Community Shield Sun, Spain & Eng Championship start
EPL Winners Arsenal will get things started vs FA Cup Champs Man City in the Community Shield Sun at 10 am on ESPN. We’ll see how City fare without their long time coach Pep Gaurdiola. I’ll have predictions and a full EPL review next week. Meanwhile the Championship gets underway this weekend with American’s all up and down England’s 2nd division and of course America’s favorite Ryan Reynold’s & Rob McAlleny’s Wrexham from We are Wrexham fame. We just finished watching last season (spoiler alert – man they were SOO close to the playoffs for a beyond record breaking 4th straight promotion).
The stars of LaLiga are on ABC and the ESPN App La Liga welcomes the Special one – Jose Mourinho back to Real Madrid as they look to take back the trophy from 2 time champs Barcelona who looks to be the better team having won 3 of the 4 matches last year and with (the kids) will MBappe and Vinicius Jr and all the new signings be enough to get the Galacticos back on top? My team – Atletico Madrid finished 4th behind Villarreal with Real Betis also making a Champions League spot. Many of the players from the top teams are just getting back from World Cup break so the first few weeks might be fluid. LA LIGA 2026/27 | Season PREVIEW & League Table … CBS Golazo. (See more below) I like Barcelona to repeat with Atletico Madrid pushing Real Madrid for 2nd.
Leagues Cup MLS vs Mexico Liga MX
The Leagues Cup 2026 quarterfinal field is set after eight teams advanced from Phase One. The four quarterfinals will be played from Aug. 25-27, with four MLS clubs facing four LIGA MX sides for semifinal spots. A surprising group from MLS as Miami w/o Messi, LAFC, Galaxy & Seattle all lost.
Quarterfinal matchups
- Chicago Fire FC (MLS 1) vs CF Monterrey (LMX 4)
- Austin FC (MLS 2) vs. Toluca FC (LMX 3)
- Club León (LMX 1) vs. Real Salt Lake (MLS 4)
- Club América (LMX 2) vs. Columbus Crew (MLS 3)
Super Cup Thriller – PSG vs Aston Villa
Wow Europa League Winner Aston Villa really stood up to the Champions League 2 time winners PSG as they tied it up in at 1 before PSG pulled away late Wed in the Super Cup. Obviously PSG was missing a ton of players – still quite a show and now 2 straight champions League titles and 2 straight Super Cup wins – NO ONE has ever done what the Paris Champions have just accomplished.
Indy 11 ties Hartford Plays Sporting Jax on WRTV-ABC, ESPN+ Sat 7 pm
Indianapolis – Edward Kizza scored the fastest league goal of the season for the Boys in Blue, who shared the spoils with USL Championship Eastern Conference opponent Hartford Athletic in a 1-1 draw at Carroll Stadium. Sean McAuley became the longest-tenured Indy Eleven head coach with his 100th match, surpassing Martin Rennie, who managed 99 games between 2018 and 2021. McAuley has won 40 games and drawn 22 in his three seasons. Indy Eleven stand eighth in the Eastern Conference @ 6-7-4 (-1), 22 pts. Indy Eleven travels to Sporting JAX this Sat. August 15 at 7 p.m. on WRTV-ABC and ESPN+. The next home game for the Boys in Blue is “Noche Latina” next Saturday, August 22 at 7 p.m. vs. Louisville City FC with Indy Eleven wearing special Noche Latina warm-up jerseys. Fans can purchase discounted tickets starting at $14 and a Noche Latina scarf online. Ticket options include the new Desnuda Tequila Deck, Family Four-Packs, and Flex Mini-Plans.
Soccer High School Rankings – Season starts this Weekend
For the fall 2026 high school soccer season in Indiana, Hamilton Southeastern High School opens as the state’s premier girls program, earning the No. 2 spot in the United Soccer Coaches National Preseason Poll and No. 1 in Class 3A by the Indiana Soccer Coaches Association (ISCA). The Carmel Boys open by hosting Zionsville Sat at Murray Stadium 11 for JV and Varsity after.
