On Friday, EA Sports released FC 25, the latest edition of the company's best-selling soccer video game — now with increased playability and storytelling on the women's side.

For the first time in history, EAFC — formerly known as FIFA — is throwing Women's Manager and Player Career Mode into the mix. In Career Mode, players now have full access to 2024/25 rosters across the world's top women's leagues: NWSL, WSL, Première Ligue, Frauen-Bundesliga, and Liga F plus UEFA Women's Champions League.

Dougie Hamilton, Alex Carpenter, Donte Divincenzo, and Midge Purce play EA FC 25 at a launch party.
At Thursday's FC 25 launch party, pro athletes including Midge Purce (far right) went head to head on the pitch. (Just Women's Sports)

"It's been a few years since they've been implementing women into the game and I've had a presence in this community," Gotham forward Midge Purce told JWS at Thursday night's FC 25 launch party in New York City. "It's been fun to see that presence grow in a really authentic way. For the first time ever, women have Career Mode and that's a really sick addition that you wish came from the beginning, but it's really nice that it's being added now."

According to EA Sports, Women's Career Mode features all the same detailed capabilities as Men's Manager Career Mode, but also incorporates "unique challenges that exist solely within the women's game." 

EA Sports Ultimate Teams graphic showing both men's and women's soccer athletes on the team.
Last year, EA Sports integrated women's soccer athletes into FC 24's popular Ultimate Team mode. (Electronic Arts)

FC 24's Ultimate Teams paved the way for Women's Career Mode

Last year, FC 24 introduced women's football athletes into the brand's popular Ultimate Team mode. This addition allowed users to create their dream squads with both current stars as well as titans of the game like Mia Hamm and Kelly Smith as well as comic book-inspired "Women's Heroes," or stylized versions of real-life legends like Sonia Bompastor.

This year's upgrade represents a significant shift in programming for EA FC, which ended its 30-year partnership with international soccer's governing body FIFA after the game's 2023 release. The success of 2024's Ultimate Team inclusion likely preempted EA Sports' decision to expand women's soccer offerings to Career Mode. In addition to the managerial track, FC 25 users can also start a career on the pitch, following a player from team to team as they build skills via training and gameplay.

"The key thing that we wanted to do was present the women's career authentically, and make it feel like it really was, not just like men's career with women players," EAFC 25 design director Pete O'Donnell told reporters at a July 2024 preview event. "A lot of the systems behind the two mostly work the same, but it's the financial models and other things that make a really big difference."

Still from EA FC 25 showing a women's team from the perspective of Career Mode.
Women's Manager Career Mode provides full access to 2024/25 rosters across the world's top women's leagues. (Electronic Arts)

In FC 25, women's soccer stars are on par with the men

FC 25 is the second video game to feature a career track for athletes in women's sports, following 2K Sports' 2021 edition of NBA 2K.

However, NBA 2K's The W mode operates separately from the men's side, while FC 25 takes a more integrated approach, allowing users to transition from playing on a women's team to managing a men's team, while Ultimate Team also allows athletes from both men's and women's leagues to play on the same squad.

According to Purce, seeing women's soccer elevated to the same level as men's, even in video game form, can impact users long after they turn off their consoles.

"When you can see and play with other players, that's crazy — like there's [ACFC star Sydney] Leroux in the locker room," she said. "It just makes it easier for girls to be engaged in it in a way that we haven't been before.

"When I was younger I used to play what was known as FIFA, but I would've played more if there were women I could have played with. If I could've used [Japanese soccer icon Homare] Sawa, I'd have loved that. That would have been nuts."

A still from EA Sports FC 25 video game showing Lauren James of Chelsea playing against Tottenham Women.
Athletes in women's soccer have developed a strong gaming audience. (Electronic Arts)

EA FC's women's soccer offerings show broad appeal

And it's not just young girls taking advantage of EA FC's increased interest in the women's game.

In FC 24's first 24 days on the market last year, EA Sports released statistics showing that 357 million online Ultimate Team squads had at least one women's soccer star among their starting XI. Additionally, women's leagues accounted for four of the top 10 leagues in terms of representation across all online Ultimate Teams. 

"My brother, who plays EA a lot, he'll call me and get really upset about my ratings, or he'll use me and be like, 'You just scored a goal!'" Purce continued. "To be in the conversation — where they do know you and they're either happy or upset — that's sports. In the sports world, it's more important to be in the space than anything else."  

EA SPORTS FC 25 is now available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch.

The 2024/25 Barclays Women's Super League (WSL) season kicks off this weekend in the UK, where 12 teams will launch campaigns to challenge seven-time league champions Chelsea for the season's title.

Adding to the excitement are major roster shakeups and big name signings entering the pitch for the WSL's 14th season.

Midfielder Johanna Rytting Kaneryd celebrates her game-winning goal in Chelsea's 2024/25 WSL season opener.
Midfielder Johanna Rytting Kaneryd's goal opened Chelsea's 2024/25 WSL season with a 1-0 win. (The FA/The FA via Getty Images)

Defending WSL champs Chelsea open post-Hayes era with a win

In front of a sold-out Kingsmeadow crowd on Friday, the Blues began their first campaign without now-USWNT boss Emma Hayes by defeating Aston Villa 1-0. Midfielder Johanna Rytting Kaneryd's first-half strike from distance secured Chelsea's season-opening win.

Helmed by head coach Sonia Bompastor, who previously led France's Lyon to three straight titles and a 2022 Champions League victory, Chelsea enters the season with a target on their backs after five straight years at the top of the WSL table.

With five members of the Blues staff following Hayes Stateside and multiple veteran players — like England national Fran Kirby — also departing the club, Bompastor is now tasked with building a new-look culture while maintaining the club's standard. Her job is that much more difficult given four athletes, including Australian star Sam Kerr and the USWNT's Mia Fishel, are still out rehabbing ACL injuries.

Though Chelsea added top players like the Lionesses' right-back Lucy Bronze, all eyes will be on the Blues to see if their dynasty continues this season.

Striker Vivianne Miedema takes a shot in Manchester City's UWCL win over Paris FC.
New Manchester City striker Vivianne Miedema will play her old club, Arsenal, to open WSL play on Sunday. (Franco Arland/Getty Images)

Miedema's return headlines WSL opening weekend

The Blues aside, the highlight of the WSL's season-opening weekend is the blockbuster matchup between an Arsenal legend and her former club.

Dutch striker Vivianne Miedema will play her first regular-season WSL game with Manchester City on Sunday, when the ex-Gunner will face Arsenal in a highly anticipated Emirates Stadium showdown.

The two clubs — who both finished the 2023/34 WSL season just behind Chelsea in the standings — are coming off vastly different UWCL results this week, after Arsenal lost 1-0 to Häcken and Man City defeated Paris FC 5-0.

How to watch Arsenal Women vs. Manchester City this weekend

Arsenal WFC will take on Manchester City at 7:30 AM ET this Sunday, with live coverage on ESPN+.

In the UK, the path toward becoming a professional soccer player starts early. 

Kids in the US usually start out with local or travel clubs before moving to a high school team and then maybe playing in college before going pro. And recently, a small but growing number of teenage players are opting to sign contracts with the NWSL before they’ve even finished school.

But across the pond in the UK, a promising footballer’s road to stardom can start as young as five years old. The academy system was established to guide aspiring young players as they work towards an adult contract, with professional clubs like Arsenal, Liverpool, West Ham, Chelsea, and others supplying their youth programs with full-time coaches, training facilities, and a match calendar. Then at 18, the senior club either offers the player a pro deal or releases them to pursue a spot on another team’s roster. 

Arsenal soccer player Leah Williamson and Paris Saint-Germain player Mary Earps of England national team at Women's Finalissima 2023
Captain Leah Williamson and goalkeeper Mary Earps are just two of the academy grads headlining the England national team. (Naomi Baker - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)

The goal has always been to nurture and sustain homegrown talent, with academies around the league producing WSL and England national team icons like Leah Williamson, Lauren James, Lotte Wubben-Moy, Lauren Hemp, Chloe Kelly, and Mary Earps. And now more than ever, it’s something big league teams are focused on given the women’s game’s meteoric post-Euros rise in the UK. 

