Championship play-off expansion confirmed for 2026/27 season | OneFootball

The EFL have confirmed today that as of next season the Championship play-offs will be expanded to include six teams.

This means that everyone who finishes from 3rd to 8th in the division from the 2026/27 season onwards, will enter the play-off campaign.

The sides who finish seventh and eighth will visit the sides that end the season 5th and 6th for a knockout game, before the winners of both advance to two legged semi-final fixtures against the third and fourth-placed sides.

The decision has sparked outrage amongst some fans, whilst others believe it to be a reasonable idea due to the fact it will likely make the league’s latter stages more interesting by reducing the number of teams with nothing to play for.

It will also mean that one third of the teams in the division will enter the play-offs following the final game of the season, with many arguing that is an excessive amount when the current system works well in it’s current form.

Another thing that has frustrated football fans is the move taking precedence over the ‘three up’ campaign in the National League.

It aims to see three teams promoted from the top division of non-league as well as three relegated from League Two, which would mean it follows the same system as the majority of leagues in Europe.

However, whilst this remains merely a campaign that isn’t currently looking likely to come to fruition before the end of this season, the new play-off system has been pushed through to a vote from Championship clubs as soon as possible.

Given the fan backlash when the idea was initially pitched, some are surprised that the EFL and the clubs themselves have followed through on the idea.

But it remains interesting to see how the adjustment pans out next season and, if deemed a success, whether or not it will be extended to League One and Two.