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...


UEFAECL Playoffs - Final

DateHome Status RoadVenue
Fri - 29 May 2026
 Ludogorets Razgrad 00 PFC Lokomotiv PlovdivHuvepharma Arena
 Ludogorets Razgrad wins on PKs (3-1) 

PO 1/2

DateHome Status RoadVenue
Thu - 28 May 2026
 PFC Septemvri Sofia (BUL1) 21 FC Yantra Gabrovo (BUL2)Stadion Dragalevtsi
 PFC Septemvri Sofia remains in BUL1 

2nd Stage

 LeagueHomeRoad
POSMPW - D - LPTSCPTSGFGAGDMPW - D - LPTSGFGAGDMPW - D - LPTSGFGAGD
Championship
1PFC Levski Sofia 3625 -6-581-7125461815 -1-2464110311810 -5-335301515
2Ludogorets Razgrad 3619 -10-767-6125361810 -6-236311219189 -4-531301317
3CSKA 1948 Sofia 3620 -7-967-5435191810 -4-434261881810 -3-533281711
4CSKA Sofia 3618 -9-963-4730171811 -5-238291316187 -4-72518171
Relegation
1POFC Botev Vratsa 3713 -14-1053-36324198 -7-43119127185 -7-6221720-3
2FC Lokomotiv 1929 Sofia 3711 -14-1247-51483196 -9-42727207185 -5-8202428-4
3PFC Slavia Sofia 3712 -10-1546-4244-2198 -5-62925205184 -5-9171724-7
4FK Spartak 1918 Varna 378 -13-1637-3557-22196 -5-8232533-8182 -8-8141024-14
5PFC Septemvri Sofia 379 -9-1936-3264-32185 -5-8201727-10194 -4-11161537-22
6PFC Beroe Stara Zagora 377 -13-1734-2852-24183 -7-8161323-10194 -6-9181529-14
7FC Dobrudzha Dobrich 378 -7-2231-2852-24187 -3-8241924-5191 -4-147928-19
8PFC Montana 374 -11-2223-2155-34183 -6-9151224-12191 -5-138931-22
UEFAECL Playoffs
1PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv 3614 -13-955-3641-51810 -4-43418171184 -9-5211824-6
2FK Arda Kardzhali 3615 -9-1254-42348188 -5-52919145187 -4-72523203
3PFC Cherno More Varna 3614 -12-1054-40346187 -6-52721174187 -6-52719172
4PFC Botev Plovdiv 3613 -7-1646-49454186 -4-82224231187 -3-82425223
UEFAECL Playoffs
2026-2027 UEFACL
2026-2027 UEFAEL
2026-2027 UEFAECL
Relegation Playoff
Relegation to BUL2

1st Stage

 LeagueHomeRoad
POSMPW - D - LPTSCPTSGFGAGDMPW - D - LPTSGFGAGDMPW - D - LPTSGFGAGD
1PFC Levski Sofia 3022 -4-470-6422421513 -1-14038929159 -3-330261313
2Ludogorets Razgrad 3017 -9-460-572037159 -5-13228919158 -4-328291118
3CSKA 1948 Sofia 3018 -5-759-503119159 -3-33025178159 -2-429251411
4CSKA Sofia 3016 -8-656-4323201510 -4-13426917156 -4-52217143
5PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv 3011 -13-646-3033-3158 -4-3281415-1153 -9-3181618-2
6PFC Cherno More Varna 3011 -11-844-33267155 -6-42115141156 -5-42318126
7FK Arda Kardzhali 3012 -8-1044-33276157 -4-42515123155 -4-61918153
8PFC Botev Plovdiv 3011 -7-1240-40373155 -4-6191819-1156 -3-62122184
9PFC Slavia Sofia 3010 -9-1139-36333156 -4-52220164154 -5-6171617-1
10POFC Botev Vratsa 309 -11-1038-2426-2155 -6-42112102154 -5-6171216-4
11FC Lokomotiv 1929 Sofia 309 -10-1137-40391155 -6-42121165154 -4-7161923-4
12FK Spartak 1918 Varna 305 -12-1327-2550-25154 -4-7161829-11151 -8-611721-14
13FC Dobrudzha Dobrich 307 -5-1826-2343-20157 -3-52418180150 -2-132525-20
14PFC Septemvri Sofia 307 -5-1826-2558-33154 -3-8151425-11153 -2-10111133-22
15PFC Beroe Stara Zagora 304 -11-1523-1944-25152 -6-712820-12152 -5-8111124-13
16PFC Montana 303 -8-1917-1545-30152 -5-811920-11151 -3-116625-19
Championship Group
UEFAECL Playoffs
Relegation Group

Results

Mon - 25 May 2026
 CSKA 1948 Sofia 00 PFC Levski SofiaStadion Bistritsa
 Ludogorets Razgrad 10 CSKA SofiaHuvepharma Arena
 PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv 21 PFC Botev PlovdivStadion Lokomotiv (Plovdiv)
Fri - 22 May 2026
 POFC Botev Vratsa 30 PFC Beroe Stara ZagoraStadion Hristo Botev (Vratsa)
 PFC Septemvri Sofia 11 FC Dobrudzha DobrichStadion Lokomotiv (Sofia)
 PFC Slavia Sofia 20 PFC MontanaStadion Aleksandar Shalamanov
Mon - 18 May 2026
 FC Lokomotiv 1929 Sofia 20 PFC Slavia SofiaStadion Lokomotiv (Sofia)
Sat - 16 May 2026
 PFC Botev Plovdiv 50 PFC Cherno More VarnaStadion Hristo Botev (Plovdiv)
 PFC Levski Sofia 20 CSKA SofiaStadion Georgi Asparuhov
Thu - 14 May 2026
 POFC Botev Vratsa 10 PFC MontanaStadion Hristo Botev (Vratsa)
 PFC Septemvri Sofia 10 FK Spartak 1918 VarnaStadion Lokomotiv (Sofia)
Wed - 13 May 2026