WSL2 players eligible for PFA membership

Women's Super League 2 players are now eligible for Professional Footballers' Association membership after the second tier became fully professional.

The PFA is the players' union and grants access to services including support and representation for issues relating to contracts, rights and conditions.

After rebranding from the Women's Championship to the WSL2 for the 2025-26 season, all 12 clubs are running on a full-time professional basis.

England is the only country with two professional women's leagues.

"Support for our members in the women's game is at the heart of what the PFA does, and we're pleased to be able to welcome players from a fully professional WSL2 at such a vital time for the women's game," said PFA CEO Maheta Molango.

"For any union to represent its members effectively it needs recognition and a seat at the table when decisions are being made."

An independent review into women's football in 2023 - commissioned by the government and chaired by former England midfielder Karen Carney - highlighted the need for comprehensive and formalised union representation for the WSL and WSL2.

Molango said: "Karen Carney's review rightly pointed out that the services provided by the PFA to players in the women's game needed to be properly funded by the organisers of the competitions they play in.

"That's something that for far too long had not happened but, with WSL Football now taking on the running of the leagues, we're pleased that this has been addressed."

Ben Haines, Ellen White and Jen Beattie are back for another season of the Women's Football Weekly podcast. New episodes drop every Tuesday on BBC Sounds, plus find interviews and extra content from the Women's Super League and beyond on the Women's Football Weekly feed