WSL Stars Absent as Asian Cup Takes Centre Stage
When the Women's Super League (WSL) resumes on 15 March following a month-long hiatus, several prominent players will be missing from the line-ups. This is due to the participation of some of the league's top talents in the 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup, held in Australia.
The tournament, commencing on Sunday, will see Asia's leading football nations compete for the continental championship, culminating in the final on 21 March. Every WSL club has at least one player representing their national team, making the competition's progress a focal point for fans and clubs alike.
Below is a comprehensive overview of the tournament and the WSL players involved.
What is the Asian Cup and How Does It Work?
The 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup marks the 21st edition of this quadrennial event, recognized as the premier international women's football competition for nations within the Asian Football Confederation.
The tournament begins on Sunday, 1 March, featuring a group stage with three groups of four teams each. Teams in the same group play each other once in a round-robin format, resulting in three matches per team.
The top two teams from each group, along with the two best third-placed teams, advance to the quarter-finals scheduled for 13-15 March. The semi-finals follow on 17-18 March.
The final will be held at Sydney's Stadium Australia on Saturday, 21 March, the same venue where England was defeated by Spain in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup final.
The four semi-finalists will earn automatic qualification for the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil. Teams eliminated in the quarter-finals will enter the inter-continental play-offs for World Cup qualification.
The groups are as follows:
- Group A: Australia, South Korea, Iran, Philippines
- Group B: North Korea, China, Bangladesh, Pakistan
- Group C: Japan, Vietnam, India, Chinese Taipei
WSL Players Called Up and Clubs Most Affected
A total of 28 WSL players from every club will participate in the Asian Cup, representing either Australia (12 players) or Japan (16 players).
Players from nations reaching the final will miss WSL matchdays 17 and 18. The final is also scheduled just two days before the first leg of the Women's Champions League quarter-finals involving Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester United, which may impact club strategies.
Given the strength of Australia and Japan, it is highly probable that these players will be unavailable during critical stages of the WSL season.
Some clubs have taken proactive measures; for example, Manchester City signed US player Sam Coffey in January to strengthen their midfield during Yui Hasegawa's absence.
"It's definitely a tough one," said former Scotland and Arsenal defender Jen Beattie on the Women's Football Weekly podcast. "The travel is pretty insane and even when the players come back they will take a few days to re-calibrate. "But it is part of football. Clubs that sign these players know they will be missed when called up so have plans in place."
The Australian players called up are:
- Steph Catley
- Kyra Cooney-Cross
- Caitlin Foord (Arsenal)
- Charlize Rule (Brighton & Hove Albion)
- Ellie Carpenter
- Sam Kerr (Chelsea)
- Clare Wheeler (Everton)
- Emily van Egmond (Leicester)
- Alanna Kennedy (London City Lionesses)
- Mary Fowler (Manchester City)
- Clare Hunt (Tottenham Hotspur)
- Katrina Gorry (West Ham)
The Japanese players called up are:
- Maya Hijikata (Aston Villa)
- Moeka Minami
- Kiko Seike (Brighton & Hove Albion)
- Honoka Hayashi
- Rion Ishikawa
- Hikaru Kitagawa (Everton)
- Fuka Nagano
- Risa Shimizu (Liverpool)
- Saki Kumagai (London City Lionesses)
- Aoba Fujino
- Yui Hasegawa
- Ayaka Yamashita (Manchester City)
- Hinata Miyazawa (Manchester United)
- Maika Hamano
- Toko Koga (Tottenham Hotspur)
- Riko Ueki (West Ham)
Who Are the Favourites?
Japan, the only Asian nation to have won the FIFA Women's World Cup (2011), are joint favourites to win the Asian Cup. They have finished runners-up in the Asia Cup more times than any other team, with four second-place finishes.
As the highest-ranked Asian team in the FIFA world rankings (eighth) and winners of two of the last three Asian Cups, Japan's credentials are strong.
Hosts Australia are also considered strong contenders, although they have not won the tournament since 2010. The Matildas lost 1-0 to Japan in consecutive finals in 2014 and 2018.
China, despite their unexpected victory in India in 2022, remain the most successful team in the competition's history with nine titles and should not be underestimated.
North Korea, a traditional powerhouse with three titles (2001, 2003, 2008), will compete in their first major tournament since the 2011 World Cup. They were banned from the 2014 Asian Cup and 2015 World Cup due to a doping scandal and failed to qualify for the 2018 Asian Cup and 2019 World Cup.
Strict COVID-19 restrictions led to North Korea withdrawing from the 2022 Asian Cup and 2023 World Cup. They returned to competition in 2023, winning silver at the Asian Games and narrowly missing qualification for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
Additional Information
This article is part of 's Ask Me Anything series.
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Ben Haines, Ellen White, and Jen Beattie continue their coverage with the Women's Football Weekly podcast, releasing new episodes every Tuesday on . The podcast features interviews and additional content from the Women's Super League and beyond.
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