The 2025–26 Women's League Cup will be the 15th edition of the Women's Super League and Women's Championship's league cup competition. It is sponsored by Subway who have partnered the competition since 2024, and is officially known as the Subway Women’s League Cup[1] for sponsorship reasons. All 24 teams from the WSL and Championship will take part in the competition. Chelsea are the defending champions.[2]
The competition keeps the same format as the previous season, starting with a group stage split regionally. Teams competing in the UEFA Women's Champions League group stage are exempt from the League Cup group stage, earning a provisional bye to the quarter-finals. As a result, the initial group stage draw made on TBA featured 21 of the 24 teams. The three teams excluded from the draw were Arsenal and Chelsea, who automatically entered the Champions League group stage, therefore joining the League Cup at the quarter-final stage, and Manchester United who will take part in the Champions League qualifying rounds. If Manchester United are eliminated during qualification, they will enter the League Cup group stage and be drawn into an existing group of four in their geographical region.
The first place team in each of the five groups qualifies for the knock-out stage.
First match(es) will be played: September 2025. Source: Women's League Cup Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of wins; 5) Head-to-head record
First match(es) will be played: September 2025. Source: Women's League Cup Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of wins; 5) Head-to-head record
First match(es) will be played: October 2025. Source: Women's League Cup Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of wins; 5) Head-to-head record
First match(es) will be played: September 2025. Source: Women's League Cup Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of wins; 5) Head-to-head record
First match(es) will be played: September 2025. Source: Women's League Cup Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of wins; 5) Head-to-head record
Arsenal and Chelsea will enter the League Cup at the quarter-final stage, having been exempt from the group stage due to their participation in the Champions League league phase. The draw will take place on TBD 2025.