Girls Soccer Preseason Rankings (ISCA Class 3A)
- 1. Hamilton Southeastern
- 2. Homestead
- 3. Carmel
- 4. Center Grove
- 5. Crown Point
- 6. Westfield
- 7. Indianapolis Cathedral
- 8. Penn
- 9. Noblesville
- 10. Zionsville [1, 2]
Boys Soccer Preseason Watch (ISCA Poll Top Teams)
The initial boys preseason polls feature traditional powerhouses across the state tracking toward the opening weeks of the IHSAA schedule:
- Carmel
- Fort Wayne Carroll
- Brownsburg
- West Lafayette Harrison
- Goshen
- Evansville Memorial
- Hamilton Southeastern [1, 2]
Carmel High School named athletic program of the year by MaxPreps for 2025-26
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TV Schedule
Fri, Aug 14
3 pm CBSSN Wolverhampton vs Blackburn Rovers
8 pm Prime Gotham FC (Lavelle) vs KC Current
Sat, Aug 15
10 am para+ Middlesbrough (Berhalter, Morris, Arfsten) vs Lincoln City Champ
11 am ESPN+/D Racing Santander vs Villarreal Spain
12:30 pm para+ Sheffield United vs Birmingham City Champ
3:30 pm ESPND, + Sevilla vs Rayo Vallecano La Liga starts
6:30 pm Ion TV Racing Louisville FC vs Boston Legacy FC
7 pm ABC, ESPN+ Indy 11 @ Jacksonville
7:30 pm Apple Orlando City vs Cincy
7:30 pm Apple Charlotte vs Columbus Crew
7:30 pm Apple Miami (Messi) vs Nashville
9:30 pm Ion TV Portland Thorns FC (Williams) vs Orlando Pride (Banda. Marta)
10:30 pm Apple LAFC vs San Diego
11:15 pm Univision Atlas vs Tigras UANL
Sun, Aug 16
10 am ESPN Arsenal vs Man City Community Shield
1 pm CBS Golazo Liverpool vs Como
6 pm Apple Chicago vs Portland Timbers
9 pm ESPN Angel City (Thompson) vs Washington (Rodman) NWSL
10:30 pm Apple Seattle Sounders vs Vancouver
Mon, Aug 17
3 pm Para+ Cardiff City vs Wrexham Champ
Wed. Aug 19
3 pm ESPN+ /D Atlético Madrid vs Málaga Spain
Fri, Aug 21 3 pm Arsenal vs Coventry City (Wright) EPL Start
Fri, Aug 21 – Sun Aug 23 EPL Season’s Start
Sat, Sept 26
4:30 pm TNT/HBO USMNT vs Peru Orlando
Tues, Sept 29
8 pm TNT/HBO USMNT vs Chile St Louis
Sat, Oct 3
8 pm?? TNT/HBO USMNT vs Mexico Glendale
Tues, Oct 6
8 pm TNT/HBO USMNT vs Canada Minn
Sat, Oct 10
8 pm TNT. HBO USWNT vs Spain DC
Tues, Oct 13
7 pm TNT, HBO USWNT vs Spain Philly
UNION JACK – BROAD RIPPLE – WATCH PARTY
Indy 11 @ Jacksonville Sat August 15 – 6:30 PM ET – 9:00 PM ET
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EPL
Why is the Community Shield in Cardiff, not at Wembley? Arsenal vs. Man City venue
Does the Community Shield preview the Premier League? History provides the
Spain
LA LIGA 2026/27: Season PREVIEW & League Table …
La Liga 2026/27: Barcelona, Real Madrid & Atletico … yahoo
La Liga 2026-27 Preview: Mourinho’s Return, Barcelona’s Three-Peat
La Liga 2026/27 season preview: Defending champions Barcelona and
La Liga Preview: Tips, Predictions, Key Contenders & Dark Horses
LaLiga is back! But why aren’t Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atlético playing?
Europe
Ranked: The 30 best men’s soccer club managers in Europe
Behind the Scenes: PSG’s Super Cup back-to-back champions
PSG 2-1 Aston Villa (Aug 12, 2026) Game Analysis
PSG retain UEFA Super Cup with 2-1 win over Aston Villa
Championship
Championship 2026-27 season preview: Club-by-club guide to new campaign
England Championship – Predictions and Statistics
First Weekend EFL 2026/27 season kick off: Championship predictions …
Goalkeeping
MLS: Best Saves of the Week
NWSL Saves of the Week
NWSL Saves of Week 15
Reffing
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Analysis
La Liga is back: Will Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid return be a success? Can Barcelona three-peat?
