23.09.2025 - Aitana Bonmatí wins Ballon d'Or for the third consecutive time

WLS

There was some sad news in the world of football as former Liverpool women’s head coach Matt Beard sadly passed away. It came as a shock on Sunday morning, as the game between Aston Villa and Liverpool was postponed. Players close to the club were left devastated by the news, as was the entire English football community. Teams paid their respects by holding a minute's silence in the other games played. 

Beard was a significant figure in women's football and was highly respected by players and coaches. He guided Liverpool to two WSL titles in 2013 and 2014 and, in his second spell with the club, earned promotion back to the top flight. Hannah Hampton paid an emotional tribute to Beard at the Ballon d'Or Ceremony, as others also spoke about his legacy in the women's game. Our condolences go out to his friends and family.

London City Lionesses got their first win and points of the season, beating Everton 2-1 at Goodison Park. Isobel Goodwin scored twice for the visitors, with Yūka Momiki pulling one back from the penalty spot late on to make it a nail-biting finish for the newly promoted team. The Toffees have lost their last two after winning the opening game of the season in the Merseyside Derby.

All eyes were on the big game of the weekend, and two unbeaten sides met. Manchester United took on Arsenal, with the match ending in a stalemate. Both teams had chances in a competitively fought game. Chelsea are now the only team with a 100% record, having recorded their third win by scraping past Leicester City with an early goal from Aggie Beever-Jones, her third in three games.

Women’s Bundesliga

Bayern Munich stumbled, and after three league games, no team has the maximum number of points. Of all teams, FC Bayern Munich, which is usually so dominant and efficient throughout the season, dropped points against Carl Zeiss Jena. On Saturday, the teams played to a scoreless draw. However, TSG Hoffenheim missed the chance to pull away from Bayern and take the top spot in the table. Despite a goal from Selina Cerci, the team lost 1-2 to Werder Bremen.

Four teams now lead the table with seven points each: Freiburg, Bayern Munich, Werder Bremen, and Wolfsburg. It's going to be exciting: Freiburg will face Bayern tonight, and Werder Bremen and Wolfsburg will battle it out tomorrow evening.

Liga F

Barcelona continued their free-scoring start to the season, hitting five against Sevilla. The team's strength was on display as Ewa Pajor, Alexia Putellas, and Caroline Graham Hansen all started on the bench. However, that did not deter the performance, with Clàudia Pina netting a hat-trick. They now have a gap at the top of the league after Atletico Madrid's 1-1 draw at Madrid CFF, thanks to a late equaliser from Fiamma Benítez.

Sociedad are the third of four teams to remain unbeaten in Liga F, securing their third win of the season with a 2-1 victory over Levante. Nerea Eizagirre scored a brace, the second an 81st-minute strike that took the spoils. The other is CD Tenerefe, who drew 0-0 at home to Espanyol. The home team had two penalties turned down by VAR and dominated possession. However, they were unable to achieve the breakthrough.

Real Madrid recorded back-to-back wins after just one point in their first two games. They beat Deportivo 4-0 despite being reduced to 10 players after 32 minutes when Sheila García Gómez was sent off for a poorly timed challenge. 

Arkema Première Ligue

Olympique de Marseille Féminin will now be called 'Les Marseillaises'. The iconic French club has announced the rebranding of its women's division. The 'Marseillaises' were promoted to the Arkema Première Ligue just last year and played their first home game of the season at Stade Francis Turcan on 19 September, losing 1-2 to Le Havre. From a sporting perspective, the start has been a little bumpy, with the team still on zero points after two league games. However, the rebranding is hoped to provide the necessary boost.

Women's football will not thrive through imitation, but through its own identity," writes Marseille president Pablo Longoria in an official statement. With its new, distinctive name, the club is following the example set by OL Lyonnes, which took this step several months ago.

The players will continue to wear the original Olympique de Marseille logo on the pitch alongside the new design. In addition, the women's division will remain part of the Marseille ecosystem, but will develop its own identity. 'For me, it would be a mistake to view women's football solely as a mirror image of men's football. It is a great opportunity to view it as independent, with its own fans and its own traditions,' Longoria continues. The Marseillaises now have their own ticket shop, are launching their own fan collection, and have their own TikTok account, which they hope will reach a broader fan base.

