EFL Championship Playoffs Expand to Six Teams in 2026-27

The English Football League announced on Thursday that its Championship clubs have voted to expand the playoffs from four to six teams, starting with the 2026-27 season, offering more squads a shot at promotion to the Premier League.

The change, approved at the EFL's general meeting, requires teams finishing seventh and eighth in the regular season table to enter the postseason alongside those in third through sixth places. Under the new structure, the seventh- and eighth-placed teams will travel to face the fifth- and sixth-placed sides in single-leg eliminator matches. The winners of those ties will then advance to the traditional two-legged semifinals against the third- and fourth-placed teams, with the ultimate victor earning a spot in the Wembley final to secure promotion.

The decision followed months of consultations with clubs and stakeholders, passing with a majority vote among all EFL clubs and a separate majority from the 24 Championship teams. EFL Chief Executive Trevor Birch hailed the expansion as a positive step. "Since their introduction in 1986-87, the playoffs have become a highlight of the domestic football calendar, capturing the drama, suspense and jeopardy...