Chelsea’s Champions League campaign starts now, as the eight-time WSL champion hunts redemption against Real Sociedad in the first leg of the 2026/27 UWCL qualifiers.
The Blues are looking to punch a ticket to the League Phase after last season’s third-place WSL finish saw them miss an automatic Champions League berth.
Preseason records favor the UK side after Chelsea shut out Auckland FC and topped the A-League All-Stars, while third-place Liga F finisher Sociedad stumbled against Portugal’s Torreense.
Coach Sonia Bompastor will face both ties without Erin Cuthbert, Mayra Ramirez, and Manaka Matsukubo, as the rest of the reshuffled squad readies for its first competitive match since losing striker Sam Kerr to Gotham.
Chelsea hosts Real Sociedad today at 1:45 PM ET, streaming on chelseafc.com.
World Sevens Football has a new champion, as WSL squad Chelsea won the global small-sided tournament on Saturday — and bagged its $500,000 purse.
The Blues flew through group play on a 5-0 record. The Blues subsequently toppled Aston Villa and Manchester United in the knockouts to earn its first W7F title.
Chelsea forward Aggie Beever-Jones took home both Golden Boot and Golden Ball honors, tallying eight goals and five assists across the event.
"If I'm honest, watching [Manchester] United in the group stages, we were worried," Beever-Jones said of her opponent. "It shows how close we are as a team and how much we believe in one another."
The London Edition marked W7F’s third iteration. Earlier stints in Portugal and Florida showcased clubs from different women’s leagues.
"This format allows us to actually watch some games where you can see great technicality and ability from the players," said Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor.
"But also it's just having fun, being together, and finishing on a high."
World Sevens Football heads to London later this month, as the $1.5 million 7-on-7 tournament confirmed its full eight-club field this week.
Eight-time WSL champion Chelsea enters W7F for the first time, joining fellow UK clubs Aston Villa, Everton, Leicester City, London City, Tottenham, West Ham and Manchester United for the tournament's second European edition.
The three-day event kicks off May 28th with two groups of four battling through the group stage. Each group's top two sides advance to semifinals on Saturday, May 30th.
Group 1 features Everton, Leicester City, London City, and Chelsea, while Group 2 includes Aston Villa, Manchester United, Tottenham, and West Ham.
"It's a fantastic occasion for our supporters to see the team in action one final time before the players head off for a well-earned summer break following a demanding season," Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor said in a W7F statement.
Where to Watch W7F Headliner Chelsea at World Sevens Football
Group play begins at 10 AM ET on May 28th, with semifinals kicking off at 6 AM ET on May 30th.
Sky Sports will air all World Sevens Football matches live in the UK, while DAZN owns US broadcasting rights.
Arsenal sent Chelsea packing on Wednesday, withstanding a stoppage-time goal to knock its London rival out of the Champions League by a 3-2 aggregate score.
The defending champions now advance to the semifinals, despite losing 1-0 on the night at Stamford Bridge.
The Gunners entered the match with a commanding 3-1 lead from the first leg. They produced a mature defensive display to stifle Chelsea's comeback attempts throughout the match. Arsenal goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar made several crucial saves late in the game to preserve the advantage.
Chelsea midfielder Sjoeke Nüsken finally broke through in the fourth minute of stoppage time. However, the Blues needed two goals to level the tie and could not find a second before the final whistle.
McCabe Hair-Pull Sets Off Chelsea Leadership
However, tempers flared in the closing moments after Arsenal's Katie McCabe pulled Chelsea forward Alyssa Thompson's hair with no foul called.
"For me it is clearly a red card for the Arsenal player — she's pulling Alyssa's hair," Chelsea coach Sonia Bompastor said after the match. "If the VAR again is not able to check that situation, I don't know why we have the VAR."
Bompastor received an accumulated red card herself for her protests. She stormed down the tunnel before the final whistle.
"Everyone needs to understand, that's the difference between being qualified and not being qualified," she added. "It has a big impact on players."
McCabe, for her part, addressed the incident on her Instagram. "I just want to clarify that I was genuinely reaching for the shirt," she posted to her Stories. "I wouldn't ever want to pull someone's hair. Full respect to Thompson."
The victory caps a brilliant stretch for Arsenal. The Gunners have won 10 of their past 11 matches and remain unbeaten since January.
