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Championship 2025/26 fixtures – live: EFL opening matches and full schedule revealed
Teams in the Championship, League One and League Two discover their schedules for next term
The Championship’s 2025/26 fixtures have been revealed as all 72 clubs of the English Football League (EFL) find out their journey through the season.
The schedule for the Championship, League One and League Two were released simultaneously with the three divisions following quickly after the Premier League’s matches were confirmed earlier in June.
After a play-off final win, Charlton are back in the second tier of English football along with Birmingham City and Wrexham, while Leicester, Ipswich and Southampton dropped down from the top-flight.
Barnet and Oldham navigated out of non-league at the end of last season to return to League Two, replacing Carlisle and Morecambe. In League One, meanwhile, the quartet of Doncaster, Port Vale, Bradford City and play-off winners AFC Wimbledon take the places of Crawley, Cambridge United, Bristol Rovers and Shrewsbury, who were all demoted in 2024/25.
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Championship first five fixtures – club-by-club
Hull City
- 09/08/2025 12:30 Coventry City v Hull City
- 16/08/2025 15:00 Hull City v Oxford United
- 23/08/2025 15:00 Hull City v Blackburn Rovers
- 30/08/2025 15:00 Bristol City v Hull City
- 13/09/2025 15:00 Swansea City v Hull City
Ipswich Town
- 08/08/2025 20:00 Birmingham City v Ipswich Town
- 16/08/2025 15:00 Ipswich Town v Southampton
- 23/08/2025 15:00 Preston North End v Ipswich Town
- 30/08/2025 15:00 Ipswich Town v Derby County
- 13/09/2025 15:00 Ipswich Town v Sheffield United
Leicester City
- 10/08/2025 16:30 Leicester City v Sheffield Wednesday
- 16/08/2025 15:00 Preston North End v Leicester City
- 23/08/2025 15:00 Charlton Athletic v Leicester City
- 30/08/2025 15:00 Leicester City v Birmingham City
- 13/09/2025 15:00 Oxford United v Leicester City
Middlesbrough
- 09/08/2025 15:00 Middlesbrough v Swansea City
- 16/08/2025 15:00 Millwall v Middlesbrough
- 23/08/2025 15:00 Norwich City v Middlesbrough
- 30/08/2025 15:00 Middlesbrough v Sheffield United
- 13/09/2025 15:00 Preston North End v Middlesbrough
Millwall
- 09/08/2025 15:00 Norwich City v Millwall
- 16/08/2025 15:00 Millwall v Middlesbrough
- 23/08/2025 15:00 Sheffield United v Millwall
- 30/08/2025 15:00 Millwall v Wrexham
- 13/09/2025 15:00 Charlton Athletic v Millwall
Norwich City
- 09/08/2025 15:00 Norwich City v Millwall
- 16/08/2025 15:00 Portsmouth v Norwich City
- 23/08/2025 15:00 Norwich City v Middlesbrough
- 30/08/2025 15:00 Blackburn Rovers v Norwich City
- 13/09/2025 15:00 Coventry City v Norwich City
Championship first five fixtures – club-by-club
Birmingham City
- 08/08/2025 20:00 Birmingham City v Ipswich Town
- 16/08/2025 15:00 Blackburn Rovers v Birmingham City
- 23/08/2025 15:00 Birmingham City v Oxford United
- 30/08/2025 15:00 Leicester City v Birmingham City
- 13/09/2025 15:00 Stoke City v Birmingham City
Blackburn Rovers
- 16/08/2025 15:00 Blackburn Rovers v Birmingham City
- 23/08/2025 15:00 Hull City v Blackburn Rovers
- 30/08/2025 15:00 Blackburn Rovers v Norwich City
- 13/09/2025 15:00 Watford v Blackburn Rovers
- 20/09/2025 15:00 Blackburn Rovers v Ipswich Town
Bristol City
- 09/08/2025 17:30 Sheffield United v Bristol City
- 16/08/2025 15:00 Bristol City v Charlton Athletic
- 23/08/2025 15:00 Derby County v Bristol City
- 30/08/2025 15:00 Bristol City v Hull City
- 13/09/2025 15:00 Sheffield Wednesday v Bristol City
Charlton Athletic
- 09/08/2025 12:30 Charlton Athletic v Watford
- 16/08/2025 15:00 Bristol City v Charlton Athletic
- 23/08/2025 15:00 Charlton Athletic v Leicester City
- 30/08/2025 15:00 Queens Park Rangers v Charlton Athletic
- 13/09/2025 15:00 Charlton Athletic v Millwall
Coventry City
- 09/08/2025 12:30 Coventry City v Hull City
- 16/08/2025 15:00 Derby County v Coventry City
- 23/08/2025 15:00 Coventry City v Queens Park Rangers
- 30/08/2025 15:00 Oxford United v Coventry City
- 13/09/2025 15:00 Coventry City v Norwich City
Derby County
- 09/08/2025 15:00 Stoke City v Derby County
- 16/08/2025 15:00 Derby County v Coventry City
- 23/08/2025 15:00 Derby County v Bristol City
- 30/08/2025 15:00 Ipswich Town v Derby County
- 13/09/2025 15:00 West Bromwich Albion v Derby County
League Two opening day fixtures
The League Two fixtures for the opening weekend of the 2025-2026 season:
- Accrington Stanley v Gillingham
- Barnet v Fleetwood Town
- Bristol Rovers v Harrogate Town
- Cambridge United v Cheltenham Town
- Chesterfield v Barrow
- Colchester United v Tranmere Rovers
- Grimsby Town v Crawley Town
- Milton Keynes Dons v Oldham Athletic
- Newport County v Notts County
- Salford City v Crewe Alexandra
- Shrewsbury Town v Bromley
- Walsall v Swindon Town
League One opening day fixtures
The League One fixtures for the opening weekend of the 2025-2026 season:
Friday, August 1, 2025
- 20:00 Luton Town v A.F.C. Wimbledon
Saturday, August 2, 2025
- 12:30 Cardiff City v Peterborough United
- 15:00 Blackpool v Stevenage
- 15:00 Bradford City v Wycombe Wanderers
- 15:00 Burton Albion v Mansfield Town
- 15:00 Doncaster Rovers v Exeter City
- 15:00 Huddersfield Town v Leyton Orient
- 15:00 Lincoln City v Reading
- 15:00 Plymouth Argyle v Barnsley
- 15:00 Rotherham United v Port Vale
- 15:00 Wigan Athletic v Northampton Town
Sunday, August 3, 2025
- 12:00 Stockport County v Bolton Wanderers
Championship fixtures on the final day
And here’s a look at the final day of the season, as Blackburn host Leicester and Wrexham take on Middlesbrough:
Saturday, May 2, 2026
- 12:30 - Blackburn Rovers v Leicester City
- 12:30 - Bristol City v Stoke City
- 12:30 - Derby County v Sheffield United
- 12:30 - Hull City v Norwich City
- 12:30 - Ipswich Town v Queens Park Rangers
- 12:30 - Millwall v Oxford United
- 12:30 - Portsmouth v Birmingham City
- 12:30 - Preston North End v Southampton
- 12:30 - Sheffield Wednesday v West Bromwich Albion
- 12:30 - Swansea City v Charlton Athletic
- 12:30 - Watford v Coventry City
- 12:30 - Wrexham v Middlesbrough
Championship fixtures on Boxing Day
here’s how the fixture list shapes up at Christmas:
Friday, December 26, 2025
- 15:00 - Birmingham City v Derby County
- 15:00 - Coventry City v Swansea City
- 15:00 - Leicester City v Watford
- 15:00 - Middlesbrough v Blackburn Rovers
- 15:00 - Millwall v Ipswich Town
- 15:00 - Norwich City v Charlton Athletic
- 15:00 - Oxford United v Southampton
- 15:00 - Portsmouth v Queens Park Rangers
- 15:00 - Sheffield Wednesday v Hull City
- 15:00 - Stoke City v Preston North End
- 15:00 - West Bromwich Albion v Bristol City
- 15:00 - Wrexham v Sheffield United
Breaking: Championship's opening day revealed!
The season kicks off on Friday 8 August at St Andrew’s, where Ipswich Town begin their bid to bounce back up to the Premier League against Birmingham City.
Leicester City host Sheffield Wednesday at the King Power Stadium on Sunday to round off the opening weekend.
Friday, August 8, 2025
- 20:00 - Birmingham City v Ipswich Town
Saturday, August 9, 2025
- 12:30 - Charlton Athletic v Watford
- 12:30 - Coventry City v Hull City
- 12:30 - Southampton v Wrexham
- 15:00 - Middlesbrough v Swansea City
- 15:00 - Norwich City v Millwall
- 15:00 - Oxford United v Portsmouth
- 15:00 - Queens Park Rangers v Preston North End
- 15:00 - Stoke City v Derby County
- 15:00 - West Bromwich Albion v Blackburn Rovers
- 17:30 - Sheffield United v Bristol City
Sunday, August 10, 2025
- 16:30 - Leicester City v Sheffield Wednesday
Who came up and went down?
Plenty of teams are in new divisions this season so, as we wait to hear the fixtures, let’s remind ourselves who will be in a different tier for the 2025/26 campaign.
Relegated from Premier League to Championship
Leicester City, Ipswich Town, Southampton
Relegated from Championship to League One
Luton Town, Plymouth Argyle, Cardiff City
Promoted from League One to Championship
Birmingham City, Wrexham, Charlton Athletic
Relegated from League One to League Two
Crawley Town, Bristol Rovers, Cambridge United. Shrewsbury
Promoted from League Two to League One
Doncaster Rovers, Port Vale, Bradford City, AFC Wimbledon
Promoted from National League to League Two
Barnet, Oldham Athletic
York co-owner calls for immediate reform of National League promotion structure
York co-owner Julie-Anne Uggla has called for an immediate reform of the promotion and relegation system between the EFL and the National League.
The Minstermen missed out on a return to the Football League as they lost in the play-off semi-finals to Oldham, having finished second in the league table behind champions Barnet, 28 points clear of the final play-off position.
In February, the National League launched the ‘3UP campaign’ with the aim of securing three promotion places to League Two for the 2025/26 season.
But Uggla has called for “an immediate review, temporary relief measures, or an accelerated implementation of the ‘3UP’ model” with the intention of York earning instant promotion to League Two.
York co-owner calls for immediate reform of National League promotion structure
Reading misery under Dai Yongge finally over as takeover completed for League One club
After so much misery, Reading will go into the 2025/26 season finally under new ownership.
The EFL said it had provided final clearance under its regulations which places Reading under the ownership of Rob Couhig and Todd Trosclair and their company Redwood Holdings, with controversial ex-owner Dai Yongge now having divested from the club.
The news marked the end of Dai's nightmarish time at the helm. During his tenure, the Royals have been placed under a number of transfer embargoes and been handed points deductions totalling 18 points.
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