The 2026-27 football season is already under way, with qualifying rounds for the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League kicking off this week. Here is every key date you need across the domestic English game and the three major UEFA club competitions.

Premier League and EFL dates

The Premier League opens on Friday, 21 August 2026 and concludes on Sunday, 30 May 2027. The Championship begins a week earlier, on Friday, 14 August 2026, and wraps up on Saturday, 1 May 2027, with the play-off final on Saturday, 29 May 2027.

League One and League Two both start on Saturday, 15 August 2026, and finish their regular seasons on Saturday, 8 May 2027. The League One play-off final follows on Sunday, 30 May 2027, while League Two's play-off final takes place on Monday, 31 May 2027.

FA Cup and EFL Cup

The FA Cup first round is scheduled for Saturday, 7 November 2026, with subsequent rounds on 5 December 2026 (second round), 9 January 2027 (third round), 13 February 2027 (fourth round), 6 March 2027 (fifth round), and 3 April 2027 (quarter-finals). The semi-finals fall on Saturday, 24 April 2027, and the final on Saturday, 22 May 2027.

The EFL Cup begins between Friday, 7 August and Monday, 10 August 2026, moving through its rounds in late August (second round), September (third round), and late October (fourth round). The quarter-finals are set for the week of 14 December 2026, the semi-finals span January and February 2027, and the final is on Sunday, 21 March 2027.

Champions League

Qualifying is already in progress, with the league phase draw taking place on Thursday, 27 August 2026. Matchday one of the league phase runs from 8–10 September 2026, before the competition progresses through six more matchdays to January 2027. The play-off knockout round runs in February 2027, the round of 16 in March, and the quarter-finals and semi-finals in April and May respectively. The Champions League final is on Saturday, 5 June 2027.

Europa League

The Europa League's qualifying stages began on Thursday, 9 July 2026, with the league phase draw set for Friday, 28 August 2026. The league phase opens on 16–17 September 2026 and runs eight matchdays through to late January 2027. Knockout rounds follow in February and March, with the semi-finals in late April and early May. The Europa League final is on Wednesday, 26 May 2027.

Conference League

The Conference League mirrors the Europa League's qualifying schedule, also starting on 9 July 2026. Its league phase — which runs only six matchdays, compared to eight in the other competitions — begins on Thursday, 15 October 2026 and concludes on Thursday, 17 December 2026. The knockout rounds follow the same February–May structure, and the final is on Wednesday, 2 June 2027.

International breaks and major tournaments

There are four international breaks this season rather than five. The 2026 World Cup window runs from Thursday, 11 June to Sunday, 19 July 2026. A September/October break follows from Monday, 21 September to Tuesday, 6 October 2026, with a November break from Monday, 9 November to Tuesday, 17 November 2026. A fourth window opens Thursday, 7 January 2027 through Friday, 5 February 2027. The season also features major continental tournaments in Asia, Africa, and North and Central America.