2026 EFL Play-Off Schedule Confirmed as Promotion Battles Set for May Drama

2026 EFL Play-Off Schedule Confirmed as Promotion Battles Set for May Drama The EFL have confirmed the dates for the 2025/26 Sky Bet Championship, League One and League Two play-offs. All three divisions finished their regular seasons on Saturday , while the play-off semi-finals will run from Friday, May 8 to Friday, May 15. The three play-off finals are set for the Bank Holiday weekend of May 23, 24 and 25.

Championship Millwall vs Hull City The first leg of this semi-final tie will take place on Friday, May 8, with the game set to kick off at 8pm at the MKM Stadium. Hull sneaked into the play-offs, courtesy of a 2-1 comeback against Norwich City on the final day, leapfrogging Wrexham right at the death . However, Millwall head into this high-stakes showdown as favourites after narrowly missing out on automatic qualification, finishing a point adrift of runners-up Ipswich.

Needless to say, the Tigers must make the most of their home advantage before travelling to The Den for the return fixture against the Lions on Monday, May 11, with kick-off scheduled for 8pm. Southampton vs Middlesbrough Two years since beating Leeds United in the Wembley showpiece, Southampton now look to replicate those heroics, with Middlesbrough standing in their way. The all-important first leg kicks off at 12:30pm on Saturday, May 9, at the Riverside Stadium, with Boro already notifying supporters about ticket availability ahead of the most significant games in the club’s recent history.

St Mary’s Stadium will host the return leg on Tuesday, May 12, with the match kicking off at 8pm. The winner will book their place at Wembley, although the EFL are yet to confirm the date and kick-off time for the play-off final. League One Lincoln City pieced together a jaw-dropping campaign in the third tier of English football, winning the title as the only side to hit a 100-point landmark, leaving second-placed Cardiff City 12 points behind.