Ups, downs and the race for Europe

BBC Sport outlines the promotion and relegation issues – and the race for European qualification – in England and Scotland for 2025-26.

Recent confirmed promotions, relegations, titles & qualifications

10 May – Hearts and Celtic qualify for Champions League

9 May – Arsenal qualify for Women's Champions League

9 May – Kidderminster Harriers and Hornchurch promoted to National League

9 May – Airdrieonians relegated to Scottish League One

6 May – Manchester City win Women's Super League title

3 May – Manchester United qualify for Champions League

3 May – Chelsea qualify for Women's Champions League

Premier League

Burnley were condemned to an immediate return to the Championship with four Premier League games remaining [Reuters]

The top five teams are guaranteed qualification for the league phase of the Champions League, with four regular places boosted by England being one of the two associations with the highest coefficient for 2025-26 to earn one of the European Performance Spots (EPS), as confirmed on 7 April.

Arsenal. Manchester City and Manchester United cannot finish lower than fifth, so have confirmed their Champions League spots. Should Arsenal win this season's Champions League, that would not earn an extra Champions League berth for English teams.

However, there is a place in the league phase of the Champions League reserved for the Europa League winners – which could be Aston Villa.

Should Villa win the Europa League and finish fourth, nothing would change. If they win it and finish fifth, they would enter the Champions League, as would the sixth-placed team via the EPS – but England would forfeit a Europa League place. If Villa win the Europa League and finish sixth, the Conference League place is forfeited.

Ordinarily, the sixth-placed Premier League team will qualify for the league phase of the Europa League, along with the FA Cup winners. If the FA Cup winners have already qualified for the Champions League, that Europa place reverts to the league.

Because Manchester City have qualified for the Champions League, their Conference League play-off round place earned as Carabao Cup final winners reverts to the league.

If Crystal Palace win the Conference League, they will qualify for the league phase of the Europa League.

The bottom three teams will be relegated to the Championship. Wolverhampton Wanderers' relegation was confirmed on 20 April after West Ham's 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace, while Burnley went down on 22 April after losing 1-0 to Manchester City.

Premier League secures fifth Champions League spot
How Villa could get sixth into the Champions League

Women's Super League

Manchester City clinched the WSL title when rivals Arsenal could only draw 1-1 with Brighton on 6 May.

The WSL champions and runners-up will enter the league phase of the Women's Champions League, with the third-placed side entering in the third round. Second and third place is between Chelsea and Arsenal, and will be decided on the final day of the season (16 May).

Bottom side Leicester City will face a play-off against the third-placed WSL 2 team, Charlton Athletic on 23 May. With the WSL expanding to 14 teams for 2026-27, the top two teams in WSL 2 – Birmingham City and Crystal Palace – have earned automatic promotion.

Championship

Coventry were promoted to the Premier League with three games to spare, and received the trophy at their final home match [Reuters]

Coventry City clinched promotion by drawing 1-1 at Blackburn on 17 April, and made sure of the title four days later by thrashing Portsmouth 5-1. They will be joined in the Premier League by Ipswich Town, who beat QPR 3-0 on 2 May to seal the runners-up spot.

Millwall, Southampton, Middlesbrough and Hull City will contest a play-off for the final promotion place.

Having suffered two points deductions, Sheffield Wednesday's relegation to League One was confirmed on 22 February when they lost 2-1 at Sheffield United. Leicester City joined them on 21 April after drawing 2-2 with Hull, and Oxford United became the third relegated team before they kicked off on 25 April after two other results went against them.

League One

Lincoln clinched promotion on Easter Monday with five games to spare [PA Media]

Lincoln City became the first EFL team to be promoted in 2025-26 when they won 2-1 at Reading on 6 April, and clinched the title on 21 April after winning 2-0 at Doncaster. They will be joined in the Championship by runners-up Cardiff City who clinched promotion on 18 April with a 3-1 win at Reading.

Stockport, Bradford, Bolton and Stevenage will enter a play-off for the last promotion place.

