2026 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship

Last updated

2026 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
Championship details
Teams33
All-Ireland Champions
Provincial Champions
Championship statistics
2025
2027

The 2026 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (SFC) will be the 140th edition of the Gaelic Athletic Association's premier inter-county Gaelic football tournament. Thirty-one of the thirty-two Irish counties are anticipated to take part. Kilkenny do not normally compete, while London and New York are expected to complete the lineup by entering the Connacht SFC.

Contents

The defending champions are Kerry, having won the 2025 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship by defeating Donegal on 27 July 2025. [1]

Format

At the GAA's Annual Congress in Donegal in 2025, delegates approved a motion to revise the structure of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship from 2026 onwards. [2]

Under Motion 19, the championship will feature 16 teams: the eight provincial finalists, the winners of the 2025 Tailteann Cup, and the highest-ranked teams in the Allianz League not already qualified. The round-robin stage will be scrapped under the new format. [3]

The eight winners from Round One will move into Round 2A, while the eight losers will enter Round 2B. The winners of the four Round 2A ties will advance directly to the quarter-finals. The four Round 2A losers will meet the four Round 2B winners in Round 3, serving as preliminary quarter-finals to decide the remaining quarter-finalists.

All Preliminary round, quarter-finals and semi-final in the Provincial & All-Ireland championships will be played at separate weekends not like other recent years.

Draw for the season not expected until sometime in October or November 2025.

Resumption

It will be long-awaited fixtures. In the quarter-final stage of the Connacht championship both London and New York will play the same fixtures as 2016, with Mayo will be going to England to face London at Ruislip while Roscommon will be in the USA to play New York at Gaelic Park. Due to Covid-19 in 2021, these fixtures were cancelled.

Teams

Thirty-three counties competed in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship: seven teams in the Connacht Senior Football Championship, eleven teams in the Leinster Senior Football Championship, six teams in the Munster Senior Football Championship and nine teams in the Ulster Senior Football Championship.

County Last Provincial titleLast Championship titlePosition in 2025 ChampionshipCurrent Championship
Colours of Antrim.svg Antrim 1951 Tailteann Cup semi-finals (19th–20th) Ulster Senior Football Championship
Colours of Armagh.svg Armagh 2008 2024 All-Ireland champions (1st) Ulster Senior Football Championship
Colours of Carlow.svg Carlow 1944 Tailteann Cup group stage (29th–33rd) Leinster Senior Football Championship
Colours of Cavan.svg Cavan 2020 1952 All-Ireland group stage (13th–16th) Ulster Senior Football Championship
Colours of Clare.svg Clare 1992 All-Ireland group stage (13th–16th) Munster Senior Football Championship
Colours of Cork.svg Cork 2012 2010 Preliminary quarter-finals (9th–12th) Munster Senior Football Championship
Colours of Derry.svg Derry 2023 1993 Quarter-finals (5th–8th) Ulster Senior Football Championship
Colours of Donegal.svg Donegal 2025 2012 Semi-finals (3rd–4th) Ulster Senior Football Championship
Colours of Down.svg Down 1994 1994 Tailteann Cup winners (17th) Ulster Senior Football Championship
Colours of Dublin.svg Dublin 2024 2023 Quarter-finals (5th–8th) Leinster Senior Football Championship
Colours of Fermanagh.svg Fermanagh Tailteann Cup quarter-finals (21st–24th) Ulster Senior Football Championship
Colours of Galway.svg Galway 2025 2001 Finalists (2nd) Connacht Senior Football Championship
Colours of Kerry.svg Kerry 2025 2025 Semi-finals (3rd–4th) Munster Senior Football Championship
Colours of Kildare.svg Kildare 2000 1928 Tailteann Cup quarter-finals (21st–24th) Leinster Senior Football Championship
Colours of Laois.svg Laois 2003 Tailteann Cup finalists (18th) Leinster Senior Football Championship
Colours of Leitrim.svg Leitrim 1994 Tailteann Cup preliminary quarter-finals (25th–28th) Connacht Senior Football Championship
Colours of Limerick.svg Limerick 1896 1896 Tailteann Cup quarter-finals (21st–24th) Munster Senior Football Championship
Colours of London.svg London Tailteann Cup preliminary quarter-finals (25th–28th) Connacht Senior Football Championship
Colours of Longford.svg Longford 1968 Tailteann Cup group stage (29th–33rd) Leinster Senior Football Championship
Colours of Louth.svg Louth 2025 1957 Quarter-finals (5th–8th) Leinster Senior Football Championship
Colours of Mayo.svg Mayo 2021 1951 Preliminary quarter-finals (9th–12th) Connacht Senior Football Championship
Colours of Meath.svg Meath 2010 1999 All-Ireland group stage (13th–16th) Leinster Senior Football Championship
Colours of Monaghan.svg Monaghan 2015 Preliminary quarter-finals (9th–12th) Ulster Senior Football Championship
Colors of New York.svg New York Tailteann Cup preliminary quarter-finals (25th–28th) Connacht Senior Football Championship
Colours of Offaly.svg Offaly 1997 1982 Tailteann Cup group stage (29th–33rd) Leinster Senior Football Championship
Colours of Roscommon.svg Roscommon 2019 1944 Quarter-finals (5th–8th) Connacht Senior Football Championship
Colours of Sligo.svg Sligo 2007 Tailteann Cup semi-finals (19th–20th) Connacht Senior Football Championship
Colours of Tipperary.svg Tipperary 2020 1920 Tailteann Cup preliminary quarter-finals (25th–28th) Munster Senior Football Championship
Colours of Tyrone.svg Tyrone 2021 2021 Preliminary quarter-finals (9th–12th) Ulster Senior Football Championship
Colours of Waterford.svg Waterford 1898 Tailteann Cup group stage (29th–33rd) Munster Senior Football Championship
Colours of Westmeath.svg Westmeath 2004 All-Ireland group stage (13th–16th) Leinster Senior Football Championship
Colours of Wexford.svg Wexford 1945 1918 Tailteann Cup group stage (29th–33rd) Leinster Senior Football Championship
Colours of Wicklow.svg Wicklow Tailteann Cup quarter-finals (21st–24th) Leinster Senior Football Championship

Provincial championships

Connacht Senior Football Championship

Quarter-finals

Predetermined matches

Long-awaited: Rotation fixtures not held in 2021 due to Covid-19 they both had last took place in 2016.

2026Quarter-final Mayo Colours of Mayo.svg v Colours of London.svg London Ruislip  
Venue: McGovern Park


2026Quarter-final Roscommon Colours of Roscommon.svg v Colours of New York.svg New York New York  
Venue: Gaelic Park


Main draw

Team C fixture between Galway, Sligo and Leitrim in a open draw 1st 2 teams in the draw will be meet in Quarter-fianl fixture which the last team out will a bye to the semi-final stage known as Team D.

2026Quarter-finalvIf Galway vs Leitrim: in Carrick-on-Shannon; if Galway vs Sligo: in Galway; if Sligo vs Leitrim: in Sligo  


Semi-finals

Teams A and B will be winners of the Mayo/London & Roscommon/New York fixtures possibly Mayo & Roscommon. Team C the draw of the Quarter-final between 2 teams of Galway/Sligo and Leitrim. Team D the bye team of 1 team between Galway, Sligo and Leitrim.

2026Semi-finalv 


2026Semi-finalv 


Final

2026Finalv 


Leinster Senior Football Championship

Dublin, Meath, Louth and Kildare are byes to quarter-finals and can't be drawn together. The other seven teams go into an open draw.

Preliminary round

Six Teams of Carlow, Laois, Longford, Offaly, Westmeath, Wexford & Wicklow. The last team out goes straight to Quarter-finals.

2026Preliminary roundv 


2026Preliminary roundv 


2026Preliminary roundv 


Quarter-finals

2026Quarter-final Dublin Colours of Dublin.svg v 


2026Quarter-final Meath Colours of Meath.svg v 


2026Quarter-final Kildare Colours of Kildare.svg v 


2026Quarter-final Louth Colours of Louth.svg v 


Semi-finals

2026Semi-finalv 


2026Semi-finalv 


Final

2026Finalv Dublin  
Venue: Croke Park


Munster Senior Football Championship

Kerry and Clare get byes to semi-final but an open draw. Cork, Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford in the Quarter-final draw.

Quarter-finals

2026Quarter-finalv 


2026Quarter-finalv 


Semi-finals

2026Semi-finalv 


2026Semi-finalv 


Final

2026Finalv 


Ulster Senior Football Championship

1st 2 teams out of the draw in the Preliminary round. Teams 3 to 7 will go straight to the Quarter-finals.

Preliminary round

2026Preliminary roundv 


Quarter-finals

2026Quarter-finalv 


2026Quarter-finalv 


2026Quarter-finalv 


2026Quarter-finalv 


Semi-finals

2026Semi-finalv 


2026Semi-finalv 


Final

2026Finalv 


All Ireland series

Qualifiers

Round 1

Round 1v
Round 1v
Round 1v
Round 1v

Round 2

Round 2v
Round 2v
Round 2v
Round 2v

Quarter-finals

2026Quarter-finalv 


2026Quarter-finalv 


2026Quarter-finalv 


2026Quarter-finalv 


Semi-finals

There will be no draw, reverting to the rotation between Connacht and Munster champions as Ulster and Leinster champions too.

2026Semi-finalv Dublin  
Venue: Croke Park


2026Semi-finalv Dublin  
Venue: Croke Park


Final

26 July 2026Finalv Dublin  
Venue: Croke Park


Stadia and locations

County Location Province Stadium Capacity
Colours of Antrim.svg Antrim Belfast Ulster Corrigan Park 3,700
Colