Is the WSL the best league in the world?
Can data give us an answer to one of the biggest debates in women's football?
Football discourse is often plagued with finding the absolute best in several categories. Fans, analysts and players are often in disagreement on deciding who is the best striker? Best midfielder? Best defender? And the best team?
Deciding which league is superior in the women’s game has also been at the centre of plenty of online chatter.
Chelsea midfielder Sjoeke Nusken recently expressed her thoughts on this age long debate, telling German publication Sportschau, “I think right now WSL is the best league in the world. Every game is difficult, every game is close”. Comparing it to the Frauen Bundesliga Nusken emphasised the gap between the teams, adding “in the Bundesliga, the gap between the very good teams and those trying to keep up is significantly larger”.
So, is the WSL the best league in the world? Is it the most competitive league? Let’s take a look at the data.
(Important caveat: Not all league data is accessible readily so we will be limiting our analysis to the top flight leagues in England, Spain, France, Germany and Italy along with the NWSL. Data valid until 22 April 2026.)
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