Of course, academy life isn’t just afterschool practice and weekend fixtures at the training grounds. When senior clubs travel for international friendlies, they’ll often invite a few academy players to tag along. It’s a way to give the young players some exposure, bonding time with the team, and minutes on the field, all while the coaching staff has the opportunity to evaluate their progress and see how they gel with the club. 

Arsenal Academy products Michelle Agyemang and Vivienne Lia in Washington, DC
Academy players often travel with the senior team for international exhibitions. (David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

That was the case for Michelle Agyemang and Vivienne Lia, two up-and-coming academy products who joined Arsenal FC on their recent USA tour. 18-year-old Agyemang recently graduated from Arsenal’s academy, signing her first pro contract with the team this past May after debuting in November 2022 at the age of 16. 17-year-old Lia is still finishing school and academy training, having taken the field with the senior club for the first time in February 2024.

Last week, JWS spoke to the England U19 standouts in Washington, DC ahead of Arsenal’s friendly with crosstown rivals Chelsea to learn more about their journeys from childhood Gooners to academy superstars and beyond.

How's the trip going so far?

Michelle Agyemang: So far good. I think it's been good to go out and see the monuments and stuff, and obviously training. It's been nice to be around everyone as well.

Viv, this is your second team trip after Arsenal’s Australia exhibition in May. How are you finding it?

Vivienne Lia: It's great. Australia was more hectic with the fans, but over here it's been relaxed. But it's also been more dense — because it's pre-season, we've been working a lot more than we did in our postseason trip.

How old were each of you when you signed with Arsenal Academy?

MA: I was six.

VL: I was 14.

Naomi Williams, Michelle Agyemang, Vivianne Miedema, Freya Godfrey, Vivienne Lia and Katie Reid of Arsenal posing for a photo on the pitch
Michelle and Viv — pictured here with ex-Arsenal striker Vivianne Miedema and fellow academy products Naomi Williams, Freya Godfrey, and Katie Reid — both joined Arsenal at a young age. (Alex Burstow/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

I know Arsenal has recently moved away from academy trials and now uses a talent identification team to recruit young players, but what was the process like when you joined?

MA: At the time, you just apply on a website, come in for a massive trial with about 30 girls, do a bit of training, and then if you're successful, you go to a second round with less girls. And that's it: Two sessions and then they send you an email or a letter. It's quite simple really.

VL: Mine was quite similar. There was a trial system: one and two trials. At the first one there were quite a lot of girls and then it cut it off a bit. From there, you get an email whether you got in or not. Now it's changed where they don't have open trials — you come in for training sessions instead. 

Did your parents sign you up? 

MA: I was playing for a local boys team and my dad was like, "Oh, might as well just sign her up." So he did, for a few different teams. And then we literally just rocked up to [a pitch] not too far from Colney for a little training session.

Do you remember that day?

MA: I do quite well. To be fair, we got lost on the way. We went to, I think it was a little farm instead of the training pitch. And then I remember my dad, he kind of pranked me a bit. He was like, "Oh yeah, sorry Michelle, you didn't get in." Then he actually brings out the letter. So it was really cute — a really good day.

Michelle Agyemang of England, centre, celebrates with team-mates Alexia Potter, left, and Vivienne Lia after scoring her side's seventh goal during the UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship 2023/2024 Finals
Alongside Arsenal, Michelle and Viv have long been fixtures of England's youth national team system. (Photo by Tyler Miller - Sportsfile/UEFA via Getty Images)

If you were raised in the US, do you think you would have tried to turn pro at a young age or opt for the college route?

VL: I think probably the school route, because you want to get a firm foundation of education first. Because your career is not guaranteed at whatever age — you can get an injury, God forbid, and of course that's part of the game. 

