11 UWCL Teams Fight for the Top Four 📊

Plus, the NWSL's proposed salary rule change.

December 16, 2025

Happy Tuesday, TWG readers!

Before we get started, everyone here at TWG wants to acknowledge and condemn the senseless gun violence that has impacted communities here at Brown University and abroad in Australia over the past few days. In a time when people are coming together for the holidays, our hearts are with the victims, the families, and everyone affected by these tragic events. 💔

Now, to the football…

It feels like things should be winding down at this time of year, but women’s football is in full swing. The last match day of UWCL is this week and there’s so much left to play for. Plus, we’re all waiting to hear more about the proposed new NWSL rule that might allow clubs to retain players with funds above the salary cap. Soccer never sleeps! 📈

We’ve got a full week here at TWG, including a live show in Boston TONIGHT thanks to our friends at Verizon. I’ll be joined at The Sinclair by guests like Tiffani Faison, Charlotte North, Ally Sentnor, and Lilly Reale. Check the show out on YouTube tomorrow! Then, “Friendlies” with Keira Walsh drops on Thursday and the last “Mewis Squared” of 2025 drops on Friday - and thanks to the questions you all sent it, it’s wedding themed! 🎉

I am thrilled to be in Boston this week and am looking forward to my Australia trip for Kristie’s wedding. My pre-trip to-do list is pretty long, but I cannot wait to celebrate the holidays and the wedding with my family in Perth! 🦘

PS - We’re currently hiring for a few different roles here at MiB, including a hybrid writer/editor to help us grow the TWG newsletter! If you're on the hunt for your next job, or know someone great who is, please check out our full list of openings here. 🙌

Thank you all so much for being here!

Love,
Sam

UWCL: The Last Game of the League Phase 🏆

With just one game remaining in this season’s league phase, no teams have secured their spot in the top four, which would send them straight to the quarter-final, while those who finish in the fifth-to-12th spots head to a knockout-round playoff. Of the 12 teams that will progress, a whopping 11 of them remain eligible for a top-four finish. 

At the other end of the table, five teams have already been eliminated, including Parisian juggernauts PSG and Italian side Roma, who lost 6-0 to Chelsea last week. Norwegian side Vålerenga is the only club that can still break into the top 12 spots, but they face sixth-placed Bayern Munich in Germany for their final match, where the Bavarian giants have yet to drop any points.

All games this week go down on Wednesday at 3 p.m. ET on Paramount+. Here are a few to keep an eye on:

Wolfsburg vs. Chelsea 🇩🇪 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Chelsea broke into the top four after trouncing Roma in the last round. They now head to Germany in third place with 11 points, but the three teams just below them have a menacing 10 points each, and the three below them have nine. Anything less than a victory in Germany against the two-time champions (who are in seventh and could land in the top four with a win against the Blues) would see the Londoners compete in the playoff instead of heading straight to the quarter-final. 

OH Leuven vs. Arsenal 🇧🇪 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

The reigning champions of Europe have two wins in two games after beating Dutch side Twente 1-0 last week, and head to Belgium in eighth. Their spot in the playoff is secure despite their slow start this season, and the Gunners could clinch a top-four finish with a win, pending other results in the table. OH Leuven will host the Gunners sitting in 12th-place, while competing to hang on to their spot in the playoffs. 

Paris FC vs. Barcelona 🇫🇷 🇪🇸

First-placed Barcelona and second-placed OL Lyonnes lead the table with 13 points and remain the only two undefeated teams in the tournament. The Catalans round out the league phase with a match on the road against 10th-placed Paris FC, who are the lowest-ranked team with their spot in the knockout phase secure. 

Juventus vs. Manchester United 🇮🇹 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Juve enters the final matchday in a coveted top-four position, but host a solid United squad that’s impressed in its first-ever UWCL. The Red Devils have suffered two straight defeats in the Champions League after falling to former champs Wolfsburg and OL Lyonnes, but head to Italy in ninth with nine points and importantly, USWNT goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce available in net.  

OL Lyonnes vs. Atlético Madrid 🇫🇷 🇪🇸

The eight-time champions are undefeated and have their spot in the knockout confirmed, but they could fall below the top four with a poor result against Atleti. The Spaniards head to France with a stark challenge ahead, as the 11th-placed side will compete to hang on to their spot in the playoff, but the USWNT-heavy French squad has yet to drop points at home.

Say Hello to Our New Merch Store 🎁

Just in time for some holiday shopping, we have a brand new store with brand new apparel for all your favorite shows at TWG! Come check it out.

Across the Pond 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

England’s top-flight WSL played its final match of 2025 over the weekend, and will break for a few weeks before resuming play Jan. 10. Here are some highlights:

Manchester City 6-1 Aston Villa

City maintained their six-point lead at the top of the table with a six-goal fiesta at home. After scoring a double last week, Jamaican striker Bunny Shaw closed the books on 2025 with a four-goal performance, bringing the WSL top-scorer to eight in her last four games. With her first goal of the match, Shaw became the first player to reach 100 goals (in 120 appearances) for the Mancunian club. Dutch phenom and former WSL top-scorer Viv Miedema also provided a goal and two gasp-worthy assists, like this one. 

