First Professional Football League
FIFA Region
UEFA
Season
2025-2026
Location
Bulgaria
Abbreviation
BUL1

Summary

The First Professional Football League (BUL1) is the top professional league in the Bulgarian football system. At completion of the 2025-2026 regular season, the ENG1 teams listed below qualify for the following non-league play::

  • 2026-2027 UEFA Champions League - 1st Qualifying Round:
    • 1st place 2025-2026 BUL1 Championship Group team
  • 2026-2027 UEFA Europa League - 1st Qualifying Round:
    • 2nd place 2025-2026 BUL1 Championship Group team
  • 2026-2027 UEFA Europa Conference League - 2nd Qualifying Round:
    • 3rd place 2025-2026 BUL1 Championship Group team
    • winner of 2025-2026 BUL1 UEFA Europa Conference League Playoffs

The winner of the 2025-2026 Bulgarian Cup, typically a BUL1 team, also receives a berth in the 2nd Qualifying Round of the 2026-2027 UEFA Europa Conference League.

Leagues Pyramid - Bulgaria

Abbrev League # of Teams
BUL1 efbet League
(First Professional Football League)
16
BUL2 Second Professional Football League 17
BUL3 Third Amatuer Football League 69

Competition Structure

Season

# of Teams

Regular
18 Jul 2025 - 21 Apr 2026
Champ/Releg Rounds
25 Apr 2026 - 29 May 2026
UEFAECL Playoffs
8 Jun 2026 - 31 May 2025
14: BUL1 (13 minimum), BUL2 (3 maximum)

Season Format

The 2025-2026 BUL1 consists of a double round robin format where each BUL1 team plays Home-Away matches with the other 15 BUL1 teams, for a total of 30 regular season matches per team. At the end of regular season, the top 6 teams play in the Championship group, teams placed 7th through 10th place teams play in the UEFA Europa Conference League (UEFAECL) group, and teams placed 11th through 16th place play in the Relegation group. In the Championship and Relegation rounds, each team plays 1 match against the other 5 teams in their group for 5 more matches (35 total per team). In the UEFAECL group, each teams play Home/Away matches against the other 3 teams in their group for 6 more matches (36 total per team). Table ranking ties are broken by (1) head-to-head points, (2) head-to-head goal difference, (3) head-to-head goals scored, (4) head-to-head away goals scored (if only 2 teams), (5) goal difference, (6) total goals scored, (7) Fair-play ranking, then (8) a drawing.

Playoffs

Upon completion of the 2025-2026 BUL1 Championship and UEFAECL Playoffs rounds, the 3rd place Championship team enters into Home/Away highest aggregate goals wins matches against the 1st place UEFAECL Playoffs team.

Relegation

At the end of the 2025-2026 BUL1 Relegation Round, the 7th and 8th place teams will be relegated to BUL2, and the 5th and 5th place teams will enter into a Promotion/Relegation with the 3rd and 4th place BUL2 teams.


More Info...


1st Stage

 LeagueHomeRoad
POSMPW - D - LPTSCPTSGFGAGDMPW - D - LPTSGFGAGDMPW - D - LPTSGFGAGD
1PFC Levski Sofia 2519 -2-459-5718391311 -1-13435827128 -1-325221012
2Ludogorets Razgrad 2514 -8-350-461828127 -4-12522913137 -4-22524915
3CSKA 1948 Sofia 2514 -5-647-402515137 -3-32421156127 -2-32319109
4CSKA Sofia 2413 -7-446-361818139 -3-13023815114 -4-31613103
5PFC Cherno More Varna 2510 -10-540-301713124 -6-2181376136 -4-32217107
6PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv 259 -11-538-2627-1137 -4-22513112122 -7-3131316-3
7PFC Slavia Sofia 269 -8-935-32293136 -4-32219136133 -4-6131316-3
8FC Lokomotiv 1929 Sofia 257 -10-831-31310133 -6-41516151124 -4-4161516-1
9POFC Botev Vratsa 257 -10-831-1720-3134 -6-318862123 -4-513914-5
10FK Arda Kardzhali 247 -8-929-2324-1113 -4-413911-2134 -4-51614131
11PFC Botev Plovdiv 247 -6-1127-2533-8124 -3-5151115-4123 -3-6121418-4
12FK Spartak 1918 Varna 255 -11-926-2436-12123 -4-5131522-7132 -7-413914-5
13FC Dobrudzha Dobrich 256 -4-1522-1935-16136 -2-5201415-1120 -2-102520-15
14PFC Septemvri Sofia 256 -3-1621-2250-28124 -1-7131321-8132 -2-98929-20
15PFC Beroe Stara Zagora 253 -10-1219-1738-21122 -5-511816-8131 -5-78922-13
16PFC Montana 253 -7-1516-1440-26122 -4-610918-9131 -3-96522-17
Championship Group
UEFAECL Playoffs
Relegation Group

Fixtures

Sat - 14 Mar 2026
 FK Spartak 1918 Varna   CSKA 1948 SofiaStadion Spartak (Varna)
 PFC Botev Plovdiv   POFC Botev VratsaStadion Hristo Botev (Plovdiv)
 Ludogorets Razgrad   CSKA SofiaHuvepharma Arena
Sun - 15 Mar 2026
Mon - 16 Mar 2026
Tue - 17 Mar 2026
 FC Lokomotiv 1929 Sofia   PFC Septemvri SofiaStadion Lokomotiv (Sofia)
Thu - 19 Mar 2026
 FK Spartak 1918 Varna   Ludogorets RazgradStadion Spartak (Varna)
Fri - 20 Mar 2026
 PFC Slavia Sofia   PFC Botev PlovdivStadion Aleksandar Shalamanov
Sat - 21 Mar 2026
 PFC Septemvri Sofia   FK Arda KardzhaliStadion Lokomotiv (Sofia)
 PFC Levski Sofia   PFC Cherno More VarnaStadion Georgi Asparuhov
Sun - 22 Mar 2026
 CSKA Sofia   FC Dobrudzha DobrichStadion Vasil Levski
 POFC Botev Vratsa   PFC Lokomotiv PlovdivStadion Hristo Botev (Vratsa)
Sat - 4 Apr 2026
 PFC Botev Plovdiv   FK Spartak 1918 VarnaStadion Hristo Botev (Plovdiv)
 PFC Septemvri Sofia   POFC Botev VratsaStadion Lokomotiv (Sofia)
 PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv   FC Lokomotiv 1929 SofiaStadion Lokomotiv (Plovdiv)

Results

Fri - 13 Mar 2026
 FC Lokomotiv 1929 Sofia 11 PFC Slavia SofiaStadion Lokomotiv (Sofia)
 PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv 10 PFC Septemvri SofiaStadion Lokomotiv (Plovdiv)
Mon - 9 Mar 2026
 PFC Levski Sofia 10 PFC Lokomotiv PlovdivStadion Georgi Asparuhov
Sun - 8 Mar 2026
 CSKA Sofia 20 FC Lokomotiv 1929 SofiaStadion Vasil Levski
 CSKA 1948 Sofia 00 PFC Botev PlovdivStadion Bistritsa
Sat - 7 Mar 2026
 POFC Botev Vratsa 10 FK Arda KardzhaliStadion Hristo Botev (Vratsa)
 PFC Septemvri Sofia 03 PFC Cherno More VarnaStadion Lokomotiv (Sofia)
Fri - 6 Mar 2026
 PFC Slavia Sofia 40 FK Spartak 1918 VarnaStadion Aleksandar Shalamanov
Thu - 5 Mar 2026
 PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv 05 CSKA 1948 SofiaStadion Lokomotiv (Plovdiv)
 FC Lokomotiv 1929 Sofia 31 FC Dobrudzha DobrichStadion Lokomotiv (Sofia)
Wed - 4 Mar 2026
 CSKA Sofia 10 POFC Botev VratsaStadion Vasil Levski
Tue - 3 Mar 2026
 PFC Botev Plovdiv 20 PFC Septemvri SofiaStadion Hristo Botev (Plovdiv)
 FK Spartak 1918 Varna 10 PFC MontanaStadion Spartak (Varna)
Mon - 2 Mar 2026
Sun - 1 Mar 2026
 PFC Levski Sofia 43 FC Lokomotiv 1929 SofiaStadion Georgi Asparuhov