MA: I'd say the same. It’s also the experience of college — so many of my friends have gone through college and it just looks like good fun, obviously alongside football. You miss that if you go straight to pro. Getting school alongside football is something we don't get in England, so I think that'd be a really good balance to have between the two.

When you're in the academy, how much time are you devoting to soccer?

MA: I'd spend as much time as I could on both. So as soon as I finished school, I'm straight into the car, changing in the car, eating in the car, doing homework in the car, on the way to training. And then on the way back, I slept. It was an endless cycle but that was the only thing I knew.

VL: When you're younger, it's still a mix of it being a hobby but still your passion. But then as you get older — when it becomes more jam-packed, more serious — you have to try and find a balance between both. In England the systems are split, so you still have to go to school, but you also have to go to training. For me now, I go into school two, three times a week and training as well, so it’s about finding a good balance.

A general view of the soccer jerseys of Kyra Cooney-Cross, Emily Fox and Michelle Agyemang in the Arsenal dressing room
Growing up an Arsenal fan, Michelle always dreamed of taking the pitch for the Gunners. (Alex Burstow/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

So you’re both lifelong Gooners — was Arsenal always the dream?

VL: Yeah, 100%. That was the dream for me. Of course, I grew up in North London — everyone's either Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea, or you got the odd northern team they support. Everyone wants to play for their local club, their childhood club. It was always a dream of mine to play for Arsenal and to make history at this club.

When you were younger, did you see women’s football as a viable career path?

MA: Absolutely not, no. My mum was saying to me the other day that she just thought I'd just go to Arsenal to do a few training sessions and then come back home. But the development of the game has been so fast in recent years. So I never really saw it as a career until maybe under-10s, -12s when it actually started to get much bigger as a game. At the beginning, I don’t think I had a real plan for football. But things change, and here we are.

Michelle Agyemang and Viv Lia of Arsenal during the Arsenal Women's visit to the Washington Mystics WNBA team
Michelle and Viv showed off their basketball skills while visiting the WNBA's Washington Mystics in DC. (David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

Was the experience the same for you, Viv, seeing as you joined the academy a bit later?

VL: Different actually. I always wanted to be a footballer — or at least an athlete. It was either tennis, track, or football for me. But I always had more of a love for football, so I was like, "Okay, if I don't become a footballer, I'll be a tennis player instead." Like, "I'll be in sport." 

Football was always what I wanted to do, but I wasn't completely sure it was possible. But as a kid you're like, "Oh yeah, it'll be possible. I can do anything." So I didn't really think of that side of it until I got older I was like, "Oh, this is actually something that I can do as a profession."

How has your game changed as you've gotten more time at the senior level?

MA: At Arsenal, the passing, the movement — everything is so crisp. It's a shock at first but you adapt. For my game, I’ve added more technical bits: passing, moving, working together as a team. As a kid, you want to go run and score 10 goals, but you obviously can't do that here. So working with teammates, moving the ball, moving myself to help other players — that's a big part of my game that I've improved here.

VL: The details are so important at this top level. At youth level, you can get away with not pressing as hard or not recovering as quick, but [in senior club games] you'll get punished for that. It makes sure that you're always working to the best of your ability, but also it switches you on mentally. You have to keep attuned to how quick the game is or spot different triggers — that's the main difference between senior football and youth football.

Bayern Munich goalkeeper Maria Luisa Grohs is beaten as Frida Maanum of Arsenal scores the opening goal during the UEFA Women's Champions League quarter-final 2nd leg match between Arsenal and FC Bayern Munich
Frida Maanum's opening goal against Bayern Munich at the 2023 Champions League quarterfinal is the stuff of Arsenal lore. (Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)

What is your favorite Arsenal memory?

VL: It was the season before last season, the Champions League game against Bayern Munich at home when Frida Maanum scored top bins. I was ball-girling for that and I had the perfect view of it. I was like, "This is the best goal I've ever witnessed in my life." Being an Arsenal fan, [knowing] the context of that game, I was like, "Wow, this is incredible."

