EFL Championship, League One, and League Two Showdown: Who Will Secure Promotion or Suffer Relegation on the Exciting Final Day?

As the football league season heads toward a thrilling conclusion, the fates of promotion and relegation remain in the balance across all three divisions.

Though Coventry has secured their Premier League position, it remains uncertain who else will join them.

At the lower end of the leagues, FIVE clubs are in danger of dropping to the National League for the 2026/27 season.

SunSport is here to analyze the potential outcomes as the football league season nears its end.

Championship Scenarios

Championship Automatic Promotion

Coventry has been declared the champions of the Championship, marking their return to the Premier League after a 25-year absence.

Three teams are vying for the last automatic promotion spot.

Ipswich currently holds second place by just a single point, having allowed Millwall and Middlesbrough to stay in contention after drawing with Southampton on Tuesday.

This draw eliminated Southampton from the promotion race.

Here’s how their fixtures are shaping up:

• Ipswich (81pts, +30 GD) vs QPR
• Millwall (80pts, +13 GD) vs Oxford
• Wrexham vs Middlesbrough (79pts, +25 GD)

Championship Play-Offs

Wrexham leads the chase for sixth place, closely followed by Hull and Derby.

Hull shares points with Wrexham but can leapfrog them on goal difference if both win and Hull scores one more goal than Wrexham.

If Hull nets two more, they will take over sixth place based on goal difference.

Derby requires both teams to lose; their goal difference dictates a point or win would place them in sixth.

Here’s an overview of their fixtures:

• Wrexham (70pts, +4 GD) vs Middlesbrough
• Hull (70pts, +3 GD) vs Norwich
• Derby (69pts, +9 GD) vs Sheffield United

Championship Relegation

Oxford United, Leicester City, and Sheffield Wednesday have already faced relegation from the division.

League One Scenarios

League One Automatic Promotion

Lincoln and Cardiff have achieved automatic promotion as the top two teams, with Lincoln confirmed as champions.

League One Play-Offs

Stockport had a chance to secure their place before the final weekend but fell to a loss against Port Vale.

With 74 points, they risk dropping to seventh if Bradford, Stevenage, and Luton win their respective matches.

Plymouth could also oust Stevenage if they win, while both Luton and Stevenage lose.

Notably, only Stevenage is hosting a match this weekend.

Here’s how their fixtures look:

• Barnsley vs Stockport (74pts, +11 GD)
• Exeter vs Bradford (74pts, +6 GD)
• Stevenage (72pts, +2 GD) vs Wigan
• Bolton vs Luton (71pts, +11 GD)
• Northampton vs Plymouth (70pts, +11 GD)

League One Relegation

Northampton Town, Port Vale, and Rotherham are set to drop to League Two at the conclusion of this season.

Exeter City currently occupies a relegation spot, only two points behind Leyton Orient, which places either team in jeopardy of being relegated.

Exeter’s goal difference indicates that if they win while Orient draws, they will preserve their league status.

Here’s how their fixtures unfold:

• Leyton Orient (51pts, -12 GD) vs Burton Albion
• Exeter City (49pts, -8 GD) vs Bradford

League Two Scenarios

League Two Automatic Promotion

MK Dons and Bromley have secured two of the three automatic promotion slots.

The championship title remains undecided, with just one point separating the teams going into the last day. Here’s how they match up:

• Fleetwood vs MK Dons (85pts, +41 GD)
• Bromley (84pts, +23 GD) vs Walsall

Cambridge currently sits in third place but could drop to fifth.

They hold only a two-point lead over Notts County in fifth, with Salford positioned in between.

Cambridge must win to secure their position, but their goal difference may be sufficient to keep them safe if Salford draws and Notts County loses.

Salford needs a win combined with a Cambridge loss, while Notts County must win with losses from both teams above them; here’s how they stack up:

• Crewe vs Cambridge (81pts, +33 GD)
• Crawley vs Salford (80pts, +10 GD)
• Notts County (79pts, +22 GD) vs Bristol Rovers

League Two Play-Offs

Chesterfield is currently in seventh place with 76 points, with Swindon in eighth at 75 points, preparing for a play-off decider on the final day.

Barnet, currently ninth, cannot qualify for the playoffs since one or both of Chesterfield and Swindon are guaranteed at least a point.

On a related note, Grimsby has already secured a playoff spot, as only one of Chesterfield or Swindon can surpass them.

League Two Relegation

No teams have been relegated yet, but Barrow, Harrogate Town, Crawley Town, Newport County, and Tranmere Rovers are all at risk.

Barrow is currently at the bottom, trailing by three points, while Harrogate is also in the drop zone; Crawley is tied on points with Harrogate but remains above them due to goal difference.

Newport and Tranmere sit just one point above the relegation zone.

To avoid relegation, Barrow needs several favorable scenarios, as they cannot finish higher than 22nd.

Here’s how all their matches unfold:

• Tranmere (40pts, -25 GD) vs Grimsby
• Barrow (36pts, -32 GD) vs Newport (40pts, -30 GD)
• Crawley (39pts, -24 GD) vs Salford
• Harrogate (39pts, -28 GD) vs Barnet