2026 English Football Calendar – Fixtures, Dates & Key Competitions
The 2026 English football calendar encompasses multiple domestic and international competitions across all professional tiers, from the Premier League through the English Football League (EFL) divisions, supplemented by knockout competitions and women’s football.
The season runs broadly from August 2025 through May 2026, with the pinnacle events concentrated in April and May 2026.
This comprehensive 2026 English Football Calendar ensures competitive football for over 92 professional clubs and thousands of semi-professional and non-league participants.
List of all the 2026 English Football Calendar Schedule
The 2026 English football calendar marks the continuation of England’s modern professional football structure, featuring 92 professional clubs competing across five tiers (Premier League and EFL divisions), supplemented by the most comprehensive women’s football structure in the world.
The 2026 English Football Calendar balances domestic competition with European obligations, international fixtures, and the demands of modern broadcast scheduling.
The inclusion of London City Lionesses in the Women’s Super League marks a watershed moment for female football, as the first independent club to achieve promotion to the top tier, signalling the professionalisation and expansion of women’s football in England.
2025-26 Premier League
Season Overview
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Dates | 15 August 2025 – 24 May 2026 |
| Total Matches | 380 (20 teams × 38 matches each) |
| Schedule Format | 33 weekend rounds + 5 midweek rounds + 4 bank holidays |
| Final Day | Sunday, 24 May 2026 (all 10 kick-offs at 15:00 GMT) |
| Champion 2024-25 | Liverpool |
Key Dates
- Opening Day: Friday, 15 August 2025 (Liverpool vs. AFC Bournemouth, 20:00 GMT)
- Boxing Day (MW18): Friday, 26 December 2025
- New Year’s Day Fixture: N/A (falls on Sunday 1 January 2026)
- Easter Period: Matches scheduled around 28 March – 4 April 2026
- Final Matchweek (MW38): Sunday, 24 May 2026
Notable Matchweeks
The Premier League schedule includes high-profile fixtures throughout:
- Manchester Derby: 17 January 2026 (MW22), 11 April 2026 (MW35)
- North London Derby (Arsenal vs. Tottenham): 8 January 2026 (MW21), to be confirmed (MW33+)
- Merseyside Derby (Liverpool vs. Everton): Multiple fixtures scheduled
- Chelsea vs. Manchester City: Scheduled across the season
- El Clásico (Manchester rivalry): Featured prominently
2025-26 FA Cup
Tournament Overview
| Round | Date | Teams | Matches | Prize Money (Winner/Runner-up) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Third Round Proper | 10 January 2026 | 64 | 32 | £115,000 / £25,000 |
| Fourth Round | 14 February 2026 | 32 | 16 | £120,000 / — |
| Fifth Round | 7 March 2026 | 16 | 8 | £225,000 / — |
| Quarter-finals | 4 April 2026 | 8 | 4 | £450,000 / — |
| Semi-finals | 25 April 2026 | 4 | 2 | £1,000,000 / £500,000 |
| Final | 16 May 2026 | 2 | 1 | £2,000,000 / £1,000,000 |
Competition Details
- Total Teams: 124 (92 from Premier League/EFL + 32 from National League System after qualifying rounds)
- Venue: Wembley Stadium, London
- Format: Single-elimination knockout; no replays in the proper rounds
- Prize: Winners qualify for 2026-27 UEFA Europa League
Notable Facts
- Defending champions Crystal Palace were eliminated in the third round by sixth-tier Macclesfield FC—a stunning upset
- No extra time is played until the quarterfinals; penalties decide ties after 90 minutes
- Extra time applies in the semifinal second legs and the final, if needed
2025-26 Carabao Cup (EFL Cup)
Key Dates
| Round | Dates | Teams | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Round | Week of 11 August 2025 | 88 | Single-leg |
| Second Round | Week of 25 August 2025 | 88 (minus 1st round winners) | Single-leg |
| Third Round | 15–22 September 2025 | 48 | Single-leg |
| Fourth Round | Week of 27 October 2025 | 16 | Single-leg |
| Quarter-finals | Week of 15 December 2025 | 8 | Single-leg |
| Semi-finals (Leg 1) | Week of 12 January 2026 | 4 | Two-leg tie |
| Semi-finals (Leg 2) | Week of 2 February 2026 | 4 | Two-leg tie |
| Final | Sunday, 22 March 2026 | 2 | Single match at Wembley |
Competition Details
- Defending Champions: Newcastle United (beat Liverpool 2-1 in 2025 final)
- Format: Single-elimination; no extra time until quarterfinals (penalties in earlier rounds)
- Extra Time Rules: Applied in the semifinal second legs and the final
- Prize: Winners qualify for the 2026-27 UEFA Europa Conference League playoff round
- Participants: All 92 Premier League and EFL clubs
2025-26 English Football League (EFL)
Championship (Second Tier)
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Teams | 24 |
| Format | 46 matches per team (home & away) |
| Schedule Composition | 33 weekend rounds + 9 midweek rounds + 4 bank holiday rounds |
| Season End | May 2026 |
| Promotion | Top 2 to Premier League 2026-27; 3rd-6th enter playoff for 1 spot |
| Playoff Final | Wembley Stadium, May 2026 |
Notable Clubs in 2025-26 Championship
- Leicester City (recent Premier League champions)
- Leeds United
- Ipswich Town
- Nottingham Forest (recent European participants)
- Derby County
- Sheffield United & Sheffield Wednesday (local rivals)
- Wrexham AFC (celebrity-owned, promoted from League Two in 2024)
League One & League Two
- League One: 24 teams, 46 matches each
- League Two: 24 teams, 46 matches each
- Both run concurrently with the Championship from August 2025 through May 2026
- Playoff finals for both divisions held at Wembley Stadium in late May
England National Football Team Friendly and World Cup Schedule
Spain is in Group L with Croatia, Ghana, and Panama, with group matches on 17, 23 and 27 June 2026.
Schedule
- 27 March 2026 – England vs Uruguay – London, England – Friendly
- 31 March 2026 – England vs Japan – London, England – Friendly
- 17 June 2026 – England vs Croatia – Arlington, US – 2026 FIFA World Cup
- 23 June 2026 – England vs Ghana – Foxborough, US – 2026 FIFA World Cup
- 27 June 2026 – Panama vs England – East Rutherford, US – 2026 FIFA World Cup Group L
2025-26 Women’s Super League (WSL)
Season Overview
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Teams | 12 (including London City Lionesses, newly promoted) |
| Format | 22 matches per team (home & away) |
| Opening Day | Friday, 5 September 2025 |
| Final Day | Weekend of 15-17 May 2026 |
| Winter Break | 22 December 2025 – 4 January 2026 |
| Champions 2024-25 | Chelsea |
Opening Weekend Fixtures (5-7 September 2025)
- Friday: Chelsea vs. Manchester City (19:30 GMT) – Showpiece opener
- Saturday: Arsenal vs. London City Lionesses (13:30 GMT)
- Sunday: Liverpool vs. Everton (Merseyside Derby), Manchester United vs. Leicester
Key Dates
- First Manchester Derby: 16 November 2025 (Manchester City vs. Manchester United)
- First North London Derby: Arsenal vs. Tottenham (date TBD)
- Final Day Match: Chelsea vs. Manchester United (weekend of 15-17 May 2026)
Notable Features
- Record Title Chase: Chelsea aiming for record-extending 9th (or more) WSL title
- New Competition: London City Lionesses’ first season in the WSL top flight after promotion
- Broadcasting: Sky Sports to show ~90% of all matches (118 games live), with 78 exclusive matches
- New Relegation Rules: Ahead of league expansion to 14 teams in 2026-27
Teams Competing
- Chelsea (defending champions)
- Arsenal
- Manchester City
- Manchester United
- Liverpool
- Tottenham Hotspur
- West Ham United
- Everton
- Brighton & Hove Albion
- Aston Villa
- Leicester City
- London City Lionesses (newly promoted)
Major Events Timeline
August 2025
- 15 August: Premier League kicks off
- 11 August: Carabao Cup, Round 1
- 5 September: Women’s Super League begins
September 2025
- Carabao Cup progresses to Third Round
October 2025
- 27 October: Carabao Cup Fourth Round
December 2025
- 6 December: Premier League MW15
- 15-17 December: Carabao Cup Quarter-finals
January 2026
- 10 January: FA Cup Third Round
- 12 January: Carabao Cup Semi-finals (First Leg)
February 2026
- 2 February: Carabao Cup Semi-finals (Second Leg)
- 14 February: FA Cup Fourth Round
March 2026
- 7 March: FA Cup Fifth Round
- 22 March: Carabao Cup Final (Wembley)
April 2026
- 4 April: FA Cup Quarter-finals
- 25 April: FA Cup Semi-finals
May 2026
- 16 May: FA Cup Final (Wembley)
- 24 May: Premier League Final Day (all 10 matches 15:00 GMT)
- End of May: EFL Playoff Finals at Wembley
Prize Money & European Qualification
European Spots (2026-27 Season)
FA Cup Prizes
- Winners: £2,000,000 + automatic UEFA Europa League qualification
- Runner-up: £1,000,000
Carabao Cup Prizes
- Winners: TBD (estimated £1-1.5 million) + UEFA Conference League qualification
- Runner-up: TBD (estimated £0.5 million)
Broadcasting & Accessibility
For broadcasting coverage of the entire 2026 English Football calendar and all TV-Scheduled matches, fans can tune in to top broadcasters in the USA and Europe.
ESPN, BBC, Apple TV, Amazon Prime, Sky Sports and many top broadcasters for the 2026 English Football Calendar are in this list.
Premier League
- Sky Sports, TNT Sports, BBC Sport, and other authorized broadcasters
- Weekend matches: 12:30, 15:00 (broadcast blackout in UK), 17:30, 20:00 GMT
- Midweek matches: 19:45 GMT (primary kickoff)
FA Cup
- ESPN (USA/international), BBC Sport (UK), ITV
- Primary kickoff: 15:00 or 19:45 GMT
Carabao Cup
- Sky Sports primary broadcaster
- EFL provides 1,000+ fixtures across all divisions live on Sky Sports
Women’s Super League
- Sky Sports shows 90% of matches (118 live games)
- 78 exclusive Sky Sports+ matches
- Primary kickoff: 12:00 noon on Sundays (subject to stadium availability)
