The 2025/26 EFL: In With The New & Out With Some Familiar Faces

The 2024/25 EFL season came to an end. Next year’s edition of the Football League season will look a little different next year, now it is known which teams will be playing in a different league.

The English football pyramid is one of the world’s most-watched and enjoyed, as there are several clubs throughout the Championship, League One & League Two that have passionate fans across the world. Many of the clubs have a Premier League history, while others have their own legacies.

This aspect has added to the appeal of the other 72 clubs, which already offer something in addition to the 20 in the Premier League. Many engage in a betting experience to further fuel the passion that they have for their team, with many using a bookmaker like Betway in which they can place a sports bet with ease and trust. Indeed, the operator can also make the action more entertaining on the pitch, as they can often provide value with the odds they offer.

With the 2025/26 EFL season on the horizon, there may be some who will be looking at the newcomers to each of the divisions as potential betting opportunities. Indeed, those who have been relegated to a new tier might be favourable options for some, as they may be perceived to be too strong at their new level, while others may look at promoted teams and find it hard to see them perform as well as they did the season before.

A recap: Who went up and who went down?

Starting at the EFL Championship, a total of six new teams out of the 24 will be involved in England’s second tier this season. Of course, the Football League lost Leeds United, Burnley and Sunderland to the Premier League after all three of them secured promotion in their own emphatic ways.

However, replacing them will be familiar clubs in Southampton, Leicester City, and Ipswich Town, as they each return after a year in the top flight. They will be joined by three from League One, as Birmingham City, Wrexham, and Charlton Athletic all move up. In achieving promotion, the Welsh side became the first side in the top five divisions of English football to secure three successive promotions, joining two teams that have been in the Championship (and Premier League) in the past.

As they leave League One, they will be replaced by Cardiff City, Plymouth Argyle and Luton Town after they suffered relegation. Contrastingly, four have been promoted to replace the four that were relegated to League Two. This year’s group will include Doncaster Rovers, Port Vale, Bradford City, and AFC Wimbledon, with Shrewsbury Town, Cambridge United, Bristol Rovers and Crawley Town taking their place.

Leaving the EFL were Morecambe and Carlisle United after they experienced relegation from League Two and will now have to try and climb out of an incredibly competitive National League. They will be replaced by Barnet and Oldham Athletic, who both seal an EFL return.

Plenty of change to enjoy

With the arrival of new teams, there will be many changes to personnel this summer, as many clubs seek a fresh approach to give themselves the best chance of a successful season with new players and management teams. 

The divisions across England’s football pyramid are among the hardest in world football to get out of, which is why so many enjoy placing bets on the matches played with bookmakers like Betway, as there can be so much value and entertainment on offer at the same time.