Jose Mourinho and Lamine Yamal will be two of La Liga’s headline attractions this season Getty Images
Aug. 14, 2026 Updated 2:19 am EDT
The 2026-27 La Liga season kicks off this weekend, with no shortage of storylines involving Barcelona and Real Madrid, as well as many other top-flight teams.
A novelty this year is the season kicking off without either Barca or Madrid in action — as a staggered kick-off has been introduced, allowing more rest for clubs whose international players went deep into this summer’s World Cup.
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The opening game will see Deportivo Alaves host Getafe at 7.30pm local time (6.30pm UK time, 1.30pm ET) on Saturday.
Champions Barcelona — who had eight players in Spain’s World Cup-winning squad — begin their title defence at Elche on Sunday, August 23. Jose Mourinho’s first game of his second spell as Real Madrid manager is away at Espanyol on Saturday, August 22.
Here’s The Athletic’s annual guide on what to look out for, as we attempt to predict how things might go…
Who do you think will win the title and why?
Barcelona look in a really strong position, having won the last two titles under Hansi Flick, finishing last season 12 points ahead of a Madrid team who ended the campaign in total disarray.
But… the only team to have won three consecutive La Liga titles in the 21st century were Pep Guardiola’s dominant Barca side from 2009-2011, and it was Mourinho who put an end to that run in his first spell at the Bernabeu.
Madrid have added substantially to their squad this summer, spending €240million ($277m) on Yan Diomande, Marc Cucurella, Bernardo Silva, Denzel Dumfries, Ibrahima Konate and Carlos Espi. Vinicius Junior extending his deal amid interest from Arsenal means they have plenty of attacking options.
Vinicius Junior renewed his deal at Real MadridDavid Balogh/Getty Images
Meanwhile, Barca are still looking for new forwards after Robert Lewandowski’s exit, while World Cup final goalscorer Ferran Torres is close to a move to Paris Saint-Germain.
So new arrivals Anthony Gordon (€80m from Newcastle United) and Karim Ayedemi (€22m from Borussia Dortmund) should get chances to impress.
Much will depend on who makes the best start to the season, and there is a decent chance Mourinho’s arrival provides a boost for Madrid, while Barca start slowly as other World Cup winners including Lamine Yamal, Pedri, Pau Cubarsi — and potentially Rodri, if he joins from Manchester City — take time to recover.
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Who will make up the rest of the top four?
Champions League qualification for a 15th consecutive season under Diego Simeone should not prove too difficult for Atletico Madrid, whether or not Barca target Julian Alvarez stays at the Metropolitano (more on that later…).
Villarreal finished ahead of Atletico in third last year, and go into the new season with an impressive new coach in Inigo Perez, but have not done much summer transfer business so far.
Real Betis also made the Champions League by finishing fifth last term, so Manuel Pellegrini’s squad will have to deal with at least eight extra games.
An outside bet to break through are Celta Vigo, who have a host of homegrown players developing under one of their own in coach Claudio Giraldez.
One must-watch match in the opening weeks?
Real Madrid hosting Real Sociedad in their rearranged game on Wednesday, August 26 stands out.
Mourinho’s first game back at the Bernabeu should be box-office given the divisions his last spell in charge from 2010 to 2013 caused at Madrid — and his behaviour when managing Benfica against Madrid in the Champions League last year.What You Should Read NextJose Mourinho and Real Madrid: The inside story on an unexpected returnThe 63-year-old Portuguese is returning to the Spanish giants as their new manager, 13 years on from a turbulent and divisive first spell
American coach Pellegrino Matarazzo’s La Real should provide an early test for Madrid, who have plenty of new players and a returning Portuguese coach. The San Sebastian team won last season’s Copa del Rey, and have Spain’s World Cup-winning centre-forward Mikel Oyarzabal.
Pellegrino Matarazzo led Real Sociedad to Copa del Rey glory last seasonFran Santiago/Getty Images
Madrid have not impressed in pre-season and struggled to create chances in their 1-0 victory at Deportivo La Coruna on Wednesday. But most of their big names, including Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham, have yet to feature after returning late from the World Cup.
