EFL schedule confirmed for 2025/26 season

Supporters' Trust surfer flag on the Big Bank

As the 2024/25 season draws to an exciting close, supporters can now mark a further date in their calendar for the 2025/26 campaign with the highly anticipated fixture release day set for 9am on Thursday 26 June 2025.

The 2025/26 season will kick-off over the weekends of 1-3 August in League One and League Two and 8-10 August in the Championship.

Fixture release day will also incorporate the draws for Round One of the Carabao Cup and the Vertu Trophy Group Stage, which will both take place live on Sky Sports News.

The Carabao Cup will begin in mid-August, with Newcastle United no doubt having a keen interest as the current holders of the competition following their famous victory against Liverpool at Wembley Stadium in March. The Vertu Trophy will start in early-September, with this season’s competition reaching its conclusion on Sunday 13 April with both Birmingham City and Peterborough United aiming to win the trophy for a third time. 

The Sky Bet Play-Offs will take place over the 2026 May Bank Holiday Weekend, from 23-25 May.

The scheduled 46 rounds of League matches will take place across 33 weekends, nine midweeks and four Bank Holidays in the Championship, with Leagues One and Two playing over 33 weekends, five midweeks and eight Bank Holidays and International Breaks.

 Key dates ahead of the 2025/26 EFL season can be found below:

  • Fixture Release Date – Thursday 26 June 2025 at 9am.

 

  • EFL Opening Weekends
    • League One and League Two: Friday 1 August – Sunday 3 August
    • Championship: Friday 8 August – Sunday 10 August

 

  • Final games of the regular season – Weekend of 2/3 May 2026

 

  • Carabao Cup Round One Draw – Thursday 26 June 2025
  • Carabao Cup Round One – w/c 11 August 2025
  • Carabao Cup Final – Sunday 22 March 2026

 

  • Vertu Trophy Group Stage Draw – Thursday 26 June 2025
  • Vertu Trophy Matchday One – w/c 1 September 2025
  • Vertu Trophy Final – Sunday 12 April 2026

 

  • Championship Play-Off Final – Saturday 23 May 2026
  • League One Play-Off Final – Sunday 24 May 2026
  • League Two Play-Off Final – Monday 25 May 2026