Championship permutations: How Ipswich, Millwall, Middlesbrough can seal Premier League promotion on final day | OneFootball

Title races, automatic promotion battles, play-off tussles and relegation fights will all be decided on a dramatic final day of the season

There is still plenty to be decided ahead of the final day of the 2025-26 EFL season this weekend.

The Championship automatic promotion race and the three-way fight to reach the play-offs will take centre stage, while the battle to avoid the drop in League One and Two is equally an headline act.

Coventry have already sealed the Championship title, with celebrations taking place following their final home game of the campaign. At the bottom of the table, Oxford’s relegation to League One was confirmed last week as they will be going down along with Leicester and Sheffield Wednesday.

Lincoln have been promoted to English football’s second tier as League One champions with Port Vale, Rotherham and Northampton heading in the opposite direction.

The final round of Championship fixtures kick off at 12:30pm BST on Saturday, followed by 3pm kicks-offs in both League One and League Two. Here is all you need to know for the final day.

Automatic promotion

Coventry have secured automatic qualification to the Premier League, but the race to join them will go down to the wire as it is between Ipswich, Millwall and Middlesbrough.

Coventry will be back in the Premier League for the first time since 2001

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Ipswich are at home to Queens Park Rangers, while Millwall welcome already relegated Oxford to The Den, in what is arguably the more favourable fixture, and Boro finish up away at play-off chasing Wrexham.

Kieran McKenna’s side are on 81 points and will confirm a top-two finish - and an immediate return to the top-flight - with a victory. A draw would be enough if Millwall and Boro fail to win their respective matches.

Millwall are on 80 points and must beat Oxford and hope Ipswich drop points to have any chance of finishing as runners-up. A draw will not be enough in any scenario because of their inferior goal difference.

Boro are on 79 points so will finish second with a win over Wrexham coupled with Ipswich losing and Millwall failing to win their game.

There is a scenario where Ipswich and Middlesbrough both finish on 82 points. Remarkably, Boro would be promoted if they win by six or more goals and Millwall fail to win.

Play-offs

For two of Ipswich, Millwall and Middlesbrough, there will be the pain of missing out on automatic promotion and having to prepare for the play-offs.

All three teams along with Southampton are guaranteed a play-off spot, but the race to finish third and fourth - thus securing home advantage in the semi-final second leg - becomes a mini battle in its own right.

The Saints will begin the day fifth on 77 points and can finish third by virtue of a superior goal difference but would need to beat Preston and hope Millwall and Boro both lose.

The last play-off slot in the Championship is still yet to be settled though, with three teams battling it out on the final day.

Wrexham are in pole position in sixth on 70 points, the same as Hull who are seventh. Both teams are at home against Boro and Norwich respectively.

Derby are a point back in eighth, they host a Sheffield United side that has nothing to play for.

Wrexham’s fate is in their own hands as they chase another promotion

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Wrexham will be in play-offs if they win and Hull do not win by one more goal. A draw will be enough if Hull and Derby fail to win. If Wrexham lose, a top six finish will be confirmed if Hull and Derby also lose, but provided their margin of defeat is not greater than Hull's.

Hull will be in play-offs if they win and Wrexham fail to win, or if the better Wrexham's margin of victory by more than one goal. A draw will only be enough if Wrexham lose and Derby fail to win. A defeat could be enough for a top six finish but that is dependant on Wrexham losing by one more goal than their margin of defeat and Derby also losing.

If Wrexham and Hull finish with identical records, the head-to-head record between the sides would come into play. As Hull did the double over Wrexham, they would finish higher in the Championship table.

Derby will be in play-offs if they beat Norwich and Wrexham and Hull fail to win. Due to their superior goal difference, a point will be enough if Wrexham and Hull lose.

League One permutations

Play-offs

Bolton are the only team guaranteed a play-off place ahead of the final day. However, they still need a win against Luton to be absolutely sure of a top-three finish.

Speaking of Luton, they are won of five teams battling for the three remaining play-off spots. Jack Wilshere’s side begin the weekend one spot and one point out of the play-off positions but will sneak in if if they win and either Stockport lose, Bradford lose or Stevenage fail to win.

A draw will also be enough, but only if Stevenage lose and Plymouth fail to win.

Jack Wilshere could cap off an impressive season by guiding Luton into the play-offs

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Stockport, fourth on 74 points, can still finish above Bolton but will be in the play-offs if they avoid defeat against Barnsley or if either Bradford lose, Stevenage fail to win or Luton fail to win.

Bradford are level on points with Stockport and can also finish as high as third but will be in the play-offs if they avoid defeat against relegation-threatened Exeter or if Stevenage or Luton fail to win.

Stevenage are on 72 points, meaning they are the most vulnerable of dropping out of the top-six, though will secure a play-off spot if they beat Wigan at home or if Luton fail to better their result.

Plymouth are eighth on 70 points and can only finish as high as sixth to seal an immediate return to the Championship. For that to happen, they must beat relegated Northampton and hope and both Stevenage and Luton fail to win.

Just one final relegation spot is to be filled after Peterborough confirmed their survival on Tuesday night with a goalless draw at home to Mansfield.

Exeter have it all to do, at home to play-off chasing Bradford, as they will be relegated if they fail to win. The only way they can survive is by claiming all three points and Leyton Orient failing to beat Burton.

Title race

One of MK Dons or Bromley will be crowned League Two champions on the final day of the season. The Dons have a one-point advantage at the summit which means they need to better Bromley’s result against Walsall when they travel to Fleetwood.

Anything less than a win would open the door for Bromley to claim silverware, but their inferior goal difference to MK Dons means they must beat Walsall.

Bromley are out to pip MK Dons to the League Two title

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Automatic promotion

Cambridge United, Salford and Notts County are all in with a shout of going up automatically with MK Dons and Bromley.

Cambridge lead the way on 81 points and have the better goal difference ahead of facing Crewe away from home. They will be promoted with a win or if Salford and Notts County fail to win their respective matches. A point will be enough if Salford do not beat Crawley.

Salford can only be promoted if they win and Cambridge do not, while Notts County need to beat Bristol Rovers at home and hope Cambridge lose and Salford fail to win.

Play-offs

It is a straight shootout between Chesterfield and Swindon for the final play-off place. The Spireites will be in the play-offs as long as they avoid defeat at home which means only a win will do for Town.

The relegation picture in League Two is yet to be resolved ahead of the final day, with Barrow still in with a chance of survival. It would take a minor miracle for that to happen though as they need to beat Newport and hope Crawley lose to Salford at home with an eight-goal swing AND Harrogate lose to Barnet.

Harrogate will survive if they win their game and and one of Tranmere, Newport and Crawley fail to win. They will be relegated if they lose, providing Crawley do not lose by five more goals than they do.

Barrow have an outside chance of avoiding relegation from League Two

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Crawley will be relegated if they lose and either Harrogate avoid defeat or Barrow win with an eight-goal swing. A draw will not be enough for survival if Harrogate win and Newport and Tranmere avoid defeat.

Newport will be relegated if they lose and Crawley and Harrogate avoid defeat. Relegation would be confirmed if they draw, Tranmere avoid defeat and Crawley and Harrogate win.

Tranmere will be relegated if they lose, Newport and Crawley avoid defeat and Harrogate win.