The fixtures for the 2026-27 English Soccer League season shall be launched at 12:00 BST on Thursday, 25 June.
, and , who have been all relegated from the Premier League, shall be joined within the Championship by Bolton Wanderers, Cardiff Metropolis and Lincoln Metropolis, with the Imps returning to the second tier for the primary time in 65 years.
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Leicester Metropolis will play within the third tier for simply the second time of their 142-year historical past after back-to-back relegations, and shall be in League One alongside Oxford United and Sheffield Wednesday.
The Foxes will face video games in opposition to Bromley, who’re within the third tier for the primary time of their historical past, MK Dons, Cambridge United and Notts County.
Exeter Metropolis, Port Vale, Rotherham United and Northampton City have dropped all the way down to League Two.
York Metropolis and Rochdale, who each amassed greater than 100 factors within the Nationwide League final season, will return to the EFL.
Right here is every little thing you should know concerning the EFL fixture launch day and a few key issues to look out for.
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When does the season begin?
The 2026-27 EFL season begins on the weekend of 14-16 August throughout the Championship, League One and League Two.
However the aggressive marketing campaign will formally start one week earlier, with the primary spherical of the Carabao Cup going down on 7-9 August.
The Vertu Trophy will get underneath means the week commencing 21 September, with the draw going down at 14:30 BST on the identical day the EFL fixtures are launched.
In the meantime, the Carabao Cup first-round draw will happen at 16:30, additionally on Thursday.
It’s the , that means greater than 1,000 video games shall be broadcast reside, whereas BBC Sport will even have reside textual content protection of the vast majority of EFL fixtures.
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The lengthy wait is over…
West Ham United have solely been outdoors the highest flight in three of the previous 33 seasons [Getty Images]
The brand new EFL season will present a change of surroundings for a number of golf equipment, for higher or worse.
Lincoln shall be within the second tier for the primary time since 1961, following a journey during which the Imps went all the way down to the Nationwide League and again up once more.
West Ham haven’t been within the Championship for 14 years and can hope to repeat what they did in 2012 once they instantly bounced again to the highest flight.
Leicester’s solely earlier marketing campaign within the third tier was within the 2008-09 season and so they went on to develop into champions to return to the Championship on the first time of asking.
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Earlier than that, it’s a must to return to 1894 when the Foxes have been final outdoors the highest two divisions, once they performed within the former Midland Soccer League earlier than coming into the previous Division Two.
Bromley will hope they’ll proceed to create membership historical past after profitable promotion to the EFL solely two years in the past, earlier than going one step additional to succeed in League One this yr.
In League Two, York Metropolis will get a style of fourth-tier motion for the primary time in 10 years, whereas Rotherham United are again on the underside rung of the EFL ladder for the primary time for the reason that 2012-13 season.
New faces within the dugout
Michael Skubala has taken over at Bristol Metropolis after profitable promotion to the Championship with Lincoln Metropolis [Getty Images]
For the reason that conclusion of the 2025-26 marketing campaign, there have been loads of adjustments within the dugouts at EFL golf equipment.
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Wolves will begin their first Championship season in 9 years with from Rob Edwards, who was sacked simply seven months after arriving at Molineux.
Burnley are nonetheless managerless after Scott Parker’s departure following relegation from the Premier League, however they’ve reportedly .
Lincoln will sort out their first second-tier marketing campaign in six a long time with out the supervisor who introduced them up after Michael Skubala left for Bristol Metropolis.
The Imps will as a substitute have a uncommon administration duo in .
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Tony Mowbray can have a second spell after Michael O’Neill returned to Northern Eire nationwide staff responsibility.
has develop into Watford’s twelfth head coach, not together with interim bosses, for the reason that finish of the 2020-21 season, and the twenty fourth for the reason that Pozzo household took over the membership in 2012.
In League One, , Oxford appointed former and Wales midfielder this week after , and Daniel Stendel has to switch .
Dave Challinor following their play-off remaining defeat to Bolton and the Hatters have since from Rochdale.
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Which means Rochdale’s return to League Two shall be underneath new boss Ian Watson, whereas Northampton have appointed Chris Hogg, Darrell Clarke has joined Tranmere Rovers, Lee Grant is Walsall’s new supervisor, and Adam Murray has swapped Kidderminster Harriers for Barrow.
And at Salford Metropolis, the membership co-owned by David Beckham and Gary Neville, .