Coventry City has secured promotion to the Premier League for the first time since 2001, led by Frank Lampard. Ipswich Town, Southampton, Millwall, and Middlesbrough are competing for the remaining playoff spots in the EFL Championship.
Key points
Coventry City promoted to Premier League after 39 years
Frank Lampard manages Coventry City
Ipswich Town is in second place in the Championship
Wrexham aims for fourth promotion in four seasons
Southampton is competing for a playoff spot
Mentioned in this story
Frank LampardRyan ReynoldsRob McElhenneyKieffer MooreJosh Windass
Coventry CityIpswich TownSouthamptonMillwall
Don't look now, but the EFL Championship is deep into the 2025-26 season and the race for Premier League promotion is red hot.
Frank Lampard's Coventry City are returning to the top flight for the first time since they were relegated in 2001, ending their 39-year major trophy drought (1987 FA Cup) to win the division. The Sky Blues endured years of financial turmoil and looked like they might never climb their way back up the ranks but Lampard had his men simply outscoring anyone and everyone this season, with USMNT striker Haji Wright more than doing his part in the campaign.
On the flip side, Wrexham are eyeing an astounding fourth promotion in four seasons and are in the thick of the playoff race with dwindling hopes of a late run to second. Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac's (nee: McElhenney) club was playing non-league football as recently as 2023, and the Reds are on the march once again with former Bournemouth striker Kieffer Moore and ex-Rangers midfielder Josh Windass both hitting double-digit goals.
Kieran McKenna has led an Ipswich Town surge into second place with two matches-in-hand on their nearest chasers, moving ahead of Millwall and Middlesbrough, while Southampton, who went down last season, have found their way back toward the playoff places. The Saints, also FA Cup semifinalists are dueling with the above teams as well as Hull City and Derby County for the sixth and final playoff spot.
It's never too early to start tracking who will come up to the Premier League and we are entering the business end of the season in the second-tier...
Current promotion standings (automatic + playoff places)
Q&A
Which teams are competing for Premier League promotion in 2025-26?
Ipswich Town, Southampton, Millwall, and Middlesbrough are among the teams vying for promotion alongside Coventry City.
Who is leading Coventry City's promotion campaign?
Frank Lampard is leading Coventry City, who recently ended a 39-year trophy drought by winning the EFL Championship.
What is Wrexham's current status in the EFL Championship?
Wrexham is competing for a fourth consecutive promotion and is in the playoff race, having previously played non-league football.
How are Ipswich Town and Southampton performing in the league?
Ipswich Town is in second place with games in hand, while Southampton is fighting for a playoff spot after being relegated last season.
Related Articles
Soccer·Recap
Millwall beat QPR to climb back into second in Championship
Millwall's 2-0 win over QPR puts them back in second place in the Championship!
Sky Sports··1 min read
Sports
Leicester pushed closer to L1 after defeat at Pompey
Leicester's defeat at Portsmouth pushes them closer to League One relegation.
Sky Sports··1 min read
Soccer·Recap
Derby see off Oxford to keep play-off hopes alive
Derby County secures a vital 1-0 win over Oxford United, keeping play-off dreams alive.
Sky Sports··1 min read
Sports
De previa con los amigos de Ruggeri: “Si marca y gana el Atleti, nos bañamos en el Guadalquivir”
Marca·
NBA·Preview
Timberwolves vs. Nuggets odds, prediction, time: 2026 NBA playoff picks, Game 1 best bets by proven model
Timberwolves face Nuggets in Game 1 of the 2026 NBA playoffs. Odds favor Denver by 6.5 points.
CBS Sports Headlines··1 min read
Sports·Recap
Washington baseball falls 6-4 to Michigan State in opener
Washington baseball loses 6-4 to Michigan State in opener
See every story in Sports — including breaking news and analysis.
Coventry City — 86 points, +42 GD — PROMOTED
Ipswich Town — 75 points, +29 GD — Automatic
Millwall — 73 points, +9 GD — Playoffs
Southampton — 72 points, +23 GD — Playoffs
Middlesbrough — 72 points, +20 GD — Playoffs
Hull City — 68 points, +4 GD — Playoffs
Teams in the playoff race
Wrexham— 64 points, +3 GD
Derby County — 63 points, +8 GD
Norwich City — 58 points, +5 GD
Bristol City — 58 points, +1 GD
Queens Park Rangers — 58 points, -5 GD
Key remaining fixtures in the promotion run-in
Coventry City bested Middlesbrough on Monday, February 16 in a huge game between the top two but there's a lot more ahead on the docket.
Hull City lost Tuesday, March 3 in a pivotal game between teams chasing the top two, while Hull then hosted fellow surprise top-two hopefuls Millwall four days later. Millwall won 2-1 away to Boro on April 3 in what's looking like a monumental clash.
Ipswich hosting Middlesbrough on Sunday, April 19 has become a massive fixture as both have automatic promotion plans. Wrexham hosting Boro on the final day of the season on May 2 could well be a glorious or crushing day for both.
How many points are usually needed for promotion?
In the last four seasons the minimum amount of points to achieve automatic promotion have been the following:
What happens in the EFL Championship promotion playoffs?
The teams who finish in third, fourth, fifth, and sixth compete in the playoffs. Third plays sixth home and away in one semifinal and fourth plays fifth home and away in the other semifinal.
The winners, on aggregate, of those two semifinals then meet in the one-off Championship playoff final at Wembley Stadium. That game has to be decided on the day with extra time and penalty kicks if needed. The Championship playoff final is known as the richest game in sports.
Promotion predictions: Who will go up to the Premier League? — By Nick Mendola
Things change quickly in the Championship. Coventry City had been fading out of first place and Middlesbrough headed up with a rocket before Frank Lampard's men beat Boro and used the win to ride right out of their slump. They're up!
Millwall beat Boro to pass them on the table, but that's further opened the door for Ipswich Town. The Tractor Boys are buzzing and have a lead on third place in points with two matches-in-hand to boot. Right now, it looks like Kieran McKenna's going to do it again.
Southampton have surged into the playoff discussion and are jockeying with Wrexham AFC and Hull City for the final playoff spot. At the moment, Saints are the form team and also an FA Cup semifinalist. Will those obligations prove draining?
Coventry City and Ipswich Town are our current projections for the automatic spots while we'll tab Boro, Millwall, Saints, and Wrexham for the playoffs — even though Hull City are hanging tough about Wrexham and Derby County with four matches left each — with Boro cleaning up its mess to find a place back in the PL.
