| Chinese Women's Super League (CWSL) | |
| Pixels: | 170px |
| Country: | China |
| Confed: | Asian Football Confederation |
| Teams: | 12 |
| Relegation: | Chinese Women's Football League |
| Levels: | 1 |
| Confed Cup: | AFC Women's Champions League |
| Champions: | Wuhan Jiangda (3 titles) |
| Season: | 2023 |
| Most Champs: | Shanghai Rural Commercial Bank (11 titles) |
| Website: | https://women.thecfa.cn/cwsl_2023/ |
| Current: | 2024 Chinese Women's Super League |
The Chinese Women's Super League (CWSL) is the top level women's football league in China.[1] It was called the Chinese Women's National Football League from 2011 to 2014.
The league started in 1997 as the Chinese Women's Premier Football League. The name Women's Super League was first adopted in 2004. During the 2011 to 2014 seasons, the league was renamed to Women's National Football League and discontinued the practice of promotion and relegation due to a lack of available teams and playing talent.
In 2015, the Chinese Football Association relaunched the league, again as the Women's Super League and with an affiliated second division, CWFL. It also gained a title sponsor, LeTV Holdings Co Ltd.[2] The league signed a five-year deal with Spanish apparel company Kelme to provide uniforms.[3]
Investment in women's clubs accelerated after the 2016 season with major corporate sponsors and investors, such as Quanjian Group and Guotai Junan Securities, raising player salaries and recruiting high-profile players from top-division leagues in Europe.[4] This included Brazilian star Cristiane from Paris Saint-Germain to Changchun Zhuoyue,[5] 2016 Toppserien golden boot winner Isabell Herlovsen from LSK Kvinner FK to Jiangsu Suning F.C., and Nigerian star Asisat Oshoala from Arsenal L.F.C. and Cameroonian star Gaelle Enganamouit from FC Rosengård to Dalian Quanjian F.C.[6] [7]
| Team | City/Region | Home Stadium | Capacity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beijing | Xiannongtan Stadium | 24,000 | ||
| Changchun Public Excellence | Changchun | Development Area Stadium | 23,400 | |
| Hangzhou Bank | Hangzhou | Yellow Dragon Sports Center | 51,971 | |
| Henan Central Plains | Henan Provincial Stadium | 48,000 | ||
| Jiangsu Wuxi | Nanjing | Wutaishan Stadium | 22,000 | |
| Meizhou | Wuhua County Olympic Sports Centre | 27,000 | ||
| Shandong Sports Lottery | Jinan | Shandong Provincial Stadium | 43,700 | |
| Shanghai | Stadium of Baoshan Campus, Shanghai University | 10,000 | ||
| Shaanxi Chang'an Athletic | Shaanxi | Weinan Sports Centre Stadium | 32,000 | |
| Sichuan | Chengdu | Chengdu Longquanyi Football Stadium | 27,000 | |
| Wuhan Chegujiang University | Wuhan | Tazihu Football Training Centre | 5,000 | |
| Yongchuan Chashan Zhuhai | Chongqing | Chongqing Olympic Sports Center | 58,680 |
The list of CWSL champions:[8]