Ranking the 8 EFL League One clubs most likely to be relegated in 2026/27 | OneFootball

We'll look into the eight League One clubs that are most likely to be relegated in the 2026/27 season, in what should be a closely-fought battle.

League One can be an unforgiving league, and there are plenty of former Premier League teams that find it tough to force themselves back out of the third-tier.

The likes of Bradford City, Leicester City, Sheffield Wednesday, Reading, Blackpool, Wigan Athletic, and Luton Town all find themselves in League One heading into the 2026/27 league campaign, and will be targeting promotion.

However, at the other end of the table, there are many teams that will be in the relegation dogfight in the upcoming season, and

Here at Football League World, we'll look into EIGHT League One clubs that are most likely to be relegated from the third tier.

1 ? ? Leyton Orient

Leyton Orient narrowly avoided relegation into League Two in the 2025/26 league campaign, and their supporters will be eager to put that season to the back of their minds at the earliest of opportunities.

It was a season to forget, although Dom Ballard's performances in front of goal were a rare bright spark. It remains to be seen as to what the future holds for the former Southampton youngster, who has reportedly been attracted interest from other clubs this summer.

It remains to be seen whether Ballard will stick around at Leyton Orient heading into the 2026/27 season, and if he was to depart, then they could find it tough to avoid relegation for a second time this term.

Leyton Orient would find it tough to find a suitable replacement for their star man in the transfer window, and he'd leave a sizeable void in their starting XI, although he's more than deserving of a move higher up the pyramid, having scored 23 goals in 40 league appearances for Orient.

2 ? ? Peterborough United

Luke Williams' appointment at Peterborough United was met with much excitement, and the former Notts County boss lived up to the expectation early on, as he took Posh from the relegation zone to challenging for the play-offs, albeit briefly.

However, that momentum under Williams' came to an abrupt halt, as Peterborough went winless from their last nine League One matches, which resulted in them finishing 18th in the League One standings, and just four points clear of the relegation zone.

Reinforcements are certainly needed this summer, and even though it would be a surprise to see Peterborough relegated from the third-tier, there's a real possibility they could be in for a potentially difficult season.

3 ? ? Notts County

Notts County made a long-awaited return to League One, as they confirmed promotion via the play-offs, beating Chesterfield in the final at Wembley.

The Magpies have had a difficult few years since they were relegated from the third-tier back in the 2014/15 season, and the club's supporters will feel as though it's been a long road back to where they find themselves now.

Martin Paterson will be well-aware of the challenge ahead for his squad, and it could take some time to adjust to the difference in quality. They're more than capable of avoiding the drop, but new additions are needed to strengthen the squad.

4 ? ? MK Dons

MK Dons gained promotion back into third-tier after a three-year spell in League Two, and they're in for an interesting season ahead back in League One.

They're well-backed financially, but the step up to League One can be a tricky transition to make for any club, and it wouldn't be too much of a surprise to see MK Dons fighting in and around the bottom-four next season.

They've got some experience in their ranks, but if they don't recruit smartly, then they could be making a swift return to the fourth tier.

5 ? ? Burton Albion

Burton Albion have established themselves as a team that show a serious amount of fight towards the end of the season, and they'll be preparing for their ninth consecutive season in League One.

The Brewers finished the 2025/26 season unbeaten in their last six matches, which saw them finish 17th in the third-tier standings under the management of Gary Bowyer, who continues to impress with them.

Burton don't have anywhere near the sort of budget to dip into compared to teams challenging for promotion, and so it's a credit to them to see the Brewers picking up points to keep themselves clear of the dreaded relegation zone.

After back-to-back 20th place finishes in League One, it's pleasing to see Burton heading in the right direction, but it wouldn't be too surprising to see them in and around the drop zone in next year's league campaign.

6 ? ? AFC Wimbledon

Despite making a strong start to their first season back in League One, and picked up wins against the likes of Plymouth Argyle, Wycombe Wanderers, and Reading to name a few, and with all of those teams challenging for a top-six finish in the third-tier at the time, it made for impressive viewing.

However, they struggled to build on that early season momentum, and ended up losing nine of their last 11 league matches, which saw AFC Wimbledon finish just four points clear of the League One relegation zone.

They're one of the most likely of the teams that haven't been promoted to be in and around the bottom-four next season in League One.

7 ? ? Cambridge United

Cambridge United bounced back into League One at the first time of asking this season, as they finished third in League Two, beating Salford City to the final automatic promotion place.

Cambridge were far from convincing in their last spell in the 2024/25 season, where they finished 23rd in the table, and nine points adrift of safety.

Plenty of players have left the club upon the expiration of their contracts, and so it's vital that Neil Harris replaces them in the near future, as they look to avoid dropping back into League Two next season. It seems a tough ask for the former Millwall boss though, and it'll be interesting to see what sort of calibre of player that the club can attract this summer.

Bromley stunned League Two last season, as they won the fourth-tier title, which also made it back-to-back promotions, after winning promotion from the National League in the 2024/25 league campaign.

The Ravens are likely to find it tough to continue their sharp rise up the English football pyramid, as League One in particular is a hugely competitive league this year.

Bromley had their fair share of loanees during the 2025/26 season, and you would imagine that they'll be dipping back into the loan market this summer, as they look to add quality to their ranks, although it seems more than likely that they'll be fighting to avoid the drop in the 2026/27 season.