MA: That's a good one. I’ll go for two seasons ago when we played Wolfsburg at home in the [Champions League] semi-final. I think it was two-two going into the second leg and then for me, coming on very late in the game — a Champions League debut — that was a massive moment. Just the atmosphere, 62,000 fans, everything.

After playing the Washington Spirit earlier this week, how do you find the NWSL compares to the WSL? Is there a different flow to the game? A different approach?

MA: We always associate America with athleticism, so the transition element was so fast at every point in the game, from the first minute to the last. And the atmosphere was very interesting as well. You got the fans hyping up a corner kick — like, "Get up and cheer. It's a corner kick!" I've never seen that in my life, never ever seen that, but it’s nice as well. I liked it.

VL: Yeah, the game was very fast-paced. But it was really on runs, their wide players just bombing it forward. The physical level of the game is top. As you said, the rest of the world associates America with athleticism — powerful, fast, physical. That was something that I thought of straight away, like it's less technical but still at a high level. 

Vivienne Lia of Arsenal before the pre season friendly match between Washington Spirit and Arsenal Women
Representing the Arsenal at the senior level at the center of Viv's future plans. (David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

Where do you guys see yourself in five years?

MA: Right here.

Right in this room?

MA: Yeah. (laughs)

VL: In DC?

MA: Yeah, in DC. It would be awesome coming back. Imagine.

VL: I'll say the same: At Arsenal, establishing myself in the senior game and really showing what I'm about. And that's it — that's a good one.

While the NWSL doesn't officially return to regular season play until Friday, clubs were nonetheless in full swing this weekend as international matchups took centerstage.

On Saturday, the Current lifted The Women's Cup trophy in Kansas City after beating Atletico Madrid 1-0 behind Debinha's first-half goal.

Then in Sunday's friendly action, the Spirit fell 2-1 to the WSL's Arsenal behind Alessia Russo's brace, which one-upped a close-range strike by Washington's Ouleymata Sarr. Meanwhile, Angel City notched a massive friendly win of their own, taking down Liga MX Femenil's FC Juárez 7–0 thanks to a hat trick from Messiah Bright.

Club América and nwsl team San Diego Wave on the field last month
Liga MX's Club América and the NWSL's San Diego Wave are both competing in the inaugural Concacaf W Champions Cup. (Denis Poroy/Getty Images)

Concacaf W Champions Cup adds to international NWSL action

Perhaps the most intriguing moments of the NWSL's internationally tinged Olympic break will come courtesy of the Concacaf W Champions Cup's group stage openers. Similar to the UEFA Champions League, the budding competition's eventual victor will represent the region at FIFA's recently unveiled Club World Cup in 2026.

With Canada's Vancouver Whitecaps already beating Alianza Women FC in the tournament's preliminary round, this week's group stage slate includes Panama club Santa Fe hosting the San Diego Wave, Alajuelense taking on Frazsiers, Club América facing Vancouver, and a intracity clash between Monterey's Rayadas and UANL Tigres.

Other NWSL teams set for next month's Champions Cup group stage action are Portland and Gotham FC, who will face Club América and Alajuelense, respectively.

Gotham FC of nwsl players walk across the pitch during a match
Gotham FC's international run continues with tonight's match against reigning WSL champions Chelsea. (Karen Hickey/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

NWSL schedules more international club play

In another friendly meeting between the NWSL and WSL, Gotham will take on Chelsea in New York tonight at 7 PM ET (streaming on FuboTV) before Arsenal and Chelsea square off next week in Washington, DC.

NWSL newcomer Bay FC is also jumping into European friendly play with a match against UEFA Champions League victors FC Barcelona scheduled for August 27th.

England and Arsenal forward Alessia Russo already knows how she wants to spend her time in the United States.

The team is preparing for a first-of-its-kind preseason tour, first playing the NWSL’s Washington Spirit on August 18th at Audi Field, before a friendly against longtime WSL rival Chelsea on August 25th. But Russo also has other plans for her time in Washington, DC.

