The 2026-27 football season is under way, with the qualifying rounds of the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League all starting this week.
Both the Premier League and all three divisions in the English Football League will start in August, as will the EFL Cup.
The full league phases of the Champions League and Europa League start in September, with the Conference League beginning in October.
The full rounds of the FA Cup start in November.
There will be four international breaks this season instead of five. There are also major continental tournaments in Asia, Africa and North and Central America.
What are the Premier League and EFL key dates?
Premier League
- Friday, 21 August, 2026 – First match of the season
- Sunday, 30 May, 2027 – Final day of the season
Championship
- Friday, 14 August, 2026 – First match of the season
- Saturday, 1 May, 2027 – Final match of the season
- Saturday, 29 May, 2027 – Play-off final
League One
- Saturday, 15 August, 2026 – First match of the season
- Saturday, 8 May, 2027 – Final match of the season
- Sunday, 30 May, 2027 – Play-off final
League Two
- Saturday, 15 August, 2026 – First match of the season
- Saturday, 8 May, 2027 – Final match of the season
- Monday, 31 May, 2027 – Play-off final
When is the FA Cup and EFL Cup?
FA Cup
- Saturday, 7 November, 2026 – First round
- Saturday, 5 December, 2026 – Second round
- Saturday, 9 January, 2027 – Third round
- Saturday, 13 February, 2027 – Fourth round
- Saturday, 6 March, 2027 – Fifth round
- Saturday, 3 April, 2027 – Quarter-finals
- Saturday, 24 April, 2027 – Semi-finals
- Saturday, 22 May, 2027 – Final
EFL Cup
- Friday, 7 August – Monday, 10 August, 2026 – First round
- Week commencing Monday, 24 August 2026 – Second round
- Week commencing Monday, 7 September and week commencing Monday, 14 September, 2026 – Third round
- Week commencing Monday, 26 October, 2026 – Fourth round
- Week commencing Monday, 14 December, 2026 – Quarter-finals
- Week commencing Monday, 11 January, 2027 – Semi-final first legs
- Week commencing Monday, 1 February, 2027 – Semi-final second legs
- Sunday, 21 March, 2027 – Final
When is the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League?
Champions League
- Tuesday, 14 July & Wednesday, 15 July, 2026 – First qualifying round second legs
- Monday, 20 July, 2026 – Third qualifying round draw
- Tuesday, 21 July & Wednesday, 22 July, 2026 – Second qualifying round first legs
- Tuesday, 28 July & Wednesday, 29 July, 2026 – Second qualifying round second legs
- Monday, 3 August, 2026 – Play-off qualifying round draw
- Tuesday, 4 August & Wednesday, 5 August, 2026 – Third qualifying round first legs
- Tuesday, 11 August, 2026 – Third qualifying round second legs
- Tuesday, 18 August & Wednesday, 19 August, 2026 – Play-off qualifying round first legs
- Tuesday, 25 August & Wednesday, 26 August, 2026 – Play-off qualifying round second legs
- Thursday, 27 August, 2026 – League phase round draw
- Tuesday, 8 September – Thursday, 10 September, 2026 – League phase matchday one
- Tuesday, 13 October & Wednesday, 14 October, 2026 – League phase matchday two
- Tuesday, 20 October & Wednesday, 21 October, 2026 – League phase matchday three
- Tuesday, 3 November & Wednesday, 4 November, 2026 – League phase matchday four
- Tuesday, 24 October & Wednesday, 25 November, 2026 – League phase matchday five
- Tuesday, 8 December & Wednesday, 9 December, 2026 – League phase matchday six
- Tuesday, 19 January & Wednesday, 20 January, 2027 – League phase matchday seven
- Wednesday, 20 January, 2027 – League phase matchday eight
- Tuesday, 16 February & Wednesday, 17 February, 2027 – Play-off knockout round first legs
- Tuesday, 23 February & Wednesday, 24 February, 2027 – Play-off knockout round second legs
- Tuesday, 9 March & Wednesday, 10 March, 2027 – Round of 16 first legs
- Tuesday, 16 March & Wednesday, 17 March, 2027 – Round of 16 second legs
- Tuesday, 6 April & Wednesday, 7 April, 2027 – Quarter-final first legs
- Tuesday, 13 April & Wednesday, 14 April, 2027 – Quarter-final second legs