The staggered start to the season should help, and a statement win against tough opponents like Real Sociedad would be an excellent way for Mourinho’s second coming to get up and running.
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Which team have had the most interesting transfer window?
Boosted by new U.S. financial giant Apollo Sports Capital joining Atletico’s ownership group in March, the Metropolitano side have invested more than €100m on experienced internationals Morten Hjulmand, Lee Kang-in and Alejandro Grimaldo, while long-time target Cristian Romero is set to join from Tottenham Hotspur.
Yet all that business has been overshadowed by the Alvarez saga. Barcelona believe the Argentina striker wants to join, but Atletico are unwilling to sell for anything close to the €100m or so that the Camp Nou outfit are currently able to offer.
It is difficult to know what is best for Atletico — keeping an unhappy player, or allowing their most talented star to leave with the season already underway.
Can Atletico Madrid hold on to Julian Alvarez?Javier Soriano/AFP via Getty Images
Which team have had the worst transfer window?
Getafe’s Luis Milla was one of La Liga’s outstanding midfielders last season, so losing him along with long-time midfield partner Mauro Arambarri in the same window looks a big blow, especially with El Geta heading into a season with Conference League commitments.Can this iteration of 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙅𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙈𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙝𝙤 𝙀𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 be a success at Real Madrid?
Tom Williams
Which team are well set to spring a surprise?
Athletic Club stumbled through most of last season, in part due to star forward Nico Williams never reaching 100 per cent fitness.
The Bilbao side’s new coach is former Borussia Dortmund manager Edin Terzic, as the club who famously only use players born or developed in the Basque Country once again tap into the knowhow and experience of outside coaches.
Howard Kendall, Jupp Heynckes and Marcelo Bielsa are among those who have previously harnessed Athletic’s local talent and adapted to the club’s philosophy to leave lasting legacies at San Mames.
Terzic definitely has talent to work with. Spain’s World Cup-winning goalkeeper Unai Simon and defender Aymeric Laporte are joined by young midfielders Mikel Jauregizar and Peio Canales (returning after impressing on loan with Racing Santander, who won the second division and will play in La Liga this season)
Who looks most likely to underperform?
Sevilla and Valencia have been battling for this unwanted prize over the last few seasons. Both are big clubs with long-running financial issues that make it very difficult to match their fans’ expectations.
Sevilla’s situation is the most precarious, with key players from last season, including forward Akor Adams and young right-back Juanlu, leaving this summer. Their biggest outlay so far is €6.5m on Scotland Under-21 striker Robbie Ure from Swedish side IK Sirius.
Valencia have also had to wheel and deal — although there is excitement at Mestalla about new 19-year-old Japanese forward Ryunosuke Sato, who joined from FC Tokyo.
It would be a shock were either to be relegated, but European qualification looks a long shot too.
How are the promoted clubs shaping up?
Racing Santander, Deportivo La Coruna and Malaga are all historic clubs returning after long spells away, during which they have all suffered plenty of off-pitch turmoil.
Deportivo have been the biggest spenders so far. Leo Roman (signed from Real Mallorca) is an excellent goalkeeper, while Jonathan Asp Jensen (Bayern Munich) and Bright Ede (Motor Lublin) are promising youngsters. Their most interesting arrival is 37-year-old former Dortmund, Arsenal and Barcelona striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who has joined from Marseille.
There is also romanticism around the return of Sergio Canales to Racing, with the 35-year-old former Real Madrid and Real Betis playmaker coming back to his hometown club 16 years after first leaving for the Bernabeu.
Racing Santander have returned to La Liga for the first time since 2012Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images
Malaga face the biggest challenge — the Andalusians’ surprise promotion via the second-division play-offs last year was quickly followed by renewed legal battles over the club’s ownership, between rivals Sheikh Abdullah Al Thani of Abu Dhabi and local construction and hotel empresario Jamal Satli Iglesias.
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Who are the best youngsters to look out for?
Yamal is still just 19, and Barca fans will be hoping he gets enough rest and recovery this summer to set him up for a less injury-affected season.
Madrid’s Thiago Pitarch, also 19, impressed after making his debut in February, but may struggle for minutes this term given his midfield competition.
Back at Barca, 18-year-old striker Hamza Abdelkarim has yet to make his La Liga debut but featured in four games for Egypt at the World Cup, and scored a quick-fire double on his first friendly appearance for the Catalans this month.
Real Betis’ young winger Jose Antonio Morante — who finished joint-top scorer in this summer’s Under-19 European Championship as Spain won the title — could be given lots of opportunities to impress.
Another to watch out for is Deportivo’s Yeremay Hernandez, 23, a wide attacker stepping up to the top flight after 27 goals and 18 assists in 86 second-division games.
Which under-the-radar player have big clubs been sleeping on?
Valencia midfielder Javi Guerra looks primed to make a big step forward.
A product of the club’s Paterna academy, Guerra has flashed great potential in his four seasons with the senior team, without yet demonstrating the consistency of a truly top player.
Valencia will be hoping Javi Guerra can firmly become an elite player with themAitor Alcalde/Getty Images
All the recent turmoil at Valencia has not helped his career progression, but Guerra enjoyed a strong end to last season, and earned a first senior Spain cap in a friendly in June.
Many different clubs have considered moves for the rangy midfielder over the years, and Atletico came closest to signing him in summer 2024. But Valencia supporters will be hoping the 23-year-old can stay and really kick on with them over 2025-26.
A great storyline involving La Liga we might have missed over the summer…
There is never a dull moment around Rayo Vallecano, by far La Liga’s strangest club.
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Rayo enjoyed a superb 2025-26 campaign, reaching a first-ever European final and, while they were narrowly beaten by Crystal Palace, it was still a brilliant achievement to make it that far.
But it was always unlikely to lead to a new era of stability. A mid-July audit of Estadio Vallecas found serious security, maintenance and health issues at the rickety old stadium, and Rayo’s hierarchy then refused permission for staff from Madrid’s regional government (the stadium’s owners) to enter to fix these problems.
Estadio Vallecas has long been in need of a makeoverRicardo Rubio/Europa Press via Getty Images
A week-long stand-off ensued, during which the possibility of Rayo moving multiple La Liga games 250 kilometres north to Burgos was mooted. The club and regional government have both had different design and financing ideas for modernising the crumbling Vallecas stadium.
This week it was confirmed Rayo’s first La Liga home game on August 20 against Alaves will be played across Madrid at Segunda club Leganes’ Estadio Butarque (as happened last season, when the Vallecas pitch was waterlogged in February).
Nobody can say for sure when Vallecas will be ready to host games again. New Rayo coach Benat San Jose has a huge job on his hands, especially with key players from last year leaving, including left-back Pep Chavarria (who has moved to Chelsea) and centre-half Nobel Mendy (Hull City).
Give us your boldest prediction for the season…
It will take at least a few months for Mourinho to get into any serious rows.
His previous spell on the Bernabeu bench was filled with arguments and feuds, with the Portuguese angrily taking on referees, journalists, opposition coaches and even his own players.
The 63-year-old’s return to the Spanish capital has so far been remarkably low-key. There has been no high-profile presentation to the local media or fans and he has not given interviews to anyone outside club media.
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Few inside and outside the Bernabeu doubt Mourinho will blow up at some point — most likely when his team suffer an unexpected defeat or are victims of a controversial refereeing decision.
But if Madrid can hit the ground running with some positive early results and big wins, maybe, just maybe, Mourinho’s return to La Liga will continue to be peaceful… for a while, at least.
Dermot Corrigan Dermot joined The Athletic in 2020 and has been our main La Liga Correspondent up until now. Irish-born, he has spent more than a decade living in Madrid and writing about Spanish football for ESPN, the UK Independent and the Irish Examiner.Follow
Will the Championship be tougher or easier? It’s a division that’s hard to second-guess
Raul Jimenez (left) and Wolves are expected to battle Jarrod Bowen (right) and West Ham for instant promotion back to the Premier League Getty Images
Aug. 14, 2026 12:02 am EDT
As the only manager to steer four different clubs to promotion from the second tier of English football, Neil Warnock has words of encouragement for all those looking to follow in his footsteps during the coming season.
“When you look at the sides I took up from this division,” he says, “we were never the best team. But what I always had was a very, very good dressing room. If you ask other managers in the league about facing my teams, they’d probably say we were near the top of the list they didn’t want to play against.
