Six straight WSL titles. Gone. Chelsea finished third behind Arsenal and new champions Manchester City, and now face the very real possibility of missing next season's Champions League entirely. That's not just a bad end to a campaign — it's a structural collapse playing out in real time.
The warning signs were loud. A 5-1 hammering by City in February. A 2-0 loss to Arsenal sandwiched around it. Sporting director Paul Green fired. Catarina Macario sold to San Diego Wave. Guro Reiten off to Gotham FC. And this weekend, all-time top scorer Sam Kerr said her goodbyes, while captain Millie Bright retired on April 29. In the space of a few months, Chelsea went from dynasty to rebuild project.
Lauren James, Alyssa Thompson, and Veerle Buurman offer a foundation to build on, but Chelsea need more than promising youth this summer. They need a transfer window that signals intent. Without Champions League football guaranteed, attracting that level of signing just got significantly harder.
USWNT Roster Spots Are Up for Grabs
Across the Atlantic, Emma Hayes is heading to Brazil for a pair of friendlies against the 2027 Women's World Cup host — and her squad just got a lot more open. Olivia Moultrie, Naomi Girma, Rose Lavelle, and Sam Coffey are all doubtful after a run of injuries, with Coffey's knee surgery confirmed Friday as a particular surprise.
Three players are making genuine cases to fill the gaps. North Carolina Courage midfielder Ashley Sanchez, 27, is second in the NWSL Golden Boot race with six goals in nine games and scored in this weekend's 4-0 win over Chicago. Kansas City Current's Croix Bethune, 25, has returned to her natural attacking-tempo role and chipped in two goals and two assists. And Gotham rookie Jordynn Dudley, 21, has been central to the reigning champions' attack with a goal and two assists — modest numbers that undersell her actual influence.
Catarina Macario remains sidelined as she continues rehabbing the leg injury that ended her Chelsea stint early. She has not yet made her Wave debut, which makes a return in Brazil against her birth country unlikely — but not impossible.
Around the NWSL
- Mallory Swanson made her first NWSL appearance in over a year Saturday, coming off the bench for the final 20 minutes of Chicago Stars' 4-0 loss to North Carolina. Her return is welcome — Chicago are rooted to the bottom with six points from 10 games, four goals scored, and 22 conceded.
- Gotham FC are in talks to move into NYCFC's new Etihad Park in Queens from 2028, leaving SI Stadium in New Jersey. The main draw isn't the stadium itself — it's the subway access, which has been a persistent obstacle for a two-time champion that still struggles to fill seats consistently.
- A third hair-pulling incident in two months hit the NWSL this weekend. Orlando Pride midfielder Angelina was sent off in the 62nd minute against Denver Summit, and the depleted Pride lost 3-1. She faces a two-match ban for violent conduct.
- Alexandra Popp signed off from 14 years at Wolfsburg — three Champions League titles, seven Frauen-Bundesliga crowns — by drinking a beer on the sideline moments after subbing off. She joins third-tier Borussia Dortmund on a three-year deal. Exactly the kind of exit a legend deserves.
The UEFA Women's Champions League final on Saturday pits eight-time winners OL Lyonnes against three-time champions Barcelona — with the twist that Barcelona's title-winning coach Jonatan Giráldez now sits in Lyon's dugout, backed by Michele Kang's investment. The last time these sides met in the final, Barcelona won. This time, Giráldez knows exactly what he's up against.