"I'm excited to go to Chipotle — I love it there," she told Just Women’s Sports about a week before her team was scheduled to fly across the Atlantic. "They do actually have a couple in London, but they're really far out for me. So I'm looking forward to Chipotle."

england and arsenal player alessia russo celebrates at the 2022 euros
Alessia Russo's performance at the 2022 Euros cemented her place on the international map. (Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)

Russo has already seen her football career take her to heights she only dreamed of as a kid, winning the European Championship in 2022 with England, making it to a World Cup final the following year, and signing with Arsenal in 2023 after a successful three years starring for Manchester United. 

Russo's footballing journey first took her to the US in 2017, where she cut her teeth in NCAA soccer at the University of North Carolina alongside current Arsenal teammate Lotte Wubben-Moy. In a way, her team's trip to Washington, DC — about a four-hour drive from Chapel Hill — is a bit of a homecoming for the striker.

"I loved my time at college," said Russo. "I remember going out there quite young and naive, and I thought I'd kind of throw myself into this new environment and experience. I came out of it with best friends that I still speak to now all the time."

Even as sold out stands at Wembley have become commonplace for the 25-year-old Kent native — not to mention the increasingly enormous crowds at London's Emirates Stadium where Arsenal Women will be playing 11 home games this season — Russo's memories of Chapel Hill are more akin to the average college student.

"We used to have our pre-games all the time at Panera," she recalls. "Everyone used to think like, 'Why are we going to Panera again?' But Lotte [Wubben-Moy] and I used to love it, so I'm sure we'll take a visit back there."

arsenal star alessia russo playing at university of north carolina
No stranger to the US, Russo spent her college years at University of North Carolina. (Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

While Arsenal’s preseason tour will allow Russo plenty of time to relive her glory days, it will also act as prep for the upcoming WSL season, as well as a way to reach fans that might not otherwise ever get to see their favorite players in person. The club has leaned into those particular opportunities throughout the 2024 offseason, already completing a short tour of Australia.

Russo has cherished the chance to play in front of fans across the globe, but with a tight international calendar and mounting club workload, she’s had to be mindful about getting rest on her precious off-days.

"I think you really need to make the most of it when you do get time to fully switch off," she said. "[It's] something that when I was a little bit younger I probably wasn't as good at, but as I get older, it's knowing your body a bit more, knowing what works for you."

She enjoys the rare warm weather holiday, and Russo went on to note the support she has gotten from both the Arsenal and England training staffs, and how load management — especially during preseason — can be a key factor to achieving individual and team goals.

Alessia Russo of Arsenal during the Arsenal Women's training session
Russo will be key to Arsenal's restructuring this season. (David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

Their test against an NWSL team currently sitting third in the league standings will also be an important step in Arsenal’s preseason plans, as well as a challenge that draws specifically on Russo’s time at North Carolina. The NWSL is known for high transition-style play, moving the ball quickly and hurting their opponent on the counter. 

The Spirit have taken that ethos and evolved it this season, creating a sturdy midfield that can retain possession as well as push back on the wings with former Barcelona manager Jonatan Giraldez taking full control of the squad.

"I think it's going to be a really tough game, and we all know that," Russo added. "Also, they're in their season, so they're going to be firing, they're going to be on form."

But should the match open up, Russo will be ready: "Going to the states, I developed a different side of the game in terms of strength and power and physicality, because in order to fit into the game and into college football, you needed to be strong."

"I just had to kind of catch my body up with where I needed it to be," she continued. "And it's still something that you work on now, but UNC was kind of the starting point for all of that."

Alessia Russo of Arsenal walks out to the pitch with a mascot before the match between A-League All Stars Women and Arsenal Women in Australia
International tours have become a fixture of Arsenal's preseason outreach. (David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

Arsenal will need to rely on all of Russo’s past experiences this season, as the club reshapes its attack following the high-profile exit of superstar forward Vivianne Miedema, who signed with perennial title contender Manchester City earlier this offseason. And while Miedema’s playing time had dwindled at Arsenal after returning from injury, the team still has serious offensive connections to mend should they want to better their 2023-24 third-place finish in the WSL. According to Russo, diversity will play a major role in hammering out Arsenal's reformation.

