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 76 -1-019-1541144 -0-012112932 -1-07422
2Ludogorets Razgrad 75 -2-017-1431143 -1-01092732 -1-07514
3CSKA 1948 Sofia 85 -1-216-128444 -0-01283541 -1-2445-1
4PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv 84 -4-016-95443 -1-01052341 -3-06431
5PFC Cherno More Varna 84 -3-115-135843 -1-01092741 -2-15431
6PFC Montana 83 -2-311-611-542 -2-0841341 -0-33210-8
7FC Lokomotiv 1929 Sofia 82 -4-210-75241 -2-1553241 -2-15220
8POFC Botev Vratsa 82 -4-210-66031 -1-1411051 -3-16550
9PFC Beroe Stara Zagora 72 -3-29-911-231 -1-1443141 -2-1558-3
10CSKA Sofia 71 -4-27-77041 -2-1543130 -2-1234-1
11FK Spartak 1918 Varna 81 -4-37-89-151 -2-2566030 -2-1223-1
12FK Arda Kardzhali 71 -3-36-89-130 -3-0333041 -0-3356-1
13FC Dobrudzha Dobrich 82 -0-66-612-632 -0-1644050 -0-5028-6
14PFC Septemvri Sofia 82 -0-66-818-1042 -0-2666040 -0-40212-10
15PFC Slavia Sofia 81 -2-55-916-741 -2-1567-140 -0-4039-6
16PFC Botev Plovdiv 71 -1-54-513-840 -1-3118-731 -0-2345-1
Championship Group
UEFAECL Playoffs
Relegation Group

Fixtures

Thu - 18 Sep 2025
Fri - 19 Sep 2025
 PFC Levski Sofia   Ludogorets RazgradStadion Georgi Asparuhov
Sat - 20 Sep 2025
Sun - 21 Sep 2025
 PFC Septemvri Sofia   PFC Botev PlovdivStadion Lokomotiv (Sofia)
 PFC Slavia Sofia   PFC Beroe Stara ZagoraStadion Aleksandar Shalamanov
Mon - 22 Sep 2025
 POFC Botev Vratsa   CSKA SofiaStadion Hristo Botev (Vratsa)
Thu - 25 Sep 2025
 PFC Botev Plovdiv   CSKA 1948 SofiaStadion Hristo Botev (Plovdiv)
Fri - 26 Sep 2025
 PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv   PFC Levski SofiaStadion Lokomotiv (Plovdiv)
Sat - 27 Sep 2025
 FC Lokomotiv 1929 Sofia   CSKA SofiaStadion Lokomotiv (Sofia)
Sun - 28 Sep 2025
 FK Spartak 1918 Varna   PFC Slavia SofiaStadion Spartak (Varna)
 Ludogorets Razgrad   PFC MontanaHuvepharma Arena
Mon - 29 Sep 2025
Tue - 30 Sep 2025
 PFC Botev Plovdiv   PFC Levski SofiaStadion Hristo Botev (Plovdiv)
Fri - 3 Oct 2025
 PFC Septemvri Sofia   PFC Lokomotiv PlovdivStadion Lokomotiv (Sofia)
 PFC Slavia Sofia   FC Lokomotiv 1929 SofiaStadion Aleksandar Shalamanov

Results

Mon - 15 Sep 2025
 CSKA 1948 Sofia 31 PFC Slavia SofiaStadion Bistritsa
Sun - 14 Sep 2025
 FC Lokomotiv 1929 Sofia 12 PFC Levski SofiaStadion Lokomotiv (Sofia)
 PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv 11 Ludogorets RazgradStadion Lokomotiv (Plovdiv)
Sat - 13 Sep 2025
 CSKA Sofia 31 PFC Septemvri SofiaStadion Vasil Levski
 FK Spartak 1918 Varna 30 FK Arda KardzhaliStadion Spartak (Varna)
Fri - 12 Sep 2025
 PFC Botev Plovdiv 01 PFC MontanaStadion Hristo Botev (Plovdiv)
Sun - 31 Aug 2025
 PFC Levski Sofia 21 CSKA 1948 SofiaStadion Georgi Asparuhov
Sat - 30 Aug 2025
 PFC Slavia Sofia 22 CSKA SofiaStadion Aleksandar Shalamanov
Fri - 29 Aug 2025
 PFC Septemvri Sofia 10 FC Lokomotiv 1929 SofiaStadion Lokomotiv (Sofia)
 POFC Botev Vratsa 10 PFC Cherno More VarnaStadion Hristo Botev (Vratsa)
Mon - 25 Aug 2025
 PFC Slavia Sofia 20 FK Arda KardzhaliStadion Aleksandar Shalamanov
Sun - 24 Aug 2025
 CSKA Sofia 01 CSKA 1948 SofiaStadion Vasil Levski