The groups for the 2025-26 Subway® Women’s League Cup have now been confirmed.
Former forward Toni Duggan conducted the draw live on BBC Radio 5Live Breakfast on Thursday 31st July, placing the 21 teams entering the competition at this stage from across the Barclays WSL and Barclays WSL2 into five groups.:
Group A:
1) Nottingham Forest
2) Everton
3) Manchester City
4) Newcastle United
Group B:
1) Sheffield United
2) Sunderland
3) Liverpool
4) Durham
Group C:
1) Southampton
2) Brighton & Hove Albion
3) West Ham
4) Charlton
5) Portsmouth
Group D:
1) Crystal Palace
2) Leicester City
3) Ipswich Town
4) London City Lionesses
Group E:
1) Aston Villa
2) Birmingham City
3) Tottenham Hotspur
4) Bristol City
The dates for the group stages of the competition are as follows:
· 24/25 September 2025
· 8/9 October 2025 (Group C matches only)
· 18/19 October 2025
· 12/13 November 2025 (Group C matches only)
· 22/23 November 2025
Following the completion of the group stages, the first placed team from each group will progress to the quarter finals which will be held across December 20 and 21, before the semi-finals that will take place over January 21 and 22, 2026.
The final itself will be contested on the weekend of March 15 and 16, 2026, with details including the date, kick-off time and venue to be confirmed in due course.
Arsenal and Chelsea will enter the competition at the quarter final stage due to their involvement in the UEFA Women’s Champions League (UWCL).
Additionally, should Manchester United exit the UWCL and fail to qualify for the UEFA Women’s Europa League, they will enter the Subway® Women’s League Cup at the group stage with an additional draw required to determine if they will join Group A or Group B.