"I think we've grown a lot as a team and we've reflected a lot after last season," said Russo. "Ultimately, a club like Arsenal, we want to be winning trophies and we know that we have the talent to do so — in the changing room and with all our staff.

"I think we have so many special players on the ball, off the ball, wingers and 10s that possess so many different qualities even between them — one winger might like to do, the other is completely opposite. That makes it really cool and unpredictable."

Russo describes herself as a forward-thinking player who loves to score goals but can also embody the off-the-ball roles of a No. 9, with an emphasis on pressing triggers when the team is out of possession. Execution in attacking spaces could make all the difference for a club looking to battle teams like Chelsea and Manchester City for domestic titles, as well enter back into the apex of European competition with their impending UEFA Champions League campaign.

sell-out Barclays Women's Super League match between Arsenal FC and Manchester United at Emirates Stadium
Emirates Stadium will serve as Arsenal's primary home this coming season. (Paul Harding/Getty Images)

Arsenal is also prepared to continue to push the sport forward, capitalizing on a global movement that’s propelled the rise of women’s football in the US, Europe, and beyond. Russo noted that while the talent on the pitch has always been there, but she feels lucky to be part of a generation that's bringing women’s sport into the spotlight.

"[Fans are] genuinely wanting to see the game grow, and they're actual fans of women's football," she said. "To play in those kinds of stadiums — whether that's in England, in Australia, in the US — women's football now is never questioned, we have our fan bases and we're getting to the stages that we deserve."

For Russo, the path forward is clear: win trophies with Arsenal, carry that momentum into the 2025 Euros, and excel in every international and club tournament beyond that — all while never forgetting her sense of gratitude, no matter how high her star ascends.

"People have a genuine connection to following these journeys and these stories," she said. "I feel very privileged to be in that kind of position, and hopefully long may it continue."

The WSL summer transfer window is heating up, with a number of big names on the move. 

One of the biggest stars on the market is Dutch international Vivianne Miedema. The storied striker's contract with Arsenal — her team of seven years — expired on Sunday, with the Gunners choosing back in May not to offer the WSL’s leading scorer a new deal. 

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At the time, former England star Ellen White called the decision "shocking that [Arsenal] haven't shown her the love to want to keep her at the club… she's still got records to break. It's just outrageous."

Manchester City is reportedly in the market to land Miedema, who doesn’t appear to be leaving the WSL despite prior interest from outside of the UK.

Meanwhile, 2023 World Cup Golden Glove winner Mary Earps officially left Manchester United for a two-year contract with Paris Saint-Germain, the club announced on Monday.

And in other speculative news, five-time Champions League winner Lucy Bronze is reportedly set to sign with WSL side Chelsea, departing Barcelona after two seasons with the decorated Spanish team. The potential move follows ex-Barcelona coach Jonatan Giraldez's departure for the NWSL’s Washington Spirit, while Chelsea brought on former Lyon boss Sonia Bompastor following Emma Hayes’s departure. 

Sam Kerr has signed a new two-year contract with Chelsea. 

The Australian forward teased fans in the announcement, after speculation regarding her future with the club had been swirling for months — particularly with the departure of head coach Emma Hayes. 

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In a video posted Thursday morning, Kerr thanked fans for the memories before saying she will "always be Chelsea" in a tone that suggested she was leaving the London club. But 20 minutes later, the team took to social media to announce the striker had actually signed a new two-year deal. 

"Did you guys really think I was gonna end on 99 goals?" asked Kerr in a followup video.

BBC Sport reported that the contract extension fake-out was Kerr’s idea.

"It’s really exciting and a very proud moment for me," Kerr said in a statement. "Having the opportunity to stay at a club like Chelsea means a lot to me. I’m really excited to continue to push and to try to win trophies."

The 30-year-old is currently recovering from an ACL tear sustained in January. The injury will keep her out of the Paris Olympics

Arsenal announced on Monday that it will join Chelsea for a series of preseason friendlies in the US in August. 

