Football key dates

Football dates

Football Tournament Key Dates 2026/27

Key dates for the FA Cup, EFL Cup, Champions League, Europa League and Conference League, with round dates, final dates and source links.

Covered5competitions

Quick answer

Find round dates and final dates by competition

Use the cards below to check the current season dates. Each competition includes a source link and a status label so planning dates are separated from official competition listings.

Browse competitions

FA Cup, EFL Cup and UEFA competitions

2026/27

FA Cup key dates

Round dates for the Emirates FA Cup, from qualifying through to the Wembley final.

Final countdownSource
StageDateStatus
Extra Preliminary RoundSaturday 8 August 2026Official
Preliminary RoundSaturday 22 August 2026Official
First Round QualifyingSaturday 5 September 2026Official
Second Round QualifyingSaturday 19 September 2026Official
Third Round QualifyingSaturday 3 October 2026Official
Fourth Round QualifyingSaturday 17 October 2026Official
First Round ProperSaturday 7 November 2026Official
Second Round ProperSaturday 5 December 2026Official
Third Round ProperSaturday 9 January 2027Official
Fourth Round ProperSaturday 13 February 2027Official
Fifth Round ProperSaturday 6 March 2027Official
Quarter FinalSaturday 3 April 2027Official
Semi FinalSaturday 24 April 2027Official
FinalSaturday 22 May 2027Official

2026/27

EFL Cup key dates

Planning dates for the Carabao Cup season, including the Wembley final.

Final countdownSource
StageDateStatus
Round OneEFL lists Round One as the start of the 2026/27 season.7-9 August 2026Official
Round TwoWeek commencing 24 August 2026Planning
Round ThreeWeeks commencing 7 and 14 September 2026Planning
Round FourWeek commencing 26 October 2026Planning
Round FiveWeek commencing 14 December 2026Planning
Semi-final first legsWeek commencing 11 January 2027Planning
Semi-final second legsWeek commencing 1 February 2027Planning
FinalSunday 21 March 2027Planning

2026/27

UEFA Champions League key dates

League phase, knockout rounds and the 2027 Champions League final in Madrid.

Final countdownSource
StageDateStatus
League phase matchday 18-10 September 2026Official
League phase matchday 213-14 October 2026Official
League phase matchday 320-21 October 2026Official
League phase matchday 43-4 November 2026Official
League phase matchday 524-25 November 2026Official
League phase matchday 68-9 December 2026Official
League phase matchday 719-20 January 2027Official
League phase matchday 827 January 2027Official
Knockout phase play-offs16-17 and 23-24 February 2027Official
Round of 169-10 and 16-17 March 2027Official
Quarter-finals6-7 and 13-14 April 2027Official
Semi-finals27-28 April and 4-5 May 2027Official
FinalSaturday 5 June 2027Official

2026/27

UEFA Europa League key dates

League phase, knockout rounds and the 2027 Europa League final in Frankfurt.

Final countdownSource
StageDateStatus
League phase matchday 116-17 September 2026Official
League phase matchday 215 October 2026Official
League phase matchday 322 October 2026Official
League phase matchday 45 November 2026Official
League phase matchday 526 November 2026Official
League phase matchday 610 December 2026Official
League phase matchday 721 January 2027Official
League phase matchday 828 January 2027Official
Knockout phase play-offs18 and 25 February 2027Official
Round of 1611 and 18 March 2027Official
Quarter-finals8 and 15 April 2027Official
Semi-finals29 April and 6 May 2027Official
FinalWednesday 26 May 2027Official

2026/27

UEFA Conference League key dates

League phase, knockout rounds and the 2027 Conference League final in Istanbul.

Final countdownSource
StageDateStatus
League phase matchday 115 October 2026Official
League phase matchday 222 October 2026Official
League phase matchday 35 November 2026Official
League phase matchday 426 November 2026Official
League phase matchday 510 December 2026Official
League phase matchday 617 December 2026Official
Knockout phase play-offs18 and 25 February 2027Official
Round of 1611 and 18 March 2027Official
Quarter-finals8 and 15 April 2027Official
Semi-finals29 April and 6 May 2027Official
FinalWednesday 2 June 2027Official

Related sports tools

Turn key dates into a fixture plan

For live fixtures and TV checks, use the fixture guide. For finals and major tournaments, use the countdown pages.

Open fixture guideOpen countdowns