Founded | 17 April 1888 |
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Country | England (68 teams) |
Other club(s) from | Wales (4 teams) |
Confederation | UEFA |
Divisions | |
Number of clubs | 72 |
Level on pyramid | 1 (until 1992) 2–4 |
Promotion to | Premier League |
Relegation to | National League |
Domestic cup(s) | FA Cup |
League cup(s) | |
Current champions | Leicester City (2023–24) |
TV partners |
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Website | www |
Current: 2024–25 English Football League |
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, it is the oldest football league in the world, and was the top-level football league in England from its foundation until 1992, when the top 22 clubs split from it to form the Premier League. The Football League was rebranded as the "English Football League" (EFL) starting with the 2016–17 season.[1][2]
The EFL is divided into the Championship, League One and League Two, with 24 clubs in each division, 72 in total, with promotion and relegation between them; the top Championship division clubs change places with the lowest-placed clubs in the Premier League, and the bottom clubs of League Two with the top clubs of the National League. Currently four of the EFL clubs are from Wales – Cardiff City, Swansea City, Wrexham and Newport County – the other 68 are located in England.
The Football League had a sponsor from the 1983–84 season, and thus was known by various names.[3]
The English Football League also organises two knock-out cup competitions, the EFL Cup and the EFL Trophy. The operations centre of the Football League is in Preston, while its commercial office is in London.[4][5]
Sky Bet
was invoked but never defined (see the help page).