Champions League Closes Out 2025/26 Quarterfinals
Chelsea wasn't the only WSL team exiting the Champions League this week, as Bayern Munich ended Manchester United's debut run by a 5-3 aggregate score.
"Even as a club, we're still learning," said United manager Marc Skinner. "It takes, sometimes, a punch in the face to wake up."
Arsenal will next face the winner of this afternoon's OL Lyonnes vs. Wolfsburg tie, with the German side holding a 1-0 advantage heading into Thursday's second leg.
NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo is buying into the women's soccer game, with the Milwaukee Bucks forward purchasing a stake in reigning six-time WSL champion Chelsea FC over the weekend.
The 2021 NBA champion and two-time MVP joins an investment group that includes Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian — husband of tennis legend Serena Williams — after Ohanian purchased a 10% stake in the top-flight UK club last year.
Calling Chelsea FC "a historic club built on passion, excellence, and a winning culture," Antetokounmpo wrote on social media that the team's "history speaks for itself."
"I'm excited to contribute to the future by supporting continued growth and impact in women's sport," the 31-year-old said in his Saturday announcement. "This is about ambition, legacy, and pushing the game to new heights. Up the Chels!"
Blues double down on Bompastor
While Antetokounmpo was buying into Chelsea, the WSL powerhouse made an investment of their own, extending manager Sonia Bompastor's contract until 2030.
Bompastor had an "immediate and significant" impact on Blues, leading Chelsea to a domestic treble in her debut WSL season, with sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley saying in last week's club statement that "renewing her contract reflects our belief in her leadership, her vision, and the stability she brings to the club."
Given that Paul Green exited the club after 13 years as the head of women's football on Monday, the front office will hope that Bompastor's "stability" can lead the third-place Blues up the 2025/26 WSL table, where Chelsea currently sits nine points behind league leaders Manchester City.
How to watch Chelsea FC in 2025/26 WSL play
Now entering the final third of the 2025/26 WSL season, the Blues will look to make up ground with a win over No. 11 Liverpool on Sunday.
The clash kicks off at 7 AM ET, airing live on ESPN+.
Arsenal delivered a season-defining performance on Saturday, defeating Chelsea 2-0 to blow the WSL title race wide open.
The London Derby victory marks the Gunners' first away win against Chelsea since 2018, ending the Blues' 10-match unbeaten streak.
After a scoreless first half, Arsenal broke the deadlock in the 54th minute. Alessia Russo drove through the midfield to find Beth Mead, who clinically slotted a right-footed shot into the bottom left corner.
Arsenal doubled their advantage six minutes later. Mead claimed the assist, threading a pass to Spain international Mariona Caldentey inside the penalty area. The 2023 World Cup winner took one touch to set herself, before drilling the ball past Chelsea goalkeeper Hannah Hampton to make it 2-0.
Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor's team struggled to find their usual rhythm. Despite introducing Lauren James and Keira Walsh as second-half subs, Arsenal limited the hosts to long-range efforts and just one shot on target.
Anchored by Leah Williamson and Lotte Wubben-Moy, the Arsenal defense remained disciplined, securing the clean sheet.
“We figured out where we could hurt them and we did that in the second half especially,” Mead told BBC Sport. “We put our chances away.”
The result has serious implications for the WSL standings.
Afterwards, Bompastor admitted Chelsea's "title race is probably gone," as the defending champions now sit six points behind league-leaders Manchester City. Meanwhile, Arsenal moved within a single point of Chelsea, bolstering their chances for a ticket to the 2026/27 Champions League.
How to watch Arsenal this week
Arsenal now prepares for Wednesday's Women's Champions Cup semifinal, going up against Moroccan powerhouse ASFAR in London at 1 PM ET, live on DAZN.
Chelsea FC's £1 million gamble is paying dividends, as USWNT rising star Alyssa Thompson continued her goal-scoring momentum for the six-time defending WSL champs on Sunday.
The young forward found the back of the net in the ninth minute of the Blues' 1-1 Sunday draw with Liverpool, solidifying her status as a decisive attacking threat for her new club.
"You can see how much talent she has and the quality she brings to the team," Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor said of Thompson earlier this month. "She's improving game after game, becoming more connected to her teammates, and understanding the way we want to play better."