The new season of the Arkema Première Ligue has kicked off without any significant surprises. Title favourites OL Lyonnes and Paris FC have taken maximum points from their two league games so far. After a rather timid start against Lens (1-1), Paris Saint-Germain has now found its stride, winning 5-2 against Nantes. So far, Le Havre AC is also keeping pace with the top three clubs, having secured four points with a draw against Strasbourg and a win against newly promoted Marseille.

Serie A Women’s Cup

The semi-finals of the Serie A Women's Cup have been decided, and they are set to be absolute crackers. Today, 23 September, sees the Derby della Capitale. Roma and Lazio will face each other at 8:30 p.m. at the Stadio Romeo Menti di Castellammare. On Wednesday, 24 September at 6:30 p.m., the 'Derby d'Italia' between Juventus and Inter will take place at the same stadium. The final will be played on 27 September at 5:30 p.m., also at the Stadio Romeo Menti di Castellammare.

NWSL

Unbeaten for over four months, 50 points in just 20 games (faster than any other NWSL team in history) and the Shield Trophy secured after 21 games (also quicker than any other team before) – Kansas City Current seems unstoppable this season. With a 2-0 victory over Seattle Reign, the league leaders have secured their first trophy. This guarantees KCC participation in the 2026 NWSL Challenge Cup and the 2026/27 CONCACAF W Champions Cup.

The battle for playoff spots is in full swing. There are five match days left in the regular season, and teams in at least eleventh place still have legitimate hopes of qualifying. That's where Angel City FC stands. With 24 points, the club is only four points behind eighth place in the playoff standings. Ahead of them are Racing Louisville and Houston Dash, each with 26 points. Racing Lou lost essential points with a 2-3 defeat to the Utah Royals on Saturday.

Orlando Pride, with superstar Marta and record-breaking Lizbeth Ovalle, are also currently in a drastic downward spiral. They lost 0–1 to North Carolina Courage. They have only managed to secure one point from their last five league games. They are now in seventh place, and if this continues, the playoffs will be a very close call.

Women’s Ballon D’Or Results

The elite of football gathered on Monday evening at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. In a lengthy gala ceremony, the most outstanding players and coaches were honoured. Here is an overview of the most important award winners:

Kopa Trophy - The award for the best U21 player in the world went to Vicky Lopez. After her outstanding performances at the Women's Euro in Switzerland and her superb season with FC Barcelona, this came as no great surprise.

Johan Cruyff Trophy - European champion Sarina Wiegman was named best coach. She secured her third victory in her third appearance at the European Championships. She raised a smile when Ruud Gullit (host of the evening and Wiegman's compatriot) asked her when she would be returning from England. She replied that she would be ‘staying in England for a while longer’.

Yashin Trophy - This was the first time that the best female goalkeeper was also honoured at the prestigious football gala. Goalkeeping legend Gianluigi Buffon presented the award to European champion Hannah Hampton. In her acceptance speech, the England international paid tribute to her late grandfather and Matt Beard, who recently passed away.

Gerd Müller Trophy - Ewa Pajor wins the Gerd Müller Trophy, which is awarded to outstanding female goal scorers.

Women's Club of the Year - Although FC Barcelona was actually one of the big favourites, FC Arsenal was named the best women's club in the world. With their Champions League victory (undefeated throughout the tournament) and 111 goals across all competitions, this is certainly well deserved.

Ballon d'Or - After endless anticipation, the Ballon d'Or was finally taken out of the Louis Vuitton case. In the end, Arsenal star Mariona Caldentey and Barcelona's Aitana Bonmatí were left in contention. The tension mounted until Andrés Iniesta announced Aitana's name into the microphone. This makes the 27-year-old Spaniard the first woman to win the Ballon d'Or for the third time in a row! She is also only the third female footballer to achieve this feat overall. Among the men, only Michel Platini and Lionel Messi have managed this.

Business

Mercury13 has acquired Bristol City Women. The investment group, which has set itself the goal of investing £100 million in various women's football clubs, has acquired a majority stake from the Lansdown family. The family will retain a minority stake in the WSL2 club. Mercury13 has thus secured its next deal after Serie A club Como Women. 'Mercury13 has the commitment and ability to take Bristol City Women forward and continue our proud history as a progressive, innovative and community-focused club,' said Gavin Marshall (chairman of Bristol City Women and CEO of Bristol Sport) in an official statement from the club. The team will continue to play at Ashton Gate and train at the Robins High Performance Centre.