Wolves host Blackburn to open 2026-27 Championship season as full fixtures released

Wolverhampton Wanderers will host Blackburn Rovers at Molineux on Friday, August 14 — a 20:00 kick-off — to open the 2026-27 EFL Championship season, with the full list of 552 fixtures confirmed by the EFL on Thursday.

Wolves are one of three clubs dropping into the second tier from the Premier League, alongside Burnley and West Ham United. The two east-meets-northwest relegated sides will face each other on the opening weekend, with Burnley hosting West Ham on Sunday, August 16.

Newly-promoted Lincoln City, who earned their place through the League One play-offs, travel to Middlesbrough on August 15 for a difficult opening assignment. Middlesbrough themselves will be carrying the pain of losing last season’s Championship play-off final. Bolton Wanderers, League One play-off winners, begin with a home fixture against local rivals Preston North End.

Perhaps the most anticipated opener comes on Monday, August 17, when Cardiff City welcome Wrexham to the Cardiff City Stadium in an all-Welsh derby to mark Cardiff’s return to the second tier.

Among the standout fixtures later in the campaign, Millwall and West Ham will renew acquaintances on September 19 at The Den and again on February 20 at the London Stadium. Southampton and Middlesbrough — the two clubs at the centre of the Spygate controversy — are scheduled to meet on November 28 at St Mary’s and on March 13 at the Riverside.

Full dates and kick-off times have only been confirmed for the opening weekend and the final day of the season, Saturday, May 1, when all 24 clubs will kick off simultaneously at 12:30. The remaining fixtures are subject to broadcast scheduling picks, and times will be updated accordingly throughout the season.

In a structural change for the new campaign, Championship clubs will enter the Carabao Cup at the first-round stage, with those matches scheduled for the weekend of August 8 — a week before the league season begins.