Championship 2025/26 fixtures – live: EFL opening matches and full schedule revealed

The League One fixtures for the opening weekend of the 2025-2026 season:

• 20:00 Luton Town v A.F.C. Wimbledon

• 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

• 12:00 Stockport County v Bolton Wanderers

And here’s a look at the final day of the season, as Blackburn host Leicester and Wrexham take on Middlesbrough:

• 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

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

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.

• 20:00 – Birmingham City v Ipswich Town

• 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

• 16:30 – Leicester City v Sheffield Wednesday

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

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.

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.

Sheffield Wednesday have been charged by the EFL for “multiple breaches” relating to the club’s payment obligations.

In March, the Championship club failed to pay the players their salaries on time due to what were described as “cashflow” issues.

It has since been reported there were also problems with payments for May – which are also said to have included non-playing club staff and other employees.

Gareth Bale is part of a US investment group in talks over a buyout of League One club Plymouth.

The Telegraph were first to report that the 35-year-old former Real Madrid and Wales forward was part of the group seeking to buy Argyle.

It is understood the group featuring Bale has registered an interest in buying Argyle, but the process is at a very early stage.

Also today is the Carabao Cup first-round draw, taking place this afternoon.

There will be 70 of the 72 EFL clubs entering the first round after two preliminary matches between the two sides promoted from the National League last season and the clubs who finished 21st and 22nd in League Two.

Here’s everything you need to know about the draw: