First Professional Football League
FIFA Region
UEFA
Season
2026-2027
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 2026-2027 regular season, the ENG1 teams listed below qualify for the following non-league play::

  • 2027-2028 UEFA Champions League - 1st Qualifying Round:
    • 1st place 2026-2027 BUL1 Championship Group team
  • 2027-2028 UEFA Europa League - 1st Qualifying Round:
    • 2nd place 2026-2027 BUL1 Championship Group team
  • 2027-2028 UEFA Europa Conference League - 2nd Qualifying Round:
    • 3rd place 2026-2027 BUL1 Championship Group team
    • winner of 2026-2027 BUL1 UEFA Europa Conference League Playoffs

The winner of the 2026-2027 Bulgarian Cup, typically a BUL1 team, also receives a berth in the 2nd Qualifying Round of the 2027-2028 UEFA Europa Conference League.

Leagues Pyramid - Bulgaria

Abbrev League # of Teams
BUL1 efbet League
(First Professional Football League)
14
BUL2 Second Professional Football League 20
BUL3 Third Amatuer Football League 64

Competition Structure

Season

# of Teams

Regular
17 Jul 2026 - 17 Apr 2026
Champ/Releg Rounds
23 Apr 2026 - 29 May 2026
UEFAECL Playoffs
1 Jun 2027 - 7 Jun 2026
14: BUL1 (12 minimum), BUL2 (2 maximum)

Season Format

The 2026-2027 BUL1 consists of a double round robin format where each BUL1 team plays Home-Away matches with the other 13 BUL1 teams, for a total of 26 regular season matches per team. At the end of regular season, the top 4 teams play in the Championship group, teams placed 5th through 8th place teams play in the UEFA Europa Conference League (UEFAECL) group, and teams placed 9th through 14th place play in the Relegation group. In the Championship and UEFAECL groups, each team plays Home-Away matches against the other 3 teams in their group for 6 more matches (32 matches total per team). In the Relegation group, each teams plays 1 match against the other 5 teams in their group for 5 more matches (31 matches 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 2026-2027 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 2026-2027 BUL1 Relegation Round, the 5th and 6th place teams will be relegated to BUL2, and the 4th place team will enter into a Promotion/Relegation playoff match with the 3rd place BUL2 teams.


More Info...


1st Stage

 LeagueHomeRoad
POSMPW - D - LPTSCPTSGFGAGDMPW - D - LPTSGFGAGDMPW - D - LPTSGFGAGD
1PFC Levski Sofia 98 -1-025-2141755 -0-0151411343 -1-010734
2CSKA Sofia 107 -3-024-2471755 -0-0151751252 -3-09725
3Ludogorets Razgrad 97 -2-023-167954 -1-01383543 -1-010844
4CSKA 1948 Sofia 107 -1-222-1910955 -0-015124852 -1-27761
5PFC Botev Plovdiv 116 -1-419-1714364 -1-11396352 -0-36880
6FK Arda Kardzhali 105 -2-317-1512353 -1-11095452 -1-2767-1
7FK Spartak 1918 Varna 113 -4-413-1115-461 -3-2656-152 -1-2769-3
8PFC Slavia Sofia 112 -5-411-99060 -4-2446-252 -1-27532
9POFC Botev Vratsa 112 -3-69-920-1151 -2-2525-361 -1-44715-8
10FC Lokomotiv 1929 Sofia 111 -5-58-1219-750 -1-41410-661 -4-1789-1
11PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv 112 -2-78-614-852 -1-2755060 -1-5119-8
12PFC Septemvri Sofia 102 -2-68-818-1051 -1-34410-651 -1-3448-4
13PFC Cherno More Varna 101 -3-66-1120-941 -1-2479-260 -2-42411-7
14FC Dunav Ruse 101 -2-75-1019-950 -2-3249-551 -0-43610-4
Championship Group
UEFAECL Playoffs
Relegation Group

Fixtures

Sun - 11 Oct 2026
 PFC Septemvri Sofia   FC Dunav RuseStadion Lokomotiv (Sofia)
 CSKA 1948 Sofia   CSKA SofiaStadion Bistritsa
Mon - 12 Oct 2026
Sat - 24 Oct 2026
 FC Dunav Ruse   FK Spartak 1918 VarnaGradski stadion (Ruse)
 CSKA Sofia   Ludogorets RazgradStadion Vasil Levski
 PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv   PFC Slavia SofiaStadion Lokomotiv (Plovdiv)
 FC Lokomotiv 1929 Sofia   POFC Botev VratsaStadion Lokomotiv (Sofia)
 CSKA 1948 Sofia   PFC Botev PlovdivStadion Bistritsa
Sat - 31 Oct 2026
 PFC Botev Plovdiv   FC Dunav RuseStadion Hristo Botev (Plovdiv)
 PFC Levski Sofia   CSKA SofiaStadion Georgi Asparuhov
 PFC Slavia Sofia   PFC Cherno More VarnaStadion Aleksandar Shalamanov
 PFC Septemvri Sofia   FC Lokomotiv 1929 SofiaStadion Lokomotiv (Sofia)
 POFC Botev Vratsa   PFC Lokomotiv PlovdivStadion Hristo Botev (Vratsa)
 FK Spartak 1918 Varna   FK Arda KardzhaliStadion Spartak (Varna)
Sat - 7 Nov 2026
 FC Dunav Ruse   PFC Levski SofiaGradski stadion (Ruse)

Results

Sat - 10 Oct 2026
 PFC Botev Plovdiv 10 PFC Slavia SofiaStadion Hristo Botev (Plovdiv)
 FC Lokomotiv 1929 Sofia 11 PFC Lokomotiv PlovdivStadion Lokomotiv (Sofia)
 POFC Botev Vratsa 01 FK Spartak 1918 VarnaStadion Hristo Botev (Vratsa)
Sun - 20 Sep 2026
 PFC Levski Sofia PSPD Ludogorets RazgradStadion Georgi Asparuhov
 PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv 11 CSKA SofiaStadion Lokomotiv (Plovdiv)
Sat - 19 Sep 2026
 PFC Septemvri Sofia 03 PFC Botev PlovdivStadion Lokomotiv (Sofia)
 FC Dunav Ruse 22 POFC Botev VratsaGradski stadion (Ruse)
Fri - 18 Sep 2026
 PFC Slavia Sofia 12 CSKA 1948 SofiaStadion Aleksandar Shalamanov
Wed - 16 Sep 2026
 FC Lokomotiv 1929 Sofia 02 CSKA SofiaStadion Lokomotiv (Sofia)
Mon - 14 Sep 2026
Sun - 13 Sep 2026
 PFC Botev Plovdiv 20 PFC Lokomotiv PlovdivStadion Hristo Botev (Plovdiv)
 POFC Botev Vratsa 00 PFC Levski SofiaStadion Hristo Botev (Vratsa)
 PFC Slavia Sofia 00 FK Spartak 1918 VarnaStadion Aleksandar Shalamanov
Sat - 12 Sep 2026
 CSKA Sofia 41 FK Arda KardzhaliStadion Vasil Levski
 CSKA 1948 Sofia 21 FC Dunav RuseStadion Bistritsa
Fri - 11 Sep 2026
Mon - 7 Sep 2026
 FC Dunav Ruse 01 PFC Slavia SofiaGradski stadion (Ruse)
Sun - 6 Sep 2026
 FC Lokomotiv 1929 Sofia 12 Ludogorets RazgradStadion Lokomotiv (Sofia)