the league, leaving 11 clubs. The 2026-27 season kicked off on 16 October 2026.
Stars to watch in the A-League Women: Holly McNamara (Melbourne City, Golden Boot with 12 goals) and Rebekah Stott (Melbourne City).
Where to watch A-League Women soccer matches: Paramount+ and 10.
10) Eredivisie Women (Netherlands)
Founded: 2007-08 | Teams: 10 | Latest champion: PSV (2025-26)
The Dutch top flight started in 2007-08 and was relaunched in 2015 after the BeNe League years. For 2026-27, it plays with 10 clubs. PSV won last season’s title with 54 points, ending the long dominance of FC Twente, who still hold the record with 10 titles. Ajax finished second.
Stars to watch: Jaimy Ravensbergen (Twente) and Desiree van Lunteren (AZ), who both scored 16 goals, and Riola Xhemaili (PSV).
Where to watch: ESPN carries all matches.
11) Liga Portugal Feminina (Portugal)
Founded: 1993 | Teams: 10 (2025-26)
Portugal’s female soccer league top flight, known as the Liga BPI, is a rising contender in any debate about the best women’s soccer league outside the big five.
Benfica won the 2025-26 Liga BPI title unbeaten with 48 points, their sixth in a row, and in 2023-24 they became the first Portuguese female side to reach the Champions League quarter-finals.
The Liga BPI women’s football matches have been played on natural grass since 2024-25.
Historically, the league belonged to 1º de Dezembro (12 titles) and Boavista (11), before Benfica took over.
Stars to watch in the Liga BPI: Carole Costa, who scored 10 league goals for Benfica, and her teammate Nycole Raysla.
Where to watch Liga Portugal Feminina women’s football matches: Canal 11, Sport TV, Benfica TV and Sporting TV.
12) WSL 2 (England)
Founded: 2014 | Teams: 12 (2025-26) | Latest champion: Birmingham City (2025-26)
The second tier of English women’s football keeps producing fresh winners. Every WSL 2 title has gone to a different club: Sunderland, Reading, Yeovil, Doncaster, Manchester United, Aston Villa, Leicester, Liverpool, Bristol City, Crystal Palace, London City and now Birmingham City.
The pathway is clear and dramatic. In 2025-26, Birmingham and Crystal Palace went up automatically, and Charlton won the promotion playoff. The league plays 22 games, with the top two promoted and a playoff for third place, while the bottom club is relegated. As the WSL expands to 14 teams, even more clubs get a route to the top.
13) Brasileirão Feminino (Brazil)
Founded: 2013 | Teams: 18 | Latest champion: São Paulo (2026)
Brazil’s Série A1 grew to 18 clubs in 2026 and runs from February to early October, finishing with a knockout stage. Corinthians are by far the biggest name, with seven titles.
The Brasileirão Feminino league’s record final crowd is 44,136 for Corinthians against São Paulo in 2024. Unfortunately, Brasileirão Feminino regular-season matches in 2026 averaged only 487 fans, which shows how much room for growth remains.
São Paulo are the latest champions of the 2026 Brasileirão Feminino (Série A1), defeating Corinthians 3–2 on aggregate in the final.
Stars to watch in the Brasileirão Feminino: Marília Furiel (Cruzeiro, 11 goals) and Andressa Alves (Corinthians).
Where to watch the Brasileirão Feminino football matches: TV Globo, SporTV, TV Brasil, CBF TV and UOL.
14) Toppserien (Norway)
Founded: 1984 (renamed Toppserien in 2000) | Teams: 12
Norway’s league expanded from 10 to 12 teams for 2026, adding Aalesund, Haugesund and Molde. Brann won the 2025 title with 74 points.
Rosenborg and LSK Kvinner lead the all-time list with seven titles each, followed by Asker (6) and Røa (5).
The Toppserien 2026 season runs from 20 March to 7 November. The 2025 attendance high was 7,014 for Brann against Vålerenga.
Players to watch in the Toppserien women’s football league: Tove Enblom (Vålerenga), Lauren Davidson (Brann), and the 2025 top scorers Signe Gaupset and Olaug Tvedten.
Where to watch Toppserien women’s matches: NRK and TV 2.
15) WE League (Japan)
Founded: 2021 | Teams: 12
Japan’s first fully professional women’s league, and the strongest in Asia on this ranking. So it’s a fair answer if you ask which women’s soccer league in Asia is the best.
WE League began in 2021-22. The 2026-27 season opened on 22 August with 132 matches scheduled.
INAC Kobe took the 2025-26 title ahead of Urawa and Tokyo Verdy. Tokyo Verdy won in 2024-25. There is no relegation.
Stars to watch in the WE League: Riko Yoshida (INAC Kobe), who scored 16 goals last season.
Where to watch WE League women’s matches: DAZN streams every match.
16) A-Liga (formerly Elitedivisionen) (Denmark)
Founded: 1974 | Teams: 8 (10 from 2026-27) | Latest champion: HB Køge (2025-26)
Denmark’s top flight was called Elitedivisionen before being renamed the A-Liga in 2025. It grows from eight to ten teams in 2026-27, with Copenhagen and ASA promoted.
HB Køge won last season on 53 points, ahead of Brøndby on 50. Fortuna Hjørring and Brøndby lead the history books with 12 titles each.
Stars to watch in the A-Liga: Nadia Nadim (HB Køge), the top scorer with 16 goals, and Joy Omewa (Fortuna Hjørring).
Where to watch A-Liga women’s football games: TV 2.
17) Kansallinen Liiga (Finland)
Founded: 1974 | Latest champion: HJK (2026)
HJK has won the most titles in the league’s history, with 25, and took the 2025 title for the second year in a row. KuPS won three in a row from 2021 to 2023.
The competition splits into a Championship Group and a Relegation Group, and the 2026 title was still being decided in mid-October.
Crowds are small, averaging 339 in 2024, but the league remains the heart of Finnish women’s football.
18) Primera Federación (Spain)
Founded in 2020 | Teams: 14
Spain’s second tier is a great example of how the pyramid works. The champion goes straight up, and teams in 2nd to 5th play off for the other promotion place.
Barcelona B won the 2025-26 title, and Alavés and Valencia went up, with Valencia taking the playoff 4-3 against Alba.
Reserve teams cannot be promoted.
19) WK League (South Korea)
Founded: 2009 | Teams: 8
South Korea’s only women’s league runs from April to October with eight clubs and no promotion or relegation.
Hwacheon KSPO won the 2025 title for the first time, beating Seoul City 7-5 on aggregate in the final. Incheon Hyundai Steel have the most titles with 11.
The big headline of 2026 was Ji So-yun returning home to Suwon FC. Each club may sign up to three foreign players.
Final Whistle
The world of women’s soccer is growing fast with remarkable strides in recent years. The opportunities and career paths available to you as a female player are more promising than ever before. The best women’s soccer league for you depends on what you want from the game.
For elite competition, the NWSL and the WSL lead the way. For technical football, Liga F is hard to match. For a pathway and a chance to move up, look at the second divisions in England and Spain.
Whatever level you aspire to, there has never been a better time to join the story. Check out the best women’s soccer league near you, find a club, and start your journey today.
