Chelsea to play all WSL games at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea will play all of their Women's Super League matches at Stamford Bridge from the start of next season.

It ends a nine-year stay at Kingsmeadow - a Kingston upon Thames ground that has a capacity of 4,850, including 2,265 seats, and is usually sold out.

Sonia Bompastor's side have been playing selected WSL fixtures at Chelsea's main stadium, and, because of Uefa regulations, all of their Women's Champions League games.

Making the 41,000-seat Stamford Bridge stadium their permanent home has been a target of chief executive officer Aki Mandhar since she joined the women's club in September 2024.

"Our commitment reaffirms our ambition and intent to make Chelsea the leading women's sports club in the world," said Mandhar.

"Playing WSL matches at such an iconic ground ensures our players and supporters have the arena they deserve as we look to propel the game into its next phase of growth.

"At Chelsea we are never done growing and pushing progress to take the game and women's sports to new heights."

The Blues played their final game at Kingsmeadow this season on 6 April when they beat Tottenham 2-1 to reach the Women's FA Cup semi-finals.

Their remaining two home games of the season are already scheduled to take place at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea Fan Advisory Board representatives described the move as "a natural step" in the club's growth.

Manager Bompastor added: "We will always feel a special connection to Kingsmeadow and everything our fans, staff and local community have helped create for us to stand here now, committing our future to Stamford Bridge.

"The squad, and every player to have pulled on a Chelsea shirt before them, has worked so hard for this, as has every member of staff to stand on the sidelines.

"We can't wait to welcome you in September, and to provide a stadium that helps us as we write the next chapter for this amazing club.

"It's an exciting opportunity for us to keep growing, to perform at the highest level and to create a special atmosphere in a stadium we all love."

'We want to create further history'

The permanent move to Stamford Bridge marks a new era for Chelsea's women as they experience a period of transition.

Following an unbeaten domestic treble in Bompastor's debut 2024-25 campaign, the Blues have fallen behind some of their rivals this season.

They are set to relinquish their six-year hold on the WSL trophy and will not compete in the last four of the Champions League.

But the stadium switch illustrates their ambition, and Chelsea believe it is a venue that befits their recent success.

Kingsmeadow, a well-loved venue among fans, was the stage for years of success under former manager Emma Hayes' leadership, and it will continue to be used by Chelsea's academy teams.

In an open letter written by Chelsea's players to their supporters, they said: "Leaving Kingsmeadow after nine years is bittersweet. It's where so many Chelsea greats built their legacies.

"Countless memories, off the pitch and on it, were created by friends, family and our incredible fans at the stadium.

"We've celebrated unforgettable triumphs but also had tearful farewells and heartfelt goodbyes.

"This is a new chapter, but our ambition remains the same. We want to win. We want to lift more trophies. We want to create further history."

Bompastor and her players expressed their desire to play at Stamford Bridge, while club officials consulted with fans during the decision-making process.

There was a feeling that Chelsea had outgrown the capacity at Kingsmeadow.

Other stadium options were explored, but a permanent move to Stamford Bridge was always the club's priority.

Chelsea are expected to name a second stadium which meets Uefa's regulations as a back-up venue for any future participation in the Women's Champions League, though the intention would be to play as many games as possible at Stamford Bridge.

Attendances will not be capped at the stadium, as has previously been the case for European fixtures, while double-headers with men's Premier League games have not been ruled out but are unlikely to be required.

Ben Haines, Ellen White and Jen Beattie are back for another season of the Women's Football Weekly podcast. New episodes drop every Tuesday on BBC Sounds, plus find interviews and extra content from the Women's Super League and beyond on the Women's Football Weekly feed