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“Yes, of course, money counts in the Championship. And the three teams coming down are always going to be firm favourites to go straight back up. But the Championship is about so much more than that.
“It is a hard league with hardly any breaks, totally relentless. And there’s no such thing as an easy game, with the bottom teams capable of beating the top every week. That’s why teams like mine, who most didn’t fancy at the start of the season, were able to win those four promotions.”
Wolverhampton Wanderers, one of those three relegated sides looking to earn an instant return to the Premier League, get the new season underway tonight (Friday) when they host Blackburn Rovers.
Then comes a series of intriguing weekend fixtures — including Southampton’s first league outing since last May’s ‘spygate’ scandal as Tonda Eckert’s side travel to Watford, while Burnley host West Ham United in a meeting of the other two sides to drop down from the top flight — before the first round of games culminates with Monday’s all-Welsh affair between Cardiff City and Wrexham.
There was a dip in quality, if not drama, last time out compared to the 2024-25 campaign, which saw Leeds United and Burnley rack up 100 points apiece on the way to automatic promotion.
Now, the Championship looks to be in strong shape once again.
Eckert’s Southampton are still in the ChampionshipWarren Little/Getty Images
Jarrod Bowen, following his decision to stay at West Ham after relegation, will bring undoubted extra quality to a division that still has the added attraction of no VAR during the 46-game regular season, after clubs voted against its introduction earlier this year.
The promotion play-offs have also been extended down to eighth place for the first time.
Fans should once again flock to the Championship, which last season posted its third-highest aggregate attendance figure since the Second World War.
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In total, 12,223,766 fans filed through the turnstiles, slightly up on the 12,170,350 from the previous season and not far behind the post-war high of 12,725,488 in 2023-24. The only other 12 million-plus season came in 1947-48.
Will West Ham’s presence — their 61,500-capacity London Stadium is comfortably the biggest stadium at this level since Manchester United’s one-year stay in the second tier during the mid-1970s — see a new attendance record set across the division?
Only time will tell, but there’s no doubting the popularity of a competition that prides itself on an air of unpredictability, especially when compared to the Premier League.What were football transfers like before the transfer window?
Tifo Football
“I’m looking forward to the Championship,” adds Warnock, whose four promotions to the top flight came at the helm of Notts County (1991), Sheffield United (2006), Queens Park Rangers (2011) and Cardiff (2018).
“I do miss it in the summer months. We’re so fortunate in this country, in terms of the crowds we get. Even lower down (the pyramid), I’ve been going to Torquay a bit, and they had nearly 4,300 on Saturday (at home to Horsham).
“It’s not even the top level of non-League, it’s a division down (National League South, the sixth tier of the English game). And 4,300 fans were there! No other country has a football setup like ours.”
Predicting any competition is difficult. Throw in the Championship’s propensity to shock on an almost weekly basis and it becomes nigh-on impossible. A quick look at the predictions from the writers of this parish a year ago tells us as much.
Hull City to be relegated and Leicester City for the play-offs? So thought yours truly, who also tipped Louie Barry to be the second tier’s Player of the Year, only for Sheffield United’s Aston Villa loanee to make just six starts (no goals) and end the campaign in League One with Stockport County.
The comments are also interesting in retrospect.
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“Ipswich are in turmoil, they’ll do a Luton,” said one reader. “Manning and Norwich will be in the top eight,” added another after they had been tipped to struggle. Norwich just missed out on that position, coming ninth, but head coach Liam Manning was nowhere to be seen by then, having been sacked in November with his team second-bottom of the table.
The number-crunchers at Opta fared little better with their supercomputer.
Eventual champions Coventry City and runners-up Ipswich Town were tipped to finish fourth and third respectively before a ball had been kicked last August, via the running of 10,000 simulations of how the campaign would unfold. But the computer also had Sheffield United to finish top (they came 13th in real life) and Leicester as runners-up (23rd, meaning back-to-back relegations), along with Hull 17th (sixth, promoted via the play-offs) and Wrexham 21st (seventh, missing the play-offs by two points).
