Wolves will launch the Championship season at home to Blackburn, while West Ham head to Burnley in a meeting of the other two relegated sides in one of the more eye-catching fixtures on the opening weekend.
The EFL fixture list was released on Thursday and Wolves will play their first Championship fixture since 2018 under their new head coach, César Peixoto, at Molineux at 8pm on Friday 14 August, with the former West Brom manager Tony Mowbray back for a second spell in charge of Blackburn.
The Hammers and managerless Burnley face each other at Turf Moor on the Sunday. West Ham will start a new season outside the top flight for the first time in 14 years, while Burnley are back in the second tier for the third time since 2023.
The London Stadium, West Ham’s home since 2016, will host Championship football for the first time the following Saturday when Nuno Espírito Santo’s side face their capital rivals Charlton Athletic.
Middlesbrough, the beaten playoff finalists, begin their new season at the Riverside against Lincoln City, who are back in the second tier for the first time in 65 years. That is one of eight Saturday games, including a lunchtime Lancashire derby between Bolton and Preston, plus Sheffield United v Birmingham City in the later fixture.
Southampton play their opening fixture on the Sunday and will bid to put last month’s playoff spying scandal behind them against Watford at Vicarage Road, while Millwall travel to Bristol City and Norwich entertain West Brom.
Promoted Cardiff will host Wrexham in a derby clash on Monday night, to bring the curtain down on the Championship’s opening weekend.
Quick GuideEFL opening weekend: full fixture list
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CHAMPIONSHIP
Friday 14 August
Wolves v Blackburn (8pm)
Saturday 15 August (3pm unless stated)
Bolton v Preston (12.30pm)
Bristol City v Millwall
Charlton v Derby
Middlesbrough v Lincoln
Norwich v West Brom
Portsmouth v QPR
Stoke v Swansea
Sheffield United v Birmingham (5.30pm)
Sunday 16 August
Watford v Southampton (1.30pm)
Burnley v West Ham (4pm)
Monday 17 August
Cardiff v Wrexham (8pm)
LEAGUE ONE
Saturday 15 August (3pm unless stated)
Notts County v Leicester (12.30pm)
Oxford v MK Dons (12.30pm)
Reading v Luton (12.30pm)
Barnsley v Bromley
Blackpool v Wycombe
Bradford v Peterborough
Burton v Stevenage
Cambridge v Wigan
Huddersfield v AFC Wimbledon
Leyton Orient v Sheffield Wednesday
Mansfield v Doncaster
Plymouth v Stockport
LEAGUE TWO
Saturday 15 August (3pm unless stated)
Newport v Rochdale (12.30pm)
Oldham v Port Vale (12.30pm)
Accrington v Colchester
Barnet v Salford City
Cheltenham v Rotherham
Chesterfield v Fleetwood
Crawley v Crewe
Gillingham v Walsall
Grimsby v Exeter
Northampton v Swindon
Tranmere v Shrewsbury
York v Bristol Rovers
The opening-day fixtures in League One and Two all take place on 15 August.
Leicester, back in League One just 10 years after being crowned Premier League champions, start at Notts County in a 12.30pm kick-off and Sheffield Wednesday play their first match under their new owner, Arise Capital Partners, at Leyton Orient.
Bromley will begin their first season in the third tier at Barnsley, and Aaron Ramsey’s Oxford United have a lunchtime start at home to another promoted side, MK Dons.
In League Two, York City will play their first game back in the Football League after a 10-year absence at home against Bristol Rovers, with promoted Rochdale travelling to Newport for a 12.30pm kick-off.
Relegated Rotherham will play their first game back in the fourth tier since 2013 at Cheltenham. The full fixtures for all three divisions can be found here.
