Championship 2026/27 Predicted Table: Full 24-Team Breakdown

The Championship returns with three well resourced Premier League exiles at the head of the market, an expanded play-off system that now stretches from third to eighth, and a genuine spygate scandal still casting a shadow over the promotion picture. Below is a full breakdown of where each of the 24 clubs is likely to finish, based on the summer's business, the managerial situation at each club, and recent form. Odds and squad news move fast in this division, so check the latest prices before backing anything, and gamble responsibly.

1. West Ham United

West Ham have held onto an enormous amount of Premier League quality and that's the biggest reason for real optimism at the London Stadium. Jarrod Bowen remains the focal point, while Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Max Kilman and Edson Álvarez all look a level above most of this division. Nuno Espírito Santo has already proven he can get a club out of the Championship, having done exactly that with Wolves and his experience should count for a great deal. The one question mark is whether a squad built for the top flight adjusts quickly enough to the grind of 46 Championship games, but the talent gap alone should keep them in the promotion picture throughout and really anything other than winning the league would seem like a dissapointing result.

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2. Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough were excellent under Kim Hellberg last season and have strengthened in exactly the two areas that needed it most. Radek Vitek looks an outstanding addition in goal after an impressive loan spell at Bristol City, while Will Lankshear arrives full of promise having scored regularly for a struggling Oxford United side. Losing Hayden Hackney is a genuine blow to the engine room but the business done elsewhere looks smart enough to compensate, and continuity under an already excellent manager counts for a lot in a division this unpredictable. Our pick for an immediate return to the Premier League.

3. Norwich City

Only Southampton picked up more points than Norwich in the second half of last season, so the Canaries head into the new campaign carrying some momentum. The squad has been strengthened sensibly, with Andre Brooks arriving from Sheffield United as a particularly smart bit of business. The biggest asset though, is manager Philippe Clement, who has done an excellent job at Carrow Road and looks close to the finished article at this level. If he stays for the full season rather than being poached, as often happens with promising Championship managers, and they keep injures to a minimum, Norwich look a real threat.

4. Wolverhampton Wanderers

Much like West Ham, Wolves have kept hold of the core of a Premier League squad, which puts them in a strong position from the first whistle. New manager Cesar Peixoto is something of an unknown quantity in this dugout but the players at his disposal, Andre, Raul Jimenez, Santiago Bueno and new arrival Kieran Trippier among them, look comfortably good enough for this level. The unproven head coach is the obvious risk factor holding them just outside the very top of these predictions but provided there's no major upheaval, Wolves should be firmly in the playoff spots.

5. Southampton

Southampton start the season on minus four points after the spygate scandal that saw them expelled from last season's play-offs for spying on Middlesbrough's training sessions and there remains uncertainty over whether manager Tonda Eckert will face further sanctions. Fears of a mass summer exodus haven't materialised though, and on paper this remains one of the most talented squads outside the automatic favourites. The deduction is real and will need clawing back early, but the underlying quality here looks strong enough to still finish inside the play-off places comfortably.

6. Burnley

Burnley have a habit of finding a way in this division regardless of who's managing them or what the squad looks like and they've challenged near the top in recent years almost as a matter of course. Losing Florentino Luís and Jaidon Anthony over the summer leaves them looking the weakest of the three relegated Premier League sides on paper and that's a real dent in their attacking and midfield options. Even so, Burnley's Championship pedigree is hard to bet against and another top-half finish with a play-off shout looks the likely floor rather than the ceiling.

7. Wrexham

Wrexham have built a reputation for eye-catching signings since their Hollywood takeover, but it's been a notably quiet summer at the Racecourse Ground so far. That's as much a sign of trust in the group that finished seventh last season, agonisingly close to the play-offs under the old format, as it is a lack of ambition and business could still pick up before the window shuts. With that settled, experienced squad and the play-offs now extending to eighth place, Wrexham look well placed to go one better and finally reach the post-season.

8. Millwall

Millwall enjoyed an excellent season under Alex Neil and still look well equipped for another play-off push. Keeping hold of Femi Azeez will be key: if he stays fit and firing, Millwall have every chance of kicking on again and losing him would be a considerable blow to their attacking threat. Billy Mitchell's departure weakens the midfield, but the signing of Kyrell Lisbie from Peterborough adds pace and quality up front. The division looks stronger than last season, so matching third place may be beyond them, but another play-off campaign looks likely.

9. Queens Park Rangers

QPR look like a dark horse after a smart, low-key summer that hasn't grabbed many headlines but has quietly improved the squad in the right areas. Pierce Charles arrives on loan to fix last season's goalkeeping problems, Glen Kamara adds real experience in midfield and Tariq Lamptey could be one of the better players in the division if he can stay fit, which has been the persistent question mark over his career. There's enough here to sneak into the newly expanded play-off places if a couple of those individual pieces click.

10. Birmingham City

Chris Davies guided Birmingham back to the Championship in record-breaking fashion, but found himself under pressure last season after falling short of the lofty expectations that followed. Those expectations are even higher this time and there's a sense he could be under scrutiny if results don't improve, even with sensible recruitment and time still to strengthen further. A better season than last time looks likely given the overall improvement in the squad and Birmingham should be right on the fringes of the play-off picture rather than clearly missing out.

11. Bristol City

Bristol City have gone big this summer, appointing Michael Skubala on the back of his impressive League One promotion with Lincoln and landing two of the third tier's standout forwards in Dom Ballard and Lorent Tolaj to form a frightening strike partnership. Skubala's more direct style can be highly effective at this level, but the step up is significant for both the new manager and parts of the squad he's inherited. A solid season looks likely, though breaking into the play-offs in year one may be a stretch too far.