The bottom four teams are relegated to League Two. Rotherham United were the first team to succumb when they lost 3-0 at Wigan on 14 April, Northampton Town joined them when they were beaten 2-1 at Luton the following day, and Port Vale went down after losing 1-0 at Cardiff on 22 April. Exeter City were relegated after losing 2-1 to Bradford on 2 May.

League Two

Bromley clinched promotion in only their second season as an EFL club, and took the title on the final day of the season [PA Media]

Bromley clinched promotion to League One without kicking a ball on 18 April after Notts County lost 2-1 to Barnet, while a 3-1 win over Walsall on 2 May handed them the title. Milton Keynes Dons made sure fo promotion on 25 April after beating Tranmere 3-0, and Cambridge United took the third automatic place on 2 May with a goalless draw at Crewe.

Salford City, Notts County, Chesterfield and Grimsby Town will contest the play-offs for the final promotion spot.

The bottom two teams will be relegated to the National League, and both went down on 2 May – Barrow lost 2-1 to Newport County and Harrogate Town were beaten 2-1 by Barnet.

National League

York sensationally clinched the title by equalising in the 103rd minute to take the trophy from nearest rivals Rochdale at Spotland [PA Media]

York City were promoted to the EFL as champions after dramatically drawing 1-1 with nearest rivals Rochdale on the final day of the season.

In the play-off final for the second promotion place, Rochdale face Boreham Wood on 10 May.

Truro City were relegated on 3 April after losing 1-0 at Yeovil, and Braintree Town joined them on 6 April after drawing 0-0 with Woking. Brackley Town and Morecambe were both relegated on 11 April – the former after a 1-0 defeat at Scunthorpe and the latter following a 5-1 loss at Woking.

They will be replaced by National League North champions AFC Fylde and play-off winners Kidderminster Harriers, and National League South champions Worthing and play-off winners Hornchurch,

Scottish Premiership

The Premiership split in half after 33 games, with each club playing the others in their 'half' for a fourth and final time.

The champions – Hearts or Celtic – will enter the Champions League play-off round, with the runners-up entering in the second qualifying round.

The third and fourth-placed Premiership teams will enter the Conference League at the second qualifying round. Rangers are guaranteed to finish third.

However, if Celtic win the Scottish Cup, the Europa League third qualifying round place reserved for the Cup winners goes to Rangers, with the fourth and fifth-placed teams entering the Conference League.

Bottom club Livingston were relegated to the Scottish Championship on 2 May after Kilmarnock's 3-0 win over Dundee United, while the 11th-placed team – St Mirren or Kilmarnock – will enter a play-off with three Championship sides.

Scottish Championship

Champions St Johnstone are promoted to the Scottish Premiership, having clinched top spot on 21 April with a 2-0 win at Dunfermline.

Dunfermline Athletic will meet runners-up Partick Thistle over two legs on 12 and 15 May in the play-off semi-finals. The aggregate winners of that tie will meet the 11th-placed Premiership team for the final place in next season's top flight.

If Dunfermline win the Scottish Cup, they will enter the Europa League in the third qualifying round.

Bottom club Ross County will be relegated to Scottish League One after losing 3-2 at Raith Rovers on 1 May. Ninth-placed Airdrieonians went down on 9 May after losing their relegation play-off to League One side Alloa.

Scottish League One

Champions Inverness Caledonian Thistle are automatically promoted to the Scottish Championship after beating Hamilton 2-1 on 2 May..

Stenhousemuir will face Alloa Athletic in the play-off final (over two legs on 13 and 16 May) for the second promotion place.

Bottom club Kelty Hearts were relegated to League Two on 25 April after losing 2-0 to Cove Rangers, while ninth-placed Hamilton Academical will enter a play-off with three League Two teams.

Scottish League Two

East Kilbride clinched the title and automatic promotion to Scottish League One with a 5-0 win over Clyde on 2 May.

Clyde will face the ninth-placed League One side, Hamilton in the two-legged play-off final on 12 and 15 May.

After finishing bottom, Edinburgh City will enter a two-legged play-off against Highland League champions Brora Rangers on 9 and 16 May, with the first leg drawn 1-1. The winners will take the final place in League Two for 2026-27.

Lowland League winners Linlithgow Rose were ineligible to compete in the play-off after failing to be awarded a bronze SPFL licence.