EFL Championship

The EFL Championship is the second tier of English men’s football and the highest division operated by the English Football League. The competition contains 24 clubs, each playing 46 league matches during the season. The two clubs finishing at the top of the table are promoted automatically to the Premier League, while clubs finishing third to sixth compete in the promotion play-offs for the third promotion place. The bottom three clubs are relegated to League One. The Championship is one of the most established second-tier competitions in world football and regularly contains clubs with extensive Premier League, European and FA Cup histories alongside teams building towards their first top-flight campaign. Its long season, promotion race and play-off system create a distinctive competitive structure. Clubs also compete for the Championship title and the right to become part of the Premier League, making the division a crucial stage in the English football pyramid.