AI predicts all 24 EFL League One club's final position in the 2025/26 table | OneFootball

ChatGPT ranks every club from relegation strugglers to surprise champions

League One is a deeply unpredictable playing field, where fallen giants meet upwardly mobile upstarts, and consistency is a luxury few can afford.

The third tier offers a chaotic blend of former Premier League names, EFL stalwarts, and ambitious sides fresh from League Two.

Budgets vary wildly, styles clash weekly, and predicting the final table is a thankless task.

So ahead of the 2025/26 season, Football League World turned to AI chatbot ChatGPT to do exactly that - predict the third tier’s finishing order from top to bottom.

ChatGPT said it took into account “recent form, squad strength, managerial stability and vibes” and didn’t pull any punches.

Here’s how the table could look come May 2026, starting at the bottom and climbing all the way to the title.

ChatGPT told us that Port Vale’s “promotion bounce fades quickly” and the squad will be “too lightweight at this level.”

It’s a potentially rogue shout from the chat bot, with manager Darren Moore experienced at this level.

23 Burton Albion

The Brewers have been punching above their weight for years, but ChatGPT believes the financial constraints will finally tell.

With limited resources to strengthen and several key players potentially moving on, Burton's remarkable overachievement may be coming to an end.

22 Stevenage

Stevenage have already made some good additions this summer - Chem Campbell, Phoenix Patterson and Saxon Earley come to mind - so maybe one not for fans to take to heart.

21 Northampton Town

The Cobblers have been teetering on the brink for several seasons now, and ChatGPT believes their luck will finally run out.

AI suggests they'll fall short in the crucial games that determine survival. It's a nervous season ahead for Sixfields.

20 AFC Wimbledon

The Dons have built a reputation for grinding out results when it matters most, and AI acknowledges their resilience.

Their stadium should provide a fortress-like atmosphere, and that homegrown spirit could be the difference between survival and the drop.

It's typical Wimbledon - doing just enough when backs are against the wall.

Grant McCann's men have the talent to compete but lack the cutting edge for sustained success at this level.

The chatbot clearly sees Doncaster as a team caught between divisions - too good for League Two, not quite ready for League One's demands. In it’s eyes, a season of consolidation beckons.

ChatGPT suggests it'll be another season of looking over their shoulders for the Stags.

Functional rather than flashy, Mansfield's pragmatic approach should keep them up, but supporters will be hoping for more excitement than the robot predicts.

17 Exeter City

Gary Caldwell's young guns have impressed in patches, and ChatGPT believes Exeter's energy and pace will ultimately prove decisive, telling FLW that they’ll “flirt with danger, youth gets them through.”

Rotherham's post-Championship decline continues according to the AI, but there's just enough quality to stay up.

The Millers are still adjusting to life in League One after years of yo-yoing between divisions.

15 Lincoln City

Mid-table obscurity again. It's a shame for a team who had an outside shot at the play-offs in the 23/24 season.

The Imps have been one of League One's more consistent performers, but ChatGPT suggests they'll struggle to recapture their previous momentum.