12. West Bromwich Albion

West Brom were hard to place after a poor season, but finished strongly under an inexperienced manager who now gets a full pre-season to build on that momentum. The core of the squad remains strong, with Mikey Johnston, Alex Mowatt and Isaac Price all capable of making a difference in this division. The addition of Jimmy-Jay Morgan gives them another attacking option to work with and the momentum from the back end of last season shouldn't be dismissed. A push towards the top half looks realistic if that form carries over.

13. Swansea City

Losing Ethan Galbraith is a real blow to the midfield, but there's excitement about what Vitor Matos can do with a full pre-season behind him after showing real promise in patches last year. Swansea should be an improved side under his continued guidance, building on the foundations laid in his first months in charge. The division looks as competitive as it's been in years, though, and breaking into the play-off places looks unlikely this time around. A solid mid-table finish, with clear signs of progress, is the realistic outcome.

14. Derby County

This feels harsh given how much Derby impressed last season, but the division looks even stronger this time around, which makes progress harder to find. Making Bobby Clark's loan move permanent is excellent business, though the rest of the summer's incoming business hasn't obviously strengthened the squad enough to push higher. John Eustace remains an excellent manager who gives Derby a real chance every week, but there's a ceiling on what this current squad can achieve against better resourced rivals.

15. Stoke City

Stoke have settled into life as an established mid-table Championship club in recent years and despite Mark Robins' strong track record at this level, a similar outcome looks likely again. The additions of Ethan Galbraith from Swansea and Svante Ingelsson from Sheffield Wednesday both look shrewd and should add real quality in midfield. Stoke have promised more than they've delivered too often in recent seasons for real optimism to take hold and until that changes, another steady but unremarkable campaign in the middle of the table looks the fair prediction.

16. Cardiff City

Cardiff haven't been as busy in the transfer market as might have been expected, though Jack Moylan's arrival from Lincoln City looks a smart addition. On paper this doesn't look a significantly stronger squad than the one relegated from the Championship two seasons ago but manager Brian Barry-Murphy commands real faith after guiding them back up. A spectacular season looks unlikely, but there should be enough here to avoid an immediate return to League One and secure comfortable Championship survival in the bottom half.

17. Sheffield United

Sheffield United struggled last season and with their parachute payments now gone, they've been far more limited in the transfer market than in recent years. Chris Wilder remains a very good manager but last season showed even he isn't a miracle worker without the tools to match. The possible departure of Gustavo Hamer would be a significant additional blow to a squad already short of the quality that once carried them to 92 points. Another season some way off the top half, without the resources to properly compete looks likely.

18. Preston North End

Preston have broken their transfer record to sign Alfie Devine, which shows real ambition, but losing captain Ben Whiteman to Wrexham is a considerable blow that could cap how far they can climb. Paul Heckingbottom isn't the most exciting manager in the division, but he knows this level well and should have enough know how to keep Preston clear of relegation trouble. Another season hovering around the bottom half without any real progress up the table looks the most likely outcome.

19. Portsmouth

After relying heavily on Colby Bishop for goals over recent seasons, Portsmouth have finally brought in a second genuine striking option in Marko Milovanovic to ease that burden. Beyond that addition, the squad doesn't look significantly improved from last season, and Portsmouth will again lean heavily on Josh Murphy staying fit and manager John Mousinho continuing to get the best out of a limited group. There should be enough here to stay up, but it could be another long, nervous season at Fratton Park.

20. Watford

The famously chaotic way Watford is run always feels one bad run away from catching up with the club and this could be the season it finally does. Alessio Dionisi is the latest man in the Vicarage Road dugout, continuing a well worn pattern of managerial turnover that has undermined any sense of long term planning at the club. The squad still carries enough individual quality to avoid the very bottom of the table but a relegation battle, rather than just a disappointing mid-table finish, looks a real possibility this time.

21. Charlton Athletic

Nathan Jones ultimately guided Charlton to Championship survival in a difficult campaign, but the squad clearly needed a proper overhaul this summer that hasn't fully materialised. Millenic Alli's arrival from Luton Town adds another attacking option, but Charlton still have a bloated squad of more than 30 players, and until a number of those move on, raising the overall quality of the group will remain difficult. Jones has the energy to keep Charlton competitive, but another relegation battle looks likely.

22. Bolton Wanderers

There was plenty of optimism at Bolton after promotion from League One capped by an impressive play-off final win over Stockport County but the summer business hasn't matched that mood. Steven Schumacher has looked visibly frustrated at times during pre-season, and it's hard to argue this squad is meaningfully stronger than the one that went up. Stepping up two divisions worth of quality in the space of a single summer is a huge ask, and Bolton risk finding that out the hard way in a genuinely difficult first season back.

23. Blackburn Rovers

There's real cause for concern at Ewood Park this season. Blackburn only just avoided relegation last time out, and if anything the squad looks weaker than it did then. Tony Mowbray is a sensible, experienced appointment, but it's not one that has obviously lifted the mood among supporters, and with only two signings made so far, there's little evidence of the squad being strengthened where it needed to be. A serious relegation battle looks the likely outcome for Blackburn this season.

24. Lincoln City

Lincoln face an uphill battle that looks close to insurmountable. Losing promotion-winning manager Michael Skubala to Bristol City is a major blow on its own, but replacing him with an inexperienced joint head coach setup in Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw, rather than a proven Championship operator, adds considerably to the risk. The departure of Jack Moylan to Cardiff strips out more quality from a squad that already has one of the smallest budgets in the division. Every factor points towards an immediate return to League One.