Women's Football News
(Photo) Former England star Claire Rafferty announces pregnancy with wife Erica
Former England international footballer Claire Rafferty and her wife Erica Cleary announced during Christmas that they are expecting their first child together. The pregnancy announcement came via Instagram, with the couple sharing their joy with followers.
Rafferty and Cleary married on September 13, 2025 after getting engaged in May 2023, and the pregnancy represents the next chapter in their relationship journey.
From Professional Football to Family Life
Rafferty retired from professional football after an illustrious career with Chelsea, West Ham United and Millwall Lionesses. She earned 21 England caps representing her country at the highest level, participating in the 2015 World Cup where England achieved bronze medal success.
She was also a Team GB Olympian, featuring at the 2012 London Olympics representing Great Britain. Her career spanned over 15 years as a left-back and left winger competing in the FA WSL at its highest level.
Life After Football
Since retiring from elite football, Rafferty has worked as a pundit and media personality, providing expert analysis during major tournaments including the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup. She also held a commercial role at Chelsea, her former club.
Outside professional football, she studied economics at Loughborough University and worked as an analyst at Deutsche Bank alongside her playing career. Her diverse skill set combined professional footballing excellence with business acumen.
New Beginning with Erica
Rafferty’s relationship with Erica Cleary began in 2023 when they became engaged. The couple married in September 2025 in front of family and friends. Their pregnancy announcement demonstrates the next phase of their life together after their recent wedding. The couple have shared their happiness publicly, with followers and former teammates offering congratulations across social media platforms.
Rafferty’s journey from elite sport to broadcasting and now motherhood represents the changing landscape for retired female athletes. She remains a prominent figure in women’s football media while building her family.
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Internationals
Iran Women’s National Team Stage Silent Protest During National Anthem as Squad Refuses to Sing For ‘This’ Reason
Iran’s women’s national team staged a powerful silent protest before their Asian Cup opener against South Korea on Monday in Queensland, Australia. The squad stood motionless during the national anthem rather than singing in an apparent demonstration following the escalating Middle East conflict that has engulfed their homeland in recent days.
The gesture came after US and Israeli airstrikes targeted Iran’s missile and naval capabilities in Operation Epic Fury, which included the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran has since launched retaliatory missile and drone attacks on Israel and regional countries hosting US allies or military bases, including Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.
Captain’s Response Cut Off During Press Conference
Iran women’s captain, Zahra Ghanbari, was asked about Khamenei’s death during a Sunday press conference alongside coach Jafari. The question was immediately shut down by an AFC media representative who cut off Jafari’s response in Farsi without providing any translation.
“OK, I think that’s all for your question. Thank you for asking. Let’s just focus on the game itself,” the media representative interrupted before questioning continued. While the content of Jafari’s response remains unknown, the team’s stoic behaviour during the anthem speaks volumes about their stance on the current political situation.
Australia Praise Iranian Women for Showing Up
Tournament hosts Australia have praised the Iranian women for still participating in the Asian Cup despite the turmoil at home. Chelsea legend Sam Kerr was among those to mention how Iran gave them a tough contest when the nations last met, insisting they deserve the utmost respect for competing under such difficult circumstances.
Iran lost the match 3-0 to South Korea, but their presence at the tournament represents far more than just football results, given the backdrop of escalating violence in the Middle East.
Women's Football News
WSL to Trial New Rule to Combat Goalkeeper Timeouts as IFAB Announce Batch of Rules
The IFAB have announced a new batch of rules to be implemented at the beginning of 2026-27 aimed at improving the flow of matches and preventing delays. The main points discussed in the IFAB announcement are throw-ins and goal kicks, time limited substitutions, off field treatment and assessment, VAR protocol developments, and changes in the Laws of the Game.
What is particularly interesting is the WSL will be trialing the goalkeeper timeout rule. The protocol details are not yet known, but the women’s game has been gaming those goalkeeper timeouts since 2010. It is a clear way to reset and adjust a team tactically, with many managers using injuries as opportunities to deliver instructions.
Player Must Leave Field for One Minute
Here is the main rule to be implemented from the start of the 2026-27 season: “Where a player receives on field assessment for an injury, or their injury causes play to be stopped, the player will be required to leave the field of play and remain off it for one minute running clock once play has restarted.”
So, in the case of a goalkeeper timeout, will they be forced to go out for one minute after treatment? Law 3 is clear: “A match is played by two teams, each with a maximum of eleven players; one must be the goalkeeper.” If the goalkeeper is forced to sit out for one minute, the team with ten players will have to nominate one outfield player to play in goal for that whole minute, wearing a goalkeeper shirt.
Potential Unintended Consequences
The other option is to keep the goalkeeper on the pitch and have a nominated outfield player stay out for one minute. It means less disruption, and as soon as the goalkeeper goes down, the team already know who they are taking out and can adapt to play with ten players.
Overall, it is a positive idea, but without proper implementation, it could penalize teams when genuine injuries happen. The practice needs to be stopped without penalizing legitimate injury cases.
Liverpool Dragon
A No Brainer Says Former Liverpool Forward Rinsola Babajide as She Explains Why She Switched Allegiance From England to Nigeria to Represent Super Falcons
Former Liverpool forward Rinsola Babajide has admitted that she switched her international allegiance from England to Nigeria because she had a childhood dream of playing in the Women’s African Cup of Nations tournament. The Roma forward explained her decision was motivated by her Nigerian heritage and desire to connect with her culture.
Born in London, Babajide was part of the Young Lionesses squad that won bronze at the 2018 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup. She also earned caps at U18, U19, and U23 levels for England before FIFA approved her change of association in 2023.
Saw It as a No Brainer
The Nigeria Football Federation had monitored Babajide’s progress for several years, but her agent initially advised her to stay with England, believing she had a clear pathway into the senior team. However, circumstances changed when she moved overseas after leaving Liverpool.
“So when I finally made a move overseas due to the events that played out while leaving Liverpool, I was eventually approached by Nigeria, which I saw as a no brainer,” Babajide told the 49th Street. “It gave me the opportunity to not only represent Nigeria, which is a great honor, but also to connect with my culture and myself.”
Proudest Moment of Career So Far
Babajide was a member of the Nigeria squad that won the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, where she paid an emotional tribute to late Liverpool forward Diogo Jota after scoring her first international goal in a group stage win against Tunisia.
“The proudest moment of my career so far would definitely be lifting the WAFCON trophy in my first ever mainstream tournament. That has to be the greatest,” Babajide stated. With a Women’s Africa Cup of Nations winner’s medal now in her collection, Babajide is targeting appearances for the Super Falcons at both the Olympic Games and the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
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