Thompson left NWSL side Angel City for Chelsea on a then-record £1 million transfer fee in early September, with the 21-year-old going on to notch three goals and one assist in four matches across both WSL and Champions League play.
"Being able to play with players that are the best in the world is an amazing opportunity," said the striker. "I want to learn, grow, and develop a lot. I feel like Chelsea is such an amazing environment to do that in."
Beyond individual accomplishment, Thompson's success underscores Chelsea's depth as they continue to hunt domestic and continental honors on a now-34 match WSL unbeaten streak — while also looking to potentially draw more USWNT stars away from the NWSL.
Two rising US stars made their European marks this week, as both OL Lyonnes midfielder Lily Yohannes and Chelsea FC forward Alyssa Thompson registered their first-ever UWCL goals in the second week of 2025/26 Champions League play on Wednesday — mere hours after earning call-ups to October's USWNT roster.
First, Yohannes launched a 57-yard screamer in the 51st minute of the French club's 3-0 win over Austrian side St. Pölten, with the 18-year-old helping lift Lyonnes over the competition after spotting the keeper out of her goal.
Later on Wednesday afternoon, recent WSL addition Thompson piled onto the Blues' eventual 4-0 thrashing of Paris FC, firing in her debut Champions League goal off a low cross from England mainstay Kiera Walsh.
"She brings a lot of speed up front," Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor said of Thompson. "She also is a player who is really comfortable on the ball."
How to watch 2025/26 Champions League action on Thursday
The second matchday of the 2025/26 UWCL league phase continues on Thursday, as WSL side Manchester United — anchored by USWNT goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce — faces Spanish club Atlético Madrid at 12:45 PM ET before reigning champion Arsenal looks to bounce back from their Champions League opening loss by defeating Portugal's Benfica at 3 PM ET.
All 2025/26 Champions League matches will air live on Paramount+.
The 2025/26 UEFA Women's Champions League action returns on Wednesday, kicking off another week of league-phase play as WSL titans Chelsea search for their first UWCL win of the season.
The Blues settled for a disappointing 1-1 draw with FC Twente last week, despite outshooting the Dutch club 20-9 while holding 65% of possession.
"When I analyze the games, I think we are creating a lot, which is the most important thing," said Chelsea head coach Sonia Bompastor. "But the most difficult thing in football is to score goals. We need to stay confident and keep trying."
"Sometimes, when you're able to be clinical, you kill the opposition’s hope a bit sooner," Bompastor continued, hoping to supercharge the Blues' offense ahead of their Wednesday afternoon clash with French side Paris FC.
Other UWCL heavy hitters will also feature on Wednesday's pitch, as Barcelona, Wolfsburg and OL Lyonnes all look to continue their winning ways after major victories in last week's opening slate.
The rest of the 18-club league phase will conclude the second matchday on Thursday, when fellow WSL powerhouses Manchester United and defending Champions League winners Arsenal return to the UWCL pitch.
How to watch Chelsea vs. Paris FC in Champions League play
Chelsea will host Paris FC in London for their second league phase match at 3 PM ET on Wednesday.
All 2025/26 Champions League matches will air live on Paramount+.
Chelsea FC star striker Sam Kerr made headlines on Sunday, as the Australian international scored her 100th goal for the six-time reigning WSL champions in the waning minutes of the Blues' 3-1 win over Aston Villa — Kerr's first competitive match in 634 days.
Kerr subbed into the match in the 75th minute before slotting in the historic goal amid a corner-kick melee three minutes into stoppage time.
"I feel like it's nice to finally be out there and have people stop talking about an injury," Kerr said postgame, referring to the 2024 ACL tear that kept her sidelined for more than 18 months. "Now they can start talking about goals."
Kerr is now chasing Chelsea FC's all-time leading scorer Fran Kirby on the career stat sheet, with the attacking midfielder notching 116 before leaving the Blues to sign with Brighton & Hove Albion in July 2024.
"For me, she's an idol," Chelsea head coach Sonia Bompastor said about Kerr after Sunday's match. "It's a lot of positives, a lot of confidence for her, for the team."
Along with Kerr's return, Sunday's clash also saw blockbuster new signing Alyssa Thompson make her Chelsea debut, with the USWNT rising star taking the pitch as a halftime substitute.