Image source: Reuters
Image caption: Ipswich secured an immediate return to the Premier League on the final day of the Championship season
A detailed look at the promotion and relegation scenarios, along with the battle for European spots, across England and Scotland for the 2025-26 campaign.
**Recent confirmed promotions, relegations, titles and qualifications:**
– 9 May: Arsenal qualify for the Women’s Champions League
– 9 May: Kidderminster Harriers and Hornchurch promoted to the National League
– 9 May: Airdrieonians relegated to Scottish League One
– 6 May: Manchester City win the Women’s Super League title
– 3 May: Manchester United qualify for the Champions League
– 3 May: Chelsea qualify for the Women’s Champions League
**Premier League**
Image source: Reuters
Image caption: Burnley were relegated back to the Championship with four games of the Premier League season remaining
The top five teams secure automatic spots in the Champions League group stage. England, as one of the two highest-ranked associations for 2025-26 (confirmed on 7 April), earns an extra European Performance Spot (EPS), boosting the regular four places.
Arsenal, Manchester City, and Manchester United are guaranteed Champions League participation, as they cannot finish lower than fifth. Should Arsenal win this season’s Champions League, no additional English berth would be created.
However, a Champions League group stage place is reserved for the Europa League winners, which could be Aston Villa. If Villa triumph in the Europa League and finish fourth, nothing changes. If they win and finish fifth, both Villa and the sixth-placed team (via the EPS) would enter the Champions League, but England would lose a Europa League slot. If Villa win and finish sixth, the Conference League place is forfeited.
Normally, the sixth-placed Premier League team and the FA Cup winners qualify for the Europa League group stage. If the FA Cup winners have already qualified for the Champions League, that Europa spot goes to the next highest league finisher.
Since Manchester City have qualified for the Champions League, their Conference League play-off round spot (earned as Carabao Cup winners) reverts to the league.
If Crystal Palace win the Conference League, they will enter the Europa League group stage.
The bottom three teams will be relegated to the Championship. Wolverhampton Wanderers’ relegation was confirmed on 20 April following West Ham’s 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace. Burnley went down on 22 April after a 1-0 loss to Manchester City.
**Women’s Super League**
The goals that helped crown Manchester City as WSL champions.
Manchester City secured the WSL title when rivals Arsenal could only draw 1-1 with Brighton on 6 May. The champions and runners-up enter the Women’s Champions League group stage, while the third-placed side enters the third round. Second and third place is between Chelsea and Arsenal, to be decided on the final day (16 May).
Bottom side Leicester City will face a play-off against the third-placed WSL 2 team, Charlton Athletic, on 23 May. With the WSL expanding to 14 teams for 2026-27, the top two in WSL 2 – Birmingham City and Crystal Palace – have earned automatic promotion.
**Championship**
Image source: Reuters
Image caption: Coventry City were promoted to the Premier League with three games to spare and received the trophy at their final home match
Coventry City clinched promotion with a 1-1 draw at Blackburn on 17 April, sealing the title four days later.
