Already thinking about the next Premier League season? There’s a World Cup to fit in first – but the most important dates are out for the 2026/27 period.
When does the 2026/27 Premier League season start?
The 2026/27 season starts Saturday 22 August.
It is a week later than the 25/26 season to help players recover from the 2026 World Cup.
An August 22 kick-off is 89 days after the end of the 25/26 campaign and 33 days after the World Cup final on July 19.
When does the 2026/27 Premier League season end?
The Premier League has confirmed that the final round of matches will go ahead Sunday 30 May 2027.
All 10 matches start at the same time and will be shown live Sky Sports.
That date is a week before the 2027 Champions League final on June 5.
When are the Premier League games 26/27 out?
The Premier League fixtures for 2026/27 will be announced on Friday 19 June at 10 o’clock.
In previous seasons, the opening game has taken place on the Friday of the opening weekend, but the final schedule and telecast selections will be announced in due course.
What will be the Christmas plan?
The 26/27 season will consist of 33 weekends and five midweek fixtures, although the full schedule will be confirmed at a later date.
Only one Premier League game was available for live broadcast on Boxing Day last season, but December 26 this year falls on a Saturday, so fans can expect a busier line-up of top-flight fixtures this time around.
The Premier League says that during the Christmas and New Year period, two rounds of matches will not take place within 60 hours “to address the congested Christmas and New Year schedule within the extended international calendar”.
How many matches will be live on Sky Sports?
As in the season bumper 25/26, Sky Sports will show a minimum of 215 live Premier League matches as part of its current four-year television deal.
Sky Sports has first choice matches each week and will continue to show more matches at 14.00 on Sunday for a number of weekends.
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Do you want even more flexibility? Check out NOW TV, which offers options for daily or monthly membership contract free so customers can cancel at any time.
Which new teams are in the Premier League next season?
Frank Lampard’s Coventry City were promoted from the Championship as champions, while Ipswich Town secured automatic promotion by finishing second.
The winner of the Championship play-off between Hull and Middlesbrough will complete the Premier League 2026/27 line-up.
Burnley and Wolves were relegated in 2025/26, with West Ham or Tottenham bidding to avoid joining them.
When does the summer transfer window open?
The summer transfer window opens on Monday 15 June and closes Monday, August 31 – nine days after the start of the season – at a time to be confirmed.
When do the cup tournaments start?
The Carabao Cup kicks off for EFL clubs on the weekend of 7-9. August, but the dates for the later rounds have not yet been confirmed.
The FA Cup dates are also still to be confirmed, although the third round usually takes place in early January.
When do European competitions start?
Michael Carrick has led Manchester United back to the Champions League
Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United and Aston Villa have secured Champions League football, with fifth place – currently held by Liverpool – still to be decided.
By virtue of England’s strong UEFA coefficient scores, all five teams will avoid any qualifying and play-off rounds in July and August and go straight through to the league stage, which runs from 8-10. September to 27 January 2027.
The Europa League and Conference League places will be confirmed on the final day of the 25/26 Premier League season, with several teams still in contention.
The Europa League league stage starts on 16/17 September and the Conference League league stage begins on 15 October.
Is there a club WC this year?
No – the World Cup is instead the focus this summer.
An expanded 32-team Club World Cup, won by Chelsea, took place for the first time in 2025 and will run every four years.
The hosts have yet to be confirmed, although Mexico and Morocco – ahead of their 2030 World Cup with Spain and Portugal – have expressed interest in staging the 2029 edition.