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 1612 -2-238-3392486 -1-1191741386 -1-11916511
2CSKA 1948 Sofia 169 -3-430-2518786 -1-119189983 -2-31179-2
3PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv 157 -7-128-1914576 -1-019102881 -6-19912-3
4Ludogorets Razgrad 157 -6-227-26121474 -2-114156983 -4-1131165
5PFC Cherno More Varna 167 -6-327-2011983 -3-212117484 -3-115945
6CSKA Sofia 156 -7-225-2112984 -3-115146872 -4-110761
7POFC Botev Vratsa 165 -6-521-1314-182 -3-3956-183 -3-212880
8PFC Slavia Sofia 165 -6-521-1719-283 -4-113108282 -2-48711-4
9FK Spartak 1918 Varna 164 -8-420-1919082 -3-391113-282 -5-111862
10FC Lokomotiv 1929 Sofia 164 -7-519-1615181 -4-3788083 -3-212871
11FK Arda Kardzhali 154 -4-716-1719-281 -3-46610-473 -1-3101192
12PFC Beroe Stara Zagora 153 -6-615-1424-1072 -3-2977081 -3-46717-10
13PFC Botev Plovdiv 154 -2-914-1725-881 -2-55513-873 -0-4912120
14PFC Septemvri Sofia 164 -2-1014-1830-1282 -1-57914-582 -1-57916-7
15PFC Montana 163 -4-913-1331-1882 -3-39812-481 -1-64519-14
16FC Dobrudzha Dobrich 162 -2-128-1026-1682 -2-48712-580 -0-80314-11
Championship Group
UEFAECL Playoffs
Relegation Group

Fixtures

Fri - 28 Nov 2025
 FC Lokomotiv 1929 Sofia   FK Arda KardzhaliStadion Lokomotiv (Sofia)
 PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv   PFC MontanaStadion Lokomotiv (Plovdiv)
Sat - 29 Nov 2025
 PFC Botev Plovdiv   PFC Cherno More VarnaStadion Hristo Botev (Plovdiv)
 FK Spartak 1918 Varna   CSKA SofiaStadion Spartak (Varna)
Sun - 30 Nov 2025
 PFC Slavia Sofia   FC Dobrudzha DobrichStadion Aleksandar Shalamanov
 PFC Levski Sofia   PFC Septemvri SofiaStadion Georgi Asparuhov
Tue - 2 Dec 2025
Wed - 3 Dec 2025
 PFC Septemvri Sofia   CSKA 1948 SofiaStadion Lokomotiv (Sofia)
 CSKA Sofia   PFC Lokomotiv PlovdivStadion Vasil Levski
Thu - 4 Dec 2025
 POFC Botev Vratsa   FK Spartak 1918 VarnaStadion Hristo Botev (Vratsa)
 PFC Slavia Sofia   PFC Levski SofiaStadion Aleksandar Shalamanov
Sat - 6 Dec 2025
 FC Lokomotiv 1929 Sofia   PFC Botev PlovdivStadion Lokomotiv (Sofia)
 PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv   FK Arda KardzhaliStadion Lokomotiv (Plovdiv)
Sun - 7 Dec 2025

Results

Mon - 24 Nov 2025
 POFC Botev Vratsa 01 PFC Slavia SofiaStadion Hristo Botev (Vratsa)
Sun - 23 Nov 2025
 PFC Montana 15 PFC Levski SofiaOgosta Stadium
 PFC Septemvri Sofia 02 Ludogorets RazgradStadion Lokomotiv (Sofia)
Sat - 22 Nov 2025
 CSKA Sofia 21 PFC Botev PlovdivStadion Vasil Levski
Fri - 21 Nov 2025
Sun - 9 Nov 2025
 PFC Slavia Sofia 21 PFC MontanaStadion Aleksandar Shalamanov
Sat - 8 Nov 2025
 PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv 10 PFC Beroe Stara ZagoraStadion Lokomotiv (Plovdiv)
 PFC Levski Sofia 01 CSKA SofiaStadion Georgi Asparuhov
 FC Lokomotiv 1929 Sofia 01 POFC Botev VratsaStadion Lokomotiv (Sofia)
Fri - 7 Nov 2025
 PFC Botev Plovdiv 21 FC Dobrudzha DobrichStadion Hristo Botev (Plovdiv)
 FK Spartak 1918 Varna 14 PFC Septemvri SofiaStadion Spartak (Varna)
Mon - 3 Nov 2025
 POFC Botev Vratsa 00 CSKA 1948 SofiaStadion Hristo Botev (Vratsa)
Sun - 2 Nov 2025