Arsenal will be based in Washington, DC from August 15th through August 26th. The Gunners are scheduled to play the Washington Spirit on August 18th, followed by a match with fellow WSL team Chelsea on August 25th. It’s the first time that the two London clubs will meet each other on this side of the Atlantic. 

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Chelsea had previously announced their game against Gotham FC, confirming reports from ESPN that surfaced last month.

"We always want to create the best conditions for our teams to prepare and perform at their best in pre-season," said Arsenal sporting director Edu Gaspar in a statement. "This gives our players an opportunity to play and train in a new environment, in front of our supporters around the world."

Both Arsenal and Chelsea tout rosters full of international talent — formidable opponents for two equally stacked NWSL teams gearing up for postseason action. Arsenal is home to accomplished England nationals Leah Williamson, Beth Mead, and backheel goal-scorer Alessia Russo alongside Ireland captain Katie McCabe and USWNT defender Emily Fox.

The games are set to be streamed live for free on DAZN.

Arsenal's US tour builds off of a trip to Melbourne, Australia at the tail end of the 2023/24 season, where they beat A-League All Stars women 1-0 in front of 42,120 fans.

Arsenal captain Leah Williamson is staying in North London, signing a new contract with the club while Barcelona’s Mariona Caldentey has also reportedly accepted the club's offer.

Williamson, who also captains the England women's national football team, has spent the entirety of her pro career at Arsenal, in addition to being a lifelong fan of the Gunners. The defender has made 232 appearances for the club since 2014, stating in a press release that she's "very happy to be staying."

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"Everyone knows what Arsenal means to me, but I think every time I sign a new contract, I feel that love ignite all over again," she said. "This is a place where I can still continue to grow, develop and be challenged."

Williamson last signed a new contract with Arsenal in 2022, before battling her way back from a season-ending ACL tear that kept her out of the 2023 Women’s World Cup. Arsenal teammate Stina Blackstenius has also re-signed with the club, while longtime striker Vivianne Miedema is set to depart

And the Gunners appear to have selected Miedema’s replacement, with Barcelona forward Mariona Caldentey reportedly joining the London side next season. The 28-year-old is set to announce the deal in the coming days, having previously been linked to the Washington Spirit. 

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Caldentey had been with Barcelona since 2014, making 194 appearances and scoring 70 goals with the Spanish club. She's fresh off of winning a third Champions League trophy with Barcelona, and is also coming off of a Women's World Cup win with Spain last summer.

While Barcelona appeared to have confirmed Caldentey's move Tuesday afternoon, Arsenal has yet to release an official statement.

Two of the WSL's biggest teams will cross the pond this summer, set to battle both each other and select NWSL teams in a series of Stateside club friendlies.

On Monday, the Blues confirmed their matchup against NJ/NY Gotham FC on August 19th, setting up a showdown between two league champions. It’ll be the first time that the English title-winners square off with the NWSL champs. 

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Longtime Chelsea goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger recently joined Gotham FC, setting up an extra layer of intrigue ahead of the August 19th championship scuffle. 

It’s not Chelsea’s first time playing in the States. Back in August 2022, the Blues traveled to Portland to compete in that year's Women’s International Champions Cup.

ESPN reported on Saturday that fellow WSL contender Arsenal is scheduled to face the Washington Spirit in the same timeframe. To cap off their joint US tour, Arsenal will then take on the UK table-toppers at Audi Field in Washington DC.

Making things even more interesting, two of the teams featured in the club friendly series will have recently undergone coaching changes. The preseason matches could be a first look for Sonia Bompastor at Chelsea, as reports indicate that the Lyon manager will take over for incoming UWSNT coach Emma Hayes next season. (Chelsea is waiting until the conclusion of Champions League to make a formal announcement.) In the US, the Washington Spirit will be welcoming Jonatan Giráldez from Barcelona once he finishes his tenure with the Spanish club next month. 

This Saturday, Bompastor's Olympique Lyonnais Féminin will go up against Giráldez's FC Barcelona Femení in the 2024 UEFA Women's Champions League Final.