When are EFL fixtures released? Date, time and schedule ahead of 2025/26 season | OneFootball

When are EFL fixtures released? Date, time and schedule ahead of 2025/26 season | OneFootball

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Icon: The Independent

The Independent

·18 June 2025

When are EFL fixtures released? Date, time and schedule ahead of 2025/26 season

Article image:When are EFL fixtures released? Date, time and schedule ahead of 2025/26 season

The EFL season only ended less than a month ago but preparations are already underway for 2025/26, with clubs making signings, appointing managers and confirming pre-season schedules across all three leagues.

And a vital step in each club’s preparations comes with the release of the fixture calendar, as every team learns of opening day fixtures, dates for the diary and their opponents at vital points in the season.


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While the Premier League has already released the schedule for teams in the top flight, EFL clubs learn their own fixtures just over a week later, ahead of the respective seasons starting in the opening two weekends of August.

And with the fixture release just around the corner, here is everything you need to know.

When are EFL fixtures released?

Fixtures for each of the leagues in the EFL will be released on Thursday, 26 June at 12pm BST, according to the EFL website.

Every club in the Championship, League One and League Two will learn their full list of fixtures for the 2025/26 season on that date, with dates for the play-off finals already confirmed.

When does the 2025/26 Championship season begin?

The opening matches of the 2025/26 season in the second division will take place over the weekend of 8-10 August.

The 46 rounds of league matches will take place across 33 weekends, nine midweeks and four bank holidays, with the final games of the regular season played over the weekend of 2 May.

When does the 2025/26 season begin in League One and League Two?

In the third and fourth division, the season will begin a week earlier than in the Championship, with the first fixtures taking place over the weekend of 1 to 3 August.

Matches will be played over 33 weekends, five midweeks and eight bank holidays and international breaks. As in the Championship, the final matches of the regular season will take place over the weekend of 2 May.

EFL Key dates

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

Round One: week commencing 11 August 2025

Vertu Trophy

Group Stage Draw: Thursday, 26 June 2025

Matchday One: week commencing 1 September 2025

Final: Sunday, 12 April 2026

Play-offs

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

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