Sports Direct Premiership
FIFA Region
UEFA
Season
2025-2026
Location
Northern Ireland
Abbreviation
NIR1

Summary

The NIFL Premiership (NIR1), or Sports Direct Premiership, is the top division in Northern Ireland's football system. At the end of the 2025-2026 NIR1 season, the NIR1 teams listed below qualify for the following non-league play:

  • 2026-2027 UEFA Champions League - 1st Qualifying Round:
    • 1st place 2025-2026 NIR1 Championhsip Group team
  • 2026-2027 UEFA Europa Conference League - 1st Qualifying Round:
    • 2nd place 2025-2026 NIR1 team
    • 2025-2026 NIR1 UEFA Europa Conference League Playoffs winner

The winner of the 2025-2026 Irish Football Association Challenge Cup (Irish Cup), typically a NIR1 team, also receives a berth in the 1st Qualifying Round of the 2026-2027 UEFA Europa Conference League.

Leagues Pyramid - Northern Ireland

Abbrev League # of Teams
NIR1 Sports Direct Premiership 12
NIR2 NIFL Championship 12
NIR3 NIFL Premier Intermediate League 12

Competition Structure

Season

# of Teams

Regular
9 Aug 2025 - 21 Mar 2026		Champ/Releg Rounds
24 Mar 2026 - 29 May 2026		UEFAECL Playoffs
1 Jun 2026 - 15 Jun 2026		12: NIR1 (10 minimum), NIR2 (2 maximum)

Season Format

The 2025-2026 NIR1 season consists of 2 stages. In the first stage, each NIR1 team plays the other 11 NIR1 teams 3 times for a total of 33 league matches. In each 3 match series one team hosts 2 home matches and the other team hosts 1 home match. In the second stage, the top six teams (Championship Group) play each other a 4th time (5 more matches) to determine final rankings for UEFA Champions League and Europa League placements, and the bottom six teams (Relegation Group) play each other a 4th time (5 more matches) to determine the relegation placements. Total points are for all 38 matches. Table ranking ties are broken by (1) goal difference, (2) goals scored, (3) head-to-head points, (4) head-to-head goal difference, then (5) a drawing.

Playoffs

At the end of the 2025-2026 NIR1 season, the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th place NIR1 Championship Group teams and the 1st place NIR1 Relegation Group team enter into the UEFAECL playoffs (knockout format). The winner of this playoff receives a berth in the 2026-2027 UEFA Europa Conference League - 1st Qualifying Round.

Relegation

At the end of the 2025-2026 NIR1 season, the 6th place NIR1 Relegation Group team will be relegated to the NIR2, and the 5th place NIR1 Relegation Group team enters into a Home-Away highest aggregate score playoff with the 2nd place NIR2 team. The playoff winner and the 1st place NIR2 team play in the 2026-2027 NIR1, and the playoff loser plays in the 2026-2027 NIR2.


More Info...


2nd Stage

 LeagueHomeRoad
POSMPW - D - LPTSCPTSGFGAGDMPW - D - LPTSGFGAGDMPW - D - LPTSGFGAGD
Championship
1Larne FC 3724 -8-580-6526391912 -5-2413514211812 -3-339301218
2Coleraine FC 3724 -5-877-7735421714 -1-2434314292010 -4-634342113
3Glentoran FC 3723 -8-677-7132391911 -6-2393416181812 -2-438371621
4Linfield FC 3719 -9-966-6031291813 -2-341381226196 -7-62522193
5Cliftonville 3714 -8-1550-5358-5199 -4-63132275185 -4-9192131-10
6Dungannon Swifts FC 3715 -1-2146-4269-271910 -0-9302830-2185 -1-12161439-25
Relegation
1Carrick Rangers FC 3714 -8-1550-61565197 -4-82532311187 -4-72529254
2Portadown FC 3712 -5-2041-4064-24187 -3-8241826-8195 -2-12172238-16
3Ballymena United FC 3610 -8-1838-4455-11185 -6-7212325-2185 -2-11172130-9
4Bangor FC 3610 -8-1838-3961-22196 -3-10211831-13174 -5-8172130-9
5Crusaders FC 379 -6-2233-4579-34183 -4-11132336-13196 -2-11202243-21
6Glenavon FC 378 -4-2528-3566-31186 -1-11191828-10192 -3-1491738-21
2026-2027 UEFACL
UEFAECL Playoffs
2026-2027 UEFAECL
Relegation Playoffs
Relegation to NIR2

1st Stage

 LeagueHomeRoad
POSMPW - D - LPTSCPTSGFGAGDMPW - D - LPTSGFGAGDMPW - D - LPTSGFGAGD
1Larne FC 3322 -7-473-6022381711 -5-1383210221611 -2-335281216
2Glentoran FC 3321 -6-669-6330331610 -4-2342815131711 -2-435351520
3Coleraine FC 3320 -5-865-6231311613 -1-240371225177 -4-62525196
4Linfield FC 3318 -8-762-5624321613 -2-14138731175 -6-62118171
5Cliftonville 3313 -8-1247-49481178 -4-52830255165 -4-7191923-4
6Dungannon Swifts FC 3315 -1-1746-4058-181710 -0-73026251165 -1-10161433-19
7Carrick Rangers FC 3312 -7-1443-4951-2176 -4-7222427-3166 -3-72125241
8Bangor FC 3310 -6-1736-3857-19176 -2-9201828-10164 -4-8162029-9
9Portadown FC 3311 -3-1936-3657-21177 -2-8231725-8164 -1-11131932-13
10Ballymena United FC 339 -7-1734-3950-11165 -5-6202122-1174 -2-11141828-10
11Crusaders FC 337 -5-2126-3872-34162 -3-1191835-17175 -2-10172037-17
12Glenavon FC 338 -1-2425-3363-30166 -0-10181726-9172 -1-1471637-21
Championship Group
Relegation Group

Fixtures

Sat - 25 Apr 2026
 Crusaders FC   Ballymena United FCSeaview (Belfast)
 Glenavon FC   Carrick Rangers FCMourneview Park
 Bangor FC   Portadown FCClandeboye Park
 Linfield FC   CliftonvilleWindsor Park (Belfast)
 Coleraine FC   Glentoran FCThe Showgrounds (Coleraine)

Results

Sat - 18 Apr 2026
 Bangor FC 03 Carrick Rangers FCClandeboye Park
 Glenavon FC 01 Crusaders FCMourneview Park
 Cliftonville 10 Dungannon Swifts FCSolitude (Belfast)
 Ballymena United FC 12 Portadown FCThe Showgrounds (Ballymena)
 Linfield FC 03 Coleraine FCWindsor Park (Belfast)
Fri - 17 Apr 2026
 Glentoran FC 00 Larne FCBetMcLean Oval
Sat - 11 Apr 2026
 Bangor FC 00 Glenavon FCClandeboye Park
 Crusaders FC 40 Portadown FCSeaview (Belfast)
 Coleraine FC 62 CliftonvilleThe Showgrounds (Coleraine)
 Linfield FC 02 Larne FCWindsor Park (Belfast)
Tue - 7 Apr 2026
 Larne FC 14 Coleraine FCInver Park
 Cliftonville 12 Glentoran FCSolitude (Belfast)
 Crusaders FC 11 Bangor FCSeaview (Belfast)
 Ballymena United FC 11 Glenavon FCThe Showgrounds (Ballymena)
Sat - 4 Apr 2026
 Glenavon FC 11 Portadown FCMourneview Park
 Ballymena United FC PSPD Bangor FCThe Showgrounds (Ballymena)