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.
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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