Championship

England's fiercely competitive second tier, the gateway to the Premier League.

The English Football League Championship is the second tier of the English football pyramid, sitting directly below the Premier League and above League One. Traceable to the old Football League Second Division founded in 1892, the competition adopted its current Championship branding in 2004 and has built a reputation as one of the most competitive and unpredictable leagues in world football, renowned for its punishing 46-match schedule and high average attendances. Twenty-four clubs contest the division across a full home-and-away league season running from August to May. The top two teams win automatic promotion to the Premier League, while the clubs finishing third to sixth enter the play-offs, culminating in the Wembley final widely regarded as the richest single match in football. At the other end, the bottom three sides are relegated to League One. Leicester City hold the record for the most second-tier titles, with eight championships across nearly a century, while a host of famous names have passed through the division on their way up or down. Coventry City enter the new season as reigning champions after topping the table in 2025/26. For fans following scores, tables and fixtures, the Championship offers relentless weekly drama and genuine unpredictability from top to bottom.