EFL Championship: Race for Premier League promotion, standings ...
Here's everything to know about the EFL Championship with so much still at stake for most of the league
www.cbssports.comHere’s the latest overview of promotion race in the EFL Championship as of 2025–26 season.
Direct answer
- Coventry City and Middlesbrough are battling for automatic promotion; the playoff spots are a tight scramble with Ipswich Town, Hull City, Millwall, and Wrexham among the leading contenders.
Key context
- The Championship promotion system awards automatic spots to the top two and a playoff between teams finishing 3rd–6th. The playoff final at Wembley is the payoff for the remaining promotion spot and is commonly the richest match in football.[3]
- As of early 2026, Coventry City has been highlighted in several analyses as a strong contender for the Championship title, with Middlesbrough also in the automatic promotion mix.[6][3]
- Wrexham has been noted as a rising challenger, with playoff ambitions in recent seasons, though automatic promotion has been more intermittent for them.[5]
- The standings and specific points totals shift weekly; recent coverage emphasizes Coventry’s momentum and the ongoing chase for the second automatic berth or a playoff position.[3][6]
What to watch next
- Final run-in for automatic promotion: the two top teams at the end of the season, and whether Coventry or Middlesbrough clinch the title.
- Playoff race: teams finishing 3rd–6th, with the semi-finals and Wembley final determining the last promotion spot.
- Relegation battles are also consequential for scheduling and momentum, but your focus is on promotion—watch how wins in midweek fixtures alter the gap between contenders.[4][3]
Illustration
- If you’d like, I can generate a current-week chart of the top six playoff positions and automatic promotion contenders with points and goal difference, plus a simple projection for the final three matches. This would include a CSV of the standings and a PNG chart.