The 9 biggest clubs in the EFL Championship named and ranked by AI | OneFootball

Football League World has seen who ChatGPT believes to be the biggest clubs in the second tier

It's often a traditional talking point among fanbases both online and in person, about who the 'biggest' clubs are.

Taking into account the history of each side, their current form, how big the fanbase is, how large the stadium is and what accolades they have won, there are plenty of factors to think about when discussing it.

Given the rise of traditional 'lesser' clubs to the top flight in recent years, there are numerous so-called "big clubs" in the second tier — sides with plenty of history and Premier League pedigree that have fallen recently.

Picking out the top nine is a difficult task, so Football League World has consulted popular AI-based chat service ChatGPT to get its views on who the nine biggest clubs currently operating in the Championship are.

9 ? ? Norwich City

Kicking off the list are Norwich City. Despite being the traditional 'yo-yo club' between the Premier League and the Championship, that does mean that there have been frequent top-flight appearances, as AI acknowledges.

The Canaries are well-recognised as one of the top sides in the division currently, given that they've won the second-tier title twice in their last five seasons at the level, and have a top six finish within those years, too.

The fanbase is committed and passionate, even during difficult periods, and the fact that they were able to attract a manager like Philippe Clement to the club while they were in the relegation zone this season further affirms their status as a top club at this level.

Others are evidently higher, but an inclusion on this nine-team list isn't anything to turn your nose up at if you're a Norwich supporter.

8 ? ? Middlesbrough

In the late 1900s and throughout the 2000s, Middlesbrough were a staple of the Premier League, winning the League Cup and having a few seasons in Europe, too, where they were runners-up in the UEFA Cup in 2006.

And, despite there being just one top-flight campaign at the Riverside since 2009/10, Boro are still highly regarded as one of the bigger clubs in the Championship, and are expected to be battling near the top each season.

Under Kim Hellberg, that seems to finally be coming to fruition, and many older fans are excited at the prospect of getting one of the traditional bigger sides back into the Premier League, if Boro can continue their good form in the title race.

For now, they'll have to settle for being one of the bigger clubs in the Championship.

7 ? ? Birmingham City

Birmingham City have ambitions of being one of the biggest clubs in European football, backed by Tom Wagner and with a brand-new state-of-the-art 62,000-capacity stadium.

Ultimately, those lofty expectations don't just come about in a club without history, and Birmingham is steeped in it. The Blues celebrated their 150th anniversary in 2025, and within that, there have been two FA Cups, three League Cups and numerous second-tier titles.

St Andrew's is more often than not packed full of Bluenoses, even when the club fell into League One during the 2024/25 campaign, and the loyalty, plus the pedigree, lands them on this list with ease.

6 ? ? Sheffield United

AI believes that Sheffield United are the sixth-biggest side in the Championship currently. The Blades may have been exiled from the Premier League for a while before their recent forays into the top-flight, but the history that comes before them is massive.

Chris Wilder's side is one of five clubs to have won titles in all four tiers of the English football league system, and while not many of their current fans will have been able to witness their four FA Cups, it highlights the rich history that the Bramall Lane-based side has.

Like with many on this list, everyone expects Sheffield United to be among the top sides in the division whenever they're in the Championship, and their place on this list is more than justified.

5 ? ? Blackburn Rovers

ChatGPT calls Blackburn Rovers "one of the early powerhouses of English football," and while AI isn't wrong in that sentiment, Blackburn also arguably has more Premier League pedigree than most sides in the Championship currently.

Not many can say they've won the Premier League, but in 1995, Rovers, led by all-time top-flight top scorer Alan Shearer, lifted the trophy. That was their third top-flight title, having won the First Division twice pre-World War One.

It's a shame that Blackburn have seen more League One campaigns than they have Premier League ones since 2012, and it's looking alarmingly likely that Ewood Park may be hosting third-tier football once more next season.

Here's hoping that Rovers can remain in the Championship and feature once again in this list this time next season, as they clearly have the history to be among the best in the division.

Just missing out on a podium position is West Brom, and with only two seasons in their history being spent outside the top two tiers, there's no surprise as to why.

While the Baggies haven't been too inspiring during their Premier League campaigns as of late, the sheer number of seasons they've had up there gives them an upper hand over other clubs in the Championship.

Adding to that a rich past with multiple FA Cups, League Cups and a top-flight title way back in 1920, plus a dedicated, passionate fanbase, it's clear that they're among the biggest clubs in the Championship right now.

Another side who are struggling, though, and time will tell whether the Baggies may be playing a rare campaign below the second tier next season.

Ipswich Town's back-to-back promotions to the Premier League between 2022 and 2024 were an incredible story. For some, it was a true underdog tale, whereas for others, it resembled a return to the top flight for a side that had been underperforming for too long.

The Tractor Boys had spent 22 years outside the top flight after relegation in 2002, and to put into perspective how long 22 years can be, in 1980, Ipswich were European Champions, having lifted the UEFA Cup, and had just finished 2nd in back-to-back top-flight campaigns.

Even during their lengthy stint in the Championship before they fell into League One, more often than not, you'd find Ipswich in and around the play-offs, indicating that they've always been one of the bigger sides in the division.

Kieran McKenna's side are on the hunt for promotion once more, and if they get it come May, they'll be hoping that this will be the start of an extended run back in the top-flight.

To many modern fans, it's still quite difficult to get their heads around the fact that Southampton are languishing in the second tier, as a decade ago, they finished inside the top six in the Premier League and competed in Europe.

Ultimately, it's been a difficult few years for the Saints, with two bottom-placed finishes in the Premier League resembling their last couple of ventures into the top-flight, and even now, back in the Championship, it's not been too plain sailing.

However, recency bias, plus a storied history that has seen them play in the top two tiers for the large majority, has AI favouring them for a top two finish in this list.

And if seeing a former top-six side in the Premier League a decade ago fade away into the Championship is strange, how about the top-flight Champions from a decade ago?

The number one spot isn't really debatable. Leicester City lifted the Premier League in 2016, the FA Cup in 2021, and have had campaigns in the UEFA Champions League, Europa League and Conference League over the last decade, too.

They placed in the top 10 for four straight campaigns before their shock relegation in the 2022/23 campaign, and have since struggled to recover, despite winning the Championship at their first time of asking.

Financial irregularities have resulted in a six-point deduction, and, like Blackburn, a former top-flight champion is being threatened with relegation to League One.

A club of Leicester's magnitude in the third tier would be absurd, and the dedicated Foxes fans will be hoping it doesn't happen, so they can remain the biggest club in the Championship next season.