Women's League Cup rebranded as The Players Cup — Chelsea, Man City and Arsenal excluded

From 2026-27 the Women's League Cup becomes The Players Cup, and any club qualified for the Women's Champions League is barred from entering. That sidelines Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal — the competition's holders, the WSL champions and the league runners-up. The remaining 23 top-two-tier sides will compete in regionalised groups across September to December.