  • Sam's Take 🗣️: It feels like Man City have been waiting to have Bunny and Viv consistently healthy at the same time for a while now. Their performance this weekend and their place in the table right now speaks to how good City can be with these two together.

Brighton 0-3 Chelsea

After collecting their first loss in 34 games against Everton last weekend, last season’s treble-winners closed out the year with a much-needed three points against Brighton. The decisive victory was crowned by a soul-soothing sight: Sam Kerr setting up Alyssa Thompson for the third goal.

Everton 1-3 Arsenal

In a match that saw England center-back Leah Williamson return to the field for the first time in 139 days, the Gunners moved ahead of Manchester United (who came back from a three-goal deficit to tie Tottenham) in the table, ending the year in third place behind Chelsea. Ireland captain Katie McCabe’s first goal of the season is worth a watch.

📬 Enjoying TWG? Check out our other MiB newsletters:

🐦‍⬛ The Raven: Our Monday and Friday newsletter where we preview the biggest matches around the world (and tell you where/how to watch them) and recap our favorite football moments from the weekend.

🔍 The Correspondent: Rory Smith’s thoughts on the world of soccer, culture, food, and how they all connect – every Thursday.

🇺🇸 USMNT Only: Your regular update on the most important topics in the U.S. men’s game, all leading up to next year’s World Cup.

Goals of the Weekend, Presented by New Balance 💥

🥤 Olipop power everything we do here at The Women’s Game. You can use code TWG20 for 20% off your first order at drinkolipop.com/TWG20.

2026 City Guides: For Fans, By Fans 🍻

The most important tournament in men’s world football is nearly upon us! To celebrate, we are creating Men in Blazers City Guides for all 11 U.S. host cities to help the footballing faithful experience next summer like a local fan.

Do you know one of these host cities like Sam knows New England? Now is your chance to tell us what’s great about the place in which you live, what the world should go see, what to eat and drink, where to watch, and how to experience your city.

To tell us (and the footballing world) about your favorite locations, simply click the link below.

News & Notes 🗞️

💰 As the NWSL attempts to retain Trinity Rodman, ESPN reports that the league’s Board of Governors will vote on a new salary rule that would allow each team to have a set of funds available to allocate to star players with specific criteria. 

📢 With the offseason progressing, some stars have confirmed or announced their plans to stick around. That includes GOAT goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, who signed to stay on with the Chicago Stars through 2026, and Gotham winger Midge Purce, who also extended her contract with the reigning champs. 

📺 England’s WSL will review its TV slots next summer amid lackluster viewership during the first half of its season. Sky logged just 71,000 viewers for last month’s lunchtime London derby between Arsenal and Chelsea, with numbers dipping lower for other games. Last season’s best-viewed time slot was the Sunday evening game, which was scrapped ahead of this season.

It’s TWG Trivia Time 🤔

This week’s question: While Bunny Shaw became the first player to reach 100 goals for her club this weekend, who was the first player to reach 100 goals total in England’s WSL?

Respond to this email (or reply here) for a chance to win a coveted TWG patch.

Last week’s answer: OL Lyonnes are the winningest team in Champions League history with eight titles. They last won the UWCL in 2022 when they beat Barcelona 3-1 with goals from Amandine Henry, Ada Hegerberg, and Catarina Macario.

Unfortunately, we didn’t receive any correct answers to last week’s trivia question. Better luck to everyone this time around!

Moment of Joy 🤸

Paula writes: Hello Sam, Lynn, Kristie, and Becky. 

I'm Paula from Toronto :) I just listened to Becky and Sam's latest “Teaming Up” podcast, and I really connected with what Sam said. When I was a teenager, I struggled a lot with feelings of not belonging, especially since I never received the support I needed to enjoy football as much as I would have liked. However, after finishing high school, I found my tribe, a group of friends who made me feel like I belonged, even though football wasn't what brought us together. Four years ago, having just turned 20, I moved to a new country and started from scratch. Despite the ups and downs that this entails, it wasn't until this year that I was able to reconnect with my old love for football. I started playing in a local amateur league, began watching football more often, and found this podcast, which has accompanied me and brightened my days. I don't really have a question, but rather a thank you to Sam for her vulnerability. It has helped me feel less alone, knowing that one of my favourite players, who is incredible, is also human and has gone through the same thing as me has touched my heart deeply. Thank you for your work, Sam. Thank you for impacting my life and making my days happier with your podcast.

Paula

Sam writes: Hi Paula, I’m so touched to receive this message from you. I have been reflecting on the power of sport recently as well. It can help us find community in so many ways and I’m so glad to hear that both playing football and this podcast have helped you find that! 

Wishing you a happy holiday season!

Love,
Sam

📝 Want to be featured in next week’s TWG newsletter? Send Sam an email! All your questions, comments, and dog (or wedding) photos can be sent to [email protected]

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