Essential Dates for the 2026/27 Football Season Across Top Leagues

The upcoming football season will see shifts across Europe’s major leagues due to the expanded 48-team World Cup, which has pushed schedules back to allow players time to recover. Some players involved in the tournament will have different recovery periods based on their team's progress, affecting club preparations in various ways.

Premier League

The 2026/27 Premier League campaign begins on August 21, 2026, a week later than usual. The opening fixture features reigning champions Arsenal against newly promoted Coventry City in a Friday Night Football match. The season runs until May 30, 2027, with all final day fixtures held simultaneously. Before the league starts, the traditional Community Shield between Arsenal and Manchester City will take place on August 16 at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.

Scottish Premiership

The Scottish top flight kicks off earlier than England’s, starting on the weekend of July 31 - August 1, 2026. The season ends on May 16, 2027. The league splits into two groups — top six and bottom six — after the fixtures on April 10-11. Celtic enter as defending champions and proceed straight into the Champions League qualifying rounds.

EFL Championship

The second tier in England opens between August 14-17, 2026, spanning 46 matchdays. A major change this season is the playoffs expanding from four to six teams. The regular season concludes in early May, with the playoff final, often called the richest game in football, scheduled for the weekend of May 29-31, 2027.

Champions League

The continent’s premier club competition maintains its 36-team league phase format introduced in 2024/25. It begins between September 8-10, 2026, following an August 27 draw, and finishes on January 27, 2027. The top eight teams go straight to the Round of 16, while those ranked 9th to 24th battle in knockout playoffs. Paris Saint-Germain are favorites to win the final on June 5, 2027, hosted at Madrid’s Metropolitano Stadium.

FA Cup

The 146th FA Cup starts with the First Round on November 7, 2026. The Second Round follows on December 5, and Premier League and Championship clubs join in the Third Round on the weekend of January 9-10, 2027. The tournament progresses through February, culminating in the final at Wembley on May 15, 2027, where Manchester City aim to defend their title.

Serie A

Italy’s Serie A shifts slightly later, beginning on August 23, 2026 and ending on May 30, 2027. Inter Milan enter as defending champions. The season includes a winter break before resuming in January.

Bundesliga

Germany’s top division starts on August 28, 2026, concluding on May 22, 2027. A winter break begins after Matchday 14, with play restarting January 8. Bayern Munich begin as champions, while Schalke 04 returns after three years, and newcomers SV Elversberg make their debut. The season opens with the Supercup on August 22 between Bayern and Borussia Dortmund.

La Liga

Spain’s top league starts early on August 16, 2026, finishing on May 30, 2027. The famous El Clásico matches are set for October 25 at Camp Nou and May 9 at the Bernabeu.

Ligue 1

France’s Ligue 1 launches on the weekend of August 22-23, 2026 with PSG hosting Rennes. The league wraps up on May 29, 2027. It will feature 18 teams playing 34 matchdays without midweek games, easing the post-World Cup schedule.

2026/27 Football Calendar Overview

• Community Shield: August 16, 2026
• Premier League: August 21, 2026 – May 30, 2027
• Champions League (league phase): September 8, 2026 – June 5, 2027
• Serie A: August 23, 2026 – May 30, 2027
• Bundesliga: August 28, 2026 – May 22, 2027
• La Liga: August 15-16, 2026 – May 30, 2027
• Ligue 1: August 22-23, 2026 – May 29, 2027
• Europa League (league phase): September 16, 2026 – May 2027
• Conference League (league phase): October 15, 2026 – May 2027
• FA Cup (First Round): November 7, 2026 – May 15, 2027
• Carabao Cup: August 7-9, 2026 – February 28, 2027 (Final)
• EFL Championship: August 14, 2026 – May 8, 2027
• Scottish Premiership: July 31-August 1, 2026 – May 16, 2027
• WSL (Women’s Super League): September 4-6, 2026 – May 21-23, 2027