- Tuesday, 27 April & Wednesday, 28 April, 2027 – Semi-final first legs
- Tuesday, 4 May & Wednesday, 5 May, 2027 – Semi-final second legs
- Saturday, 5 June, 2027 – Final
Europa League
- Thursday, 9 July, 2026 – First qualifying round first legs
- Thursday, 16 July, 2026 – First qualifying round second legs
- Monday, 20 July, 2026 – Third qualifying round draw
- Thursday, 23 July, 2026 – Second qualifying round first legs
- Thursday, 30 July, 2026 – Second qualifying round second legs
- Monday, 3 August, 2026 – Play-off qualifying round draw
- Thursday, 6 August, 2026 – Third qualifying round first legs
- Thursday, 13 August, 2026 – Third qualifying round second legs
- Thursday, 20 August, 2026 – Play-off qualifying round first legs
- Thursday, 27 August, 2026 – Play-off qualifying round second legs
- Friday, 28 August, 2026 – League phase round draw
- Wednesday, 16 September & Thursday, 17 September, 2026 – League phase matchday one
- Thursday, 15 October, 2026 – League phase matchday two
- Thursday, 22 October, 2026 – League phase matchday three
- Thursday, 5 November, 2026 – League phase matchday four
- Thursday, 26 November, 2026 – League phase matchday five
- Thursday, 10 December, 2026 – League phase matchday six
- Thursday, 21 January, 2027 – League phase matchday seven
- Thursday, 28 January, 2027 – League phase matchday eight
- Thursday, 18 February, 2027 – Play-off knockout round first legs
- Thursday, 25 February, 2027 – Play-off knockout round second legs
- Thursday, 11 March, 2027 – Round of 16 first legs
- Thursday, 18 March, 2027 – Round of 16 second legs
- Thursday, 8 April, 2027 – Quarter-final first legs
- Thursday, 15 April, 2027 – Quarter-final second legs
- Thursday, 29 April, 2027 – Semi-final first legs
- Thursday, 6 May, 2027 – Semi-final second legs
- Wednesday, 26 May, 2027 – Final
Conference League
- Thursday, 9 July, 2026 – First qualifying round first legs
- Thursday, 16 July, 2026 – First qualifying round second legs
- Monday, 20 July, 2026 – Third qualifying round draw
- Thursday, 23 July, 2026 – Second qualifying round first legs
- Thursday, 30 July, 2026 – Second qualifying round second legs
- Monday, 3 August, 2026 – Play-off qualifying round draw
- Thursday, 6 August, 2026 – Third qualifying round first legs
- Thursday, 13 August, 2026 – Third qualifying round second legs
- Thursday, 20 August, 2026 – Play-off qualifying round first legs
- Thursday, 27 August, 2026 – Play-off qualifying round second legs
- Friday, 28 August, 2026 – League phase round draw
- Thursday, 15 October, 2026 – League phase matchday one
- Thursday, 22 October, 2026 – League phase matchday two
- Thursday, 5 November, 2026 – League phase matchday three
- Thursday, 26 November, 2026 – League phase matchday four
- Thursday, 10 December, 2026 – League phase matchday five
- Thursday, 17 December, 2026 – League phase matchday six
- Thursday, 18 February, 2027 – Play-off knockout round first legs
- Thursday, 25 February, 2027 – Play-off knockout round second legs
- Thursday, 11 March, 2027 – Round of 16 first legs
- Thursday, 18 March, 2027 – Round of 16 second legs
- Thursday, 8 April, 2027 – Quarter-final first legs
- Thursday, 15 April, 2027 – Quarter-final second legs
- Thursday, 29 April, 2027 – Semi-final first legs
- Thursday, 6 May, 2027 – Semi-final second legs
- Wednesday, 2 June, 2027 – Final
When are the international breaks?
- Thursday, 11 June, 2026 – Sunday, 19 July, 2026 – 2026 World Cup
- Monday, 21 September, 2026 – Tuesday, 6 October, 2026 – September/October international break
- Monday, 9 November – Tuesday, 17 November, 2026 – November international break
- Thursday, 7 January, 2027 – Friday, 5 February, 2027 – 2027 Asian Cup
- Monday, 22 March – Tuesday, 30 March, 2027 – March international break
- Monday, 7 June – Tuesday, 15 June, 2027 – June international break
- Friday, 18 June – Sunday, 11 July, 2027 – 2027 Concacaf Gold Cup
- Saturday, 19 June – Saturday, 17 July, 2027 – 2027 Africa Cup of Nations
This article is the latest from BBC Sport’s Ask Me Anything team.
