The Women’s Premier League (WPL) is set for a competitive shake up in 2026, with the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) confirming the return of promotion and relegation and an enhanced prize money structure aimed at raising standards across women’s football.
The new season will kick off on 24 January, earlier than in previous years, but the biggest talking points lie in changes designed to increase competitiveness and reward sustained performance across the season.
For the first time since 2019, promotion and relegation will return between the Women’s Premier League and the Women’s National League (WNL).
Under the revised format, the WNL champions will secure automatic promotion to the WPL for the following season, while the team finishing last in the WPL will be relegated.
In addition, the second last team in the WPL will contest a play off against the WNL runners up, with the winner earning a place in the top tier.
The move reintroduces real consequences at both ends of the table and ensures that results across the season carry added weight.
Prize money has also been revised to better recognise league performance.
While the champions will continue to receive S$25,000, teams finishing second will now receive S$20,000, up from S$10,000 previously. The third placed team will earn S$17,000, more than double the previous S$7,500.
In a statement released by FAS, the association said the updated prize money framework was introduced to better reward consistency and competitiveness, while the return of promotion and relegation was intended to strengthen the overall women’s football pathway in Singapore.
The 2026 WPL season will feature nine teams competing across 18 match weeks, with fixtures held at Bukit Gombak Stadium and Choa Chu Kang Stadium.
The season has been brought forward to better align with key international competitions, including the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Women’s Cup and upcoming youth qualifiers.
Further changes include the introduction of WPL B teams into the Women’s National League, allowing clubs to field secondary squads and provide more competitive minutes for emerging players.
B teams will not be eligible for promotion, though clubs may name up to five B team players in their WPL matchday squads.
All WPL matches will be livestreamed during the season, with admission free for fans at both venues.
Matches during Ramadan will kick off at 7.45pm, while fixtures will pause during FIFA Women’s International Windows to allow national team preparation.
MAIN PHOTO: FAS