Starting in the 2026-27 season, more English Championship teams will be able to dream of reaching the Premier League after the EFL (English Football League) announced an expansion of the promotion playoff system.
How Premier League promotion currently works
Under the current format, the top two teams in the Championship are automatically promoted to the Premier League.
The clubs finishing third through sixth qualify for the playoffs. The third-placed team faces the one that finished sixth, while fourth takes on fifth in two-legged semifinals. The two winners then meet in a one-off game at Wembley Stadium to determine the final promoted team.
New format: Two extra playoff spots
Under the new format, three teams will still be promoted, and three will be relegated. However, two additional Championship clubs will now be involved in the playoffs.
The change introduces one-legged quarterfinals. The team that finishes fifth will face the side in eighth, while sixth will play seventh.
The winners will progress to the semifinals, where they will face the teams that finished third and fourth during the regular season.
From that point on, the playoffs will follow their traditional format, with the semifinals remaining two-legged.
For now, the change will only affect the Championship, with no plans to introduce the new format in the EFL’s lower divisions.
Reynolds’ Wrexham and Brady’s Birmingham could benefit
The change could benefit Wrexham, owned by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, as well as Birmingham City, where Tom Brady is a minority owner.
As it stands, Wrexham are on course to finish in the playoff places this season, although there are no guarantees. Birmingham, currently 12th, are among the teams hoping to catch them, though the new format in 2026-27 could offer the Blues a better opportunity to reach the Premier League.
The “richest game in football”
Such are the financial rewards for reaching the Premier League that the Championship playoff final is frequently described as the “richest game in football.”
According to BBC Sport, Sunderland stood to earn £200 million, more than $266 million, as a result of winning the 2024-25 final, largely due to the Premier League’s massive television broadcast deals.
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