The 2026-27 football calendar, as it stands
The Premier League starts on 21 August 2026 and ends on 30 May 2027, a week later than usual because of the World Cup. The Champions League final is 5 June 2027 in Madrid.
Dates sourced to the Premier League, UEFA and BBC Sport. Updated when the governing bodies revise the schedule. Corrections to [email protected].
- Two competitions
- Confirmed dates
- 18 plus only
Both seasons run a week later than normal. The 2026 World Cup finished on 19 July 2026 and pushed the domestic calendar back with it.
Premier League prices, next 14 days
Best available price on each outcome, from the books on this site that publish a Premier League line. The table refreshes every six hours.
| Match | Kick off, UTC | Home | Draw | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal FC v Coventry City | 21 Aug, 19:00 | 1.20 | 7.95 | 18.50 |
| Hull City v Manchester United | 22 Aug, 11:30 | 7.60 | 4.70 | 1.49 |
| Everton FC v Crystal Palace | 22 Aug, 14:00 | 2.21 | 3.55 | 3.55 |
| Ipswich Town v Sunderland AFC | 22 Aug, 14:00 | 2.85 | 3.42 | 2.69 |
| Nottingham Forest v Leeds United | 22 Aug, 14:00 | 2.32 | 3.50 | 3.35 |
| Brentford FC v Tottenham Hotspur | 22 Aug, 16:30 | 2.48 | 3.80 | 2.87 |
| Brighton & Hove Albion v Aston Villa | 23 Aug, 13:00 | 2.35 | 3.74 | 3.10 |
| Manchester City v AFC Bournemouth | 23 Aug, 13:00 | 1.50 | 5.20 | 6.35 |
Best of 3 books, taken 09 Aug 2026 at 21:09 UTC. Priced by 1xbet, Gamdom, Stake. Odds move, so check the number in the cashier before you stake.
The Premier League season
The season opens on Friday 21 August 2026 with Arsenal against Coventry City. All 380 fixtures were released on 19 June 2026.
The final round is Sunday 30 May 2027. That is the last day every match kicks off at the same time.
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Opening match, Arsenal v Coventry City | 21 Aug 2026 |
| Full fixture list published | 19 Jun 2026 |
| Final matchday | 30 May 2027 |
The Champions League schedule
Qualifying started on 7 July 2026 and the league phase runs across eight matchdays. The knockout rounds begin in February 2027.
| Round | Dates |
|---|---|
| League phase, matchday 1 | 8 to 10 Sep 2026 |
| Matchday 2 | 13 to 14 Oct 2026 |
| Matchday 3 | 20 to 21 Oct 2026 |
| Matchday 4 | 3 to 4 Nov 2026 |
| Matchday 5 | 24 to 25 Nov 2026 |
| Matchday 6 | 8 to 9 Dec 2026 |
| Matchday 7 | 19 to 20 Jan 2027 |
| Matchday 8 | 27 Jan 2027 |
| Knockout play-offs | 16 to 17 and 23 to 24 Feb 2027 |
| Round of 16 | 9 to 10 and 16 to 17 Mar 2027 |
| Quarter-finals | 6 to 7 and 13 to 14 Apr 2027 |
| Semi-finals | 27 to 28 Apr and 4 to 5 May 2027 |
| Final, Metropolitano Stadium, Madrid | 5 Jun 2027 |
Matchday 8 is a single date, 27 January 2027, with every fixture played at once. That is the round where qualification is decided and where prices move fastest.
How the calendar collides
Three windows matter for anyone following both the Ocean Stars and club football. The AFCON qualifying windows sit inside the club season and take players away from their clubs.
| Window | Dates | What it affects |
|---|---|---|
| AFCON qualifying, matchdays 1 and 2 | 21 Sep to 6 Oct 2026 | Premier League squads lose African internationals |
| AFCON qualifying, matchdays 3 and 4 | 9 to 17 Nov 2026 | Falls between Champions League matchdays 4 and 5 |
| AFCON qualifying, matchdays 5 and 6 | 22 to 30 Mar 2027 | Falls between the Champions League round of 16 and quarter-finals |
| AFCON 2027 finals | 19 Jun to 17 Jul 2027 | After both club seasons end |
The finals fall entirely after the club season closes on 5 June 2027. For once the tournament does not clash with league football.
What this means for pricing
Premier League matches carry the deepest markets and the tightest margins on this list. A three-way market at 2.10, 3.40 and 3.60 returns 104.8%, so the book's edge is 4.8%.
That edge widens sharply on lower-liquidity fixtures. The same book will run a much larger margin on an AFCON qualifier than on a Saturday Premier League match.
Important. International windows are where prices are least reliable. Squads are announced late, travel is long, and a book pricing a qualifier is working with less information than it has for a league fixture.
Watching from Somalia
Premier League rights for 2025 to 2028 sit with beIN Sports across the Middle East and North Africa, and with SuperSport across Sub-Saharan Africa. No Somalia-specific rights holder is published.
Check which of the two regions your subscription is sold under before paying. The two packages do not carry identical fixture selections.
Ocean Stars in AFCON 2027
Group C, the six fixtures, the confirmed windows and what the markets look like.
Read the AFCON hubFootball betting sites
Which operators price football deepest, and which are casinos with a sports tab.
Compare the booksOdds and stake tools
Convert decimal and fractional odds, and see the margin a book is taking.
Open the toolsSources
Questions readers ask
When does the 2026-27 Premier League season start
Friday 21 August 2026, with Arsenal against Coventry City. The season ends on Sunday 30 May 2027.
Why is the season starting later than usual
The 2026 World Cup ran from 11 June to 19 July 2026 and pushed the domestic calendar back by about a week.
When is the Champions League final
5 June 2027 at the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid. The league phase begins on 8 September 2026.
Do the AFCON qualifiers clash with club football
Yes. All three qualifying windows fall inside the club season, and the November window sits between Champions League matchdays 4 and 5.
How can I watch Premier League football from Somalia
beIN Sports holds the rights across the Middle East and North Africa, and SuperSport holds them across Sub-Saharan Africa. No Somalia-specific rights holder is published.