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 1914 -2-344-43123197 -1-12224420107 -1-22219811
2Ludogorets Razgrad 1910 -7-237-35132295 -3-11818711105 -4-11917611
3CSKA 1948 Sofia 1911 -4-437-312011107 -2-12320101094 -2-31411101
4PFC Cherno More Varna 199 -6-433-25141194 -3-2151376105 -3-2181275
5CSKA Sofia 188 -7-331-27151295 -3-118167993 -4-2131183
6PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv 187 -8-329-2018296 -2-120104691 -6-291014-4
7PFC Slavia Sofia 197 -7-528-23212105 -4-119159692 -3-49812-4
8FC Lokomotiv 1929 Sofia 196 -8-526-21183102 -5-3111110194 -3-2151082
9POFC Botev Vratsa 196 -7-625-1516-1103 -4-31376193 -3-312810-2
10FK Arda Kardzhali 185 -6-721-1919091 -4-47610-494 -2-3141394
11FK Spartak 1918 Varna 194 -8-720-2028-8102 -3-591220-892 -5-211880
12PFC Botev Plovdiv 185 -3-1018-2129-892 -2-58714-793 -1-5101415-1
13PFC Beroe Stara Zagora 193 -7-916-1632-16102 -4-410813-591 -3-56819-11
14PFC Montana 193 -6-1015-1433-1992 -3-49914-5101 -3-66519-14
15PFC Septemvri Sofia 194 -3-1215-1941-2292 -1-671018-8102 -2-68923-14
16FC Dobrudzha Dobrich 192 -3-149-1131-2092 -2-58714-7100 -1-91417-13
Championship Group
UEFAECL Playoffs
Relegation Group

Fixtures

Sat - 7 Feb 2026
 PFC Slavia Sofia   PFC Lokomotiv PlovdivStadion Aleksandar Shalamanov
 PFC Levski Sofia   POFC Botev VratsaStadion Georgi Asparuhov
 PFC Montana   CSKA 1948 SofiaOgosta Stadium
 PFC Botev Plovdiv   PFC Beroe Stara ZagoraStadion Hristo Botev (Plovdiv)
 FC Lokomotiv 1929 Sofia   Ludogorets RazgradStadion Lokomotiv (Sofia)
 CSKA Sofia   FK Arda KardzhaliStadion Vasil Levski
Sat - 14 Feb 2026
 POFC Botev Vratsa   FC Dobrudzha DobrichStadion Hristo Botev (Vratsa)
 PFC Levski Sofia   PFC Botev PlovdivStadion Georgi Asparuhov
 PFC Septemvri Sofia   PFC MontanaStadion Lokomotiv (Sofia)
 CSKA 1948 Sofia   CSKA SofiaStadion Bistritsa
 PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv   PFC Cherno More VarnaStadion Lokomotiv (Plovdiv)
Sat - 21 Feb 2026
 PFC Botev Plovdiv   Ludogorets RazgradStadion Hristo Botev (Plovdiv)
 CSKA Sofia   PFC Slavia SofiaStadion Vasil Levski
 PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv   FK Spartak 1918 VarnaStadion Lokomotiv (Plovdiv)

Results

Fri - 19 Dec 2025
Tue - 9 Dec 2025
 POFC Botev Vratsa 00 PFC MontanaStadion Hristo Botev (Vratsa)
Mon - 8 Dec 2025
Sun - 7 Dec 2025
 FK Spartak 1918 Varna 13 PFC Levski SofiaStadion Spartak (Varna)
Sat - 6 Dec 2025
 PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv 02 FK Arda KardzhaliStadion Lokomotiv (Plovdiv)
 FC Lokomotiv 1929 Sofia 32 PFC Botev PlovdivStadion Lokomotiv (Sofia)
Thu - 4 Dec 2025
 PFC Slavia Sofia 20 PFC Levski SofiaStadion Aleksandar Shalamanov
 POFC Botev Vratsa 20 FK Spartak 1918 VarnaStadion Hristo Botev (Vratsa)
Wed - 3 Dec 2025
 CSKA Sofia 21 PFC Lokomotiv PlovdivStadion Vasil Levski
 PFC Septemvri Sofia 14 CSKA 1948 SofiaStadion Lokomotiv (Sofia)
Tue - 2 Dec 2025
Sun - 30 Nov 2025
 PFC Levski Sofia 70 PFC Septemvri SofiaStadion Georgi Asparuhov
 PFC Slavia Sofia 31 FC Dobrudzha DobrichStadion Aleksandar Shalamanov