EFL 2026/27: Spygate reunion, derbies galore and biggest mismatch of all? 10 games to be excited about this season | Football news

The fixtures for the 2026/27 EFL season will be announced on Thursday, June 25.

And there are PLENTY of games to enjoy across the Championship, League One and League Two, with renewed rivals – old and new – coming…

West Ham vs Millwall reunite after 14 years apart

More than 14 years have passed since West Ham and Millwall last met in the competition, but the bitter rivals will meet again in the Championship next season.

Even in all that time without a match between them, the enmity between the two has not stopped, and it will intensify as they have met for the eighth time in this century.

Millwall have also never been to the London Stadium before. They were beaten in their last game against the Hammers, but were unbeaten in their last seven in the league before that.

Spygate Rivals! Middlesbrough vs Southampton

Adjust your binoculars. Southampton’s exit from the play-offs, and Middlesbrough’s failure to beat Hull City, means the two will meet again in the Championship.

Middlesbrough to Southampton may be perhaps the longest trip in the second tier of next season, but an unlikely rivalry has been built and will be hotly contested – especially if Kim Hellberg and Tonda Eckert are in the dugouts when this one kicks off.

Black Country derby – Wolves vs West Brom

The Black Country derby is back! The two haven’t met in more than two years since their FA Cup clash at The Hawthorns, when they reminded the football world just how tough a clash can be.

League-wise, they haven’t met in front of fans since 2012 – when West Brom won 5-1 at Wolves (there were two meetings in the Premier League during the 2020/21 Covid season).

It will also be their first match at Championship level since 2008.

Lancashire rivals meet again!

Burnley’s exit from the Premier League and Bolton’s promotion to League One means we will have a real FEAST of Lancashire competition in the Championship, if you throw in Preston and Blackburn.

You could throw in the towel on the closest four, and they all have history going back to the Football League’s very first campaign, when the quartet made up a third of the original 12 starters.

Bolton vs Burnley will be eagerly awaited. They were divided into two leagues last season, and they met in a draw this time. It has been more than ten years since they last saw each other.

South Wales Derby – Cardiff vs Swansea

Cardiff’s swift return to the Championship means we will be blessed with a South Wales derby again this season, one of the best in British football.

Cardiff earned bragging rights last time out, beating them 3-0 in January 2025 on their way to a comeback.

But Swansea still have that magical four-game run between October 2021 and April 2023, when they win both league games against Cardiff in a season, something no one else has done.

Biggest mismatch in EFL history? Leicester vs Bromley

It’s hard to see much of a difference between the two clubs anywhere in the world this season.

Leicester were Premier League champions ten years ago, while Bromley had just finished 14th in the National League. That alone was their first ever season at that level, having been promoted from the National League South the previous year.

Now, they are tied in League One. Bromley are in the qualification for the first time, while Leicester are only in their second season. The Foxes played at Old Trafford and Anfield last season, now it’s a trip to Hayes Lane.

MK Dons vs AFC Wimbledon rematch

There are traditional, and non-traditional football competitions, with MK Dons vs AFC Wimbledon falling firmly into the latter category.

The history of tension between the two clubs always creates real excitement in matches between the two, who will meet again in League One after MK Dons’ promotion.

AFC Wimbledon have won three and drawn one of their last four meetings, including one in the FA Cup, and will be hoping to maintain that record after avoiding relegation last season.

Yorkshire rivalry returns after Wembley drama

Sheffield Wednesday’s relegation from the Championship sadly means there won’t be a Steel City derby this season, but the Owls will be joined by fellow local team Barnsley in League One.

There are only 12 miles or so between Hillsborough and Oakwell, while the clubs last met in the 2023 League One play-off final when Josh Windass’ 123rd-minute goal sent Wednesday into the Championship.

That moment you won’t forget when the Yorkshire lock locked horns this season.

York City’s first game back in the EFL after 10 years away

It’s hard to imagine anything this season will match the drama of York City’s last-day promotion from the National League, but the proud old club are back in the EFL for the first time in ten years.

The Minstermen are said to be competing at League Two level again this season, and the first EFL game at York Community Stadium, which opens in 2021, should be a special occasion indeed.

Nottinghamshire competition

Notts County’s promotion to League Two means the return of the Nottinghamshire derby! As they prepare to face Mansfield this season.

It has been more than two years since the two met, following Mansfield’s promotion in 2024, and Notts County will be looking to rectify a record that has seen them win just one of their 15 league games against their local rivals.