What nobody could have foreseen a year ago when trying to second-guess how the Championship would pan out was the ‘spygate’ scandal that saw Southampton not only kicked out of the play-offs final but also handed a four-point deduction for the coming season.What You Should Read Next
Ranking all 72 stadiums in the Football League: From homely grounds to imposing arenasAs a new Football League season begins, The Athletic’s resident groundhopper runs the rule over all 72 grounds…
Head coach Eckert being hit with three Football Association misconduct charges means the saga may yet cast a further shadow over the new campaign, especially as the German could be facing a lengthy ban.
Nevertheless, expect Southampton to be strong. They were the standout team in the second half of last season — Eckert’s team claimed 48 points from New Year onwards, four more than title-bound Coventry — and have since added Villa loanee Lewis Dobbin, who was impressive when farmed out to Preston North End in this division last season. The loans of Cyle Larin and Daniel Pertz have also been made permanent, though losing Shea Charles to Fulham of the Premier League is a blow.
Middlesbrough, the other party in the spygate affair, have been busy in the market on the back of selling Hayden Hackney to top-flight Everton for an initial £16.5million and a 20 per cent sell-on clause in old boy Morgan Rogers’ £117m switch from Villa to Chelsea.
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Their new signing Will Lankshear, who netted 11 times at this level last term for relegated Oxford United on loan from Tottenham Hotspur of the Premier League, has already started to pay back the initial £10million transfer fee, courtesy of a spectacular scissor-kick winner against Wrexham in the Carabao Cup.
Other notable arrivals at the Riverside include United States international Sebastian Berhalter and Radek Vitek, the 22-year-old Manchester United goalkeeper who impressed on loan at the Championship’s Bristol City in 2025-26.
Like Southampton and as mentioned above, Norwich finished strongly after a slow start. In fact, had the regular-season gone on another couple of weeks beyond May 2, Philippe Clement’s side may well have gatecrashed the play-offs. Andre Brooks is a good addition from Sheffield United, but it is perhaps continuity that will most help Norwich this time around after retaining the key figures from that charge up the table.
Elsewhere, Wrexham and Birmingham City, promoted together from League One in 2025, are looking to improve once again, while Millwall and Derby County have retained the core of the squads that finished third and eighth respectively in May. All four are likely to be in the mix for a top-eight berth.
Sebastian Berhalter (right) has joined MiddlesbroughStu Forster/Getty Images
As for the relegated clubs, Wolves, fresh from replacing Rob Edwards with Cesar Peixoto as coach, boast proven Championship goalscoring pedigree in Adam Armstrong and Raul Jimenez. The latter is fresh from a World Cup where his three goals helped Mexico to the quarter-finals. Kieran Trippier also brings plenty of know-how to their defence — like Jimenez, he is 35 years old — after joining on a free from Newcastle United.
West Ham, meanwhile, received the perfect tonic to their relegation when captain Bowen opted to stay. There have been big-money departures in Crysencio Summerville and Mateus Fernandes. But coach Nuno Espirito Santo, who built one of the finest Championship sides in recent memory nine years ago when he was Wolves manager, surely has sufficient quality to mount a concerted push for the title.
Burnley have become something of a yo-yo club over the past five years, bouncing between the top two divisions with two promotions and three relegations. This time around, however, they feel more of an unknown quantity with new Belgian coach Nicky Hayen at the helm.
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He’s done well with Club Brugge and Genk in his native country, leading the former to the championship in 2023-24. But Maxime Esteve and Jaidon Anthony, sold to RB Leipzig and Brentford respectively, will be missed. Florentino Luis’ switch to Ipswich for £4million or so less than Burnley had been contractually obliged to pay for him a few weeks earlier, when making last season’s loan from Benfica permanent, was not a great look.
“There’s some good teams in there this season,” says Warnock, whose managerial feat in achieving four promotions to the top flight is matched by only Steve Bruce (Birmingham, 2001-02 and 2006-07; Hull, 2012-13 and 2015-16).
“You’ve always got to look at the three teams who have come down, even though I was surprised Wolves changed their manager. But, as always happens in the Championship, someone will emerge strongly.
“Middlesbrough, Birmingham, Southampton, Norwich… one of them will come out and have a real go. I don’t see much beyond those teams we’ve just mentioned. There are plenty with potential, so who really knows?
“That’s the beauty of the Championship. It’s why we all love it so much.”
Richard SutcliffeFollow
The Ole BallCoach 