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 1411 -2-135-2872176 -1-0191731475 -1-1161147
2CSKA 1948 Sofia 149 -3-230-25141176 -1-0191881073 -2-211761
3Ludogorets Razgrad 136 -6-124-2291364 -2-0141331072 -4-110963
4PFC Cherno More Varna 146 -6-224-1910973 -3-112116573 -3-112844
5PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv 136 -6-124-1713465 -1-01692771 -5-18811-3
6CSKA Sofia 134 -7-219-1811773 -3-112125761 -4-17660
7FK Spartak 1918 Varna 144 -7-319-1815372 -3-29109172 -4-110862
8POFC Botev Vratsa 144 -6-418-1213-172 -3-2955072 -3-2978-1
9FC Lokomotiv 1929 Sofia 143 -7-416-1514171 -4-2787172 -3-29770
10PFC Slavia Sofia 143 -6-515-1418-472 -4-11087171 -2-45611-5
11PFC Beroe Stara Zagora 133 -5-514-1423-962 -2-2877071 -3-36716-9
12PFC Montana 143 -4-713-1124-1372 -3-2977071 -1-54417-13
13PFC Botev Plovdiv 133 -2-811-1422-870 -2-52312-963 -0-3911101
14PFC Septemvri Sofia 143 -2-911-1427-1372 -1-47912-371 -1-54515-10
15FK Arda Kardzhali 132 -4-710-1117-670 -3-43310-762 -1-37871
16FC Dobrudzha Dobrich 142 -1-117-823-1572 -1-47611-570 -0-70212-10
Championship Group
UEFAECL Playoffs
Relegation Group

Fixtures

Fri - 7 Nov 2025
 FK Spartak 1918 Varna   PFC Septemvri SofiaStadion Spartak (Varna)
 PFC Botev Plovdiv   FC Dobrudzha DobrichStadion Hristo Botev (Plovdiv)
Sat - 8 Nov 2025
 FC Lokomotiv 1929 Sofia   POFC Botev VratsaStadion Lokomotiv (Sofia)
 PFC Levski Sofia   CSKA SofiaStadion Georgi Asparuhov
 PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv   PFC Beroe Stara ZagoraStadion Lokomotiv (Plovdiv)
Sun - 9 Nov 2025
 PFC Slavia Sofia   PFC MontanaStadion Aleksandar Shalamanov
Sat - 22 Nov 2025
 PFC Montana   PFC Levski SofiaOgosta Stadium
 POFC Botev Vratsa   PFC Slavia SofiaStadion Hristo Botev (Vratsa)
 PFC Septemvri Sofia   Ludogorets RazgradStadion Lokomotiv (Sofia)
 CSKA Sofia   PFC Botev PlovdivStadion Vasil Levski
Sat - 29 Nov 2025
 PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv   PFC MontanaStadion Lokomotiv (Plovdiv)
 FK Spartak 1918 Varna   CSKA SofiaStadion Spartak (Varna)
 PFC Slavia Sofia   FC Dobrudzha DobrichStadion Aleksandar Shalamanov

Results

Mon - 3 Nov 2025
 POFC Botev Vratsa 00 CSKA 1948 SofiaStadion Hristo Botev (Vratsa)
Sun - 2 Nov 2025
 CSKA Sofia 31 PFC MontanaStadion Vasil Levski
Sat - 1 Nov 2025
 PFC Septemvri Sofia 01 PFC Slavia SofiaStadion Lokomotiv (Sofia)
 PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv ABAN PFC Botev PlovdivStadion Lokomotiv (Plovdiv)
Mon - 27 Oct 2025
Sun - 26 Oct 2025
 CSKA Sofia 51 PFC Beroe Stara ZagoraStadion Vasil Levski
Sat - 25 Oct 2025
 PFC Levski Sofia 30 FC Dobrudzha DobrichStadion Georgi Asparuhov
 PFC Slavia Sofia 00 PFC Cherno More VarnaStadion Aleksandar Shalamanov
 POFC Botev Vratsa 21 PFC Septemvri SofiaStadion Hristo Botev (Vratsa)
Fri - 24 Oct 2025
 FC Lokomotiv 1929 Sofia 22 PFC Lokomotiv PlovdivStadion Lokomotiv (Sofia)
 FK Spartak 1918 Varna 32 PFC Botev PlovdivStadion Spartak (Varna)
 PFC Montana 11 FK Arda KardzhaliOgosta Stadium
Mon - 20 Oct 2025
Sun - 19 Oct 2025
 FC Lokomotiv 1929 Sofia 01 CSKA 1948 SofiaStadion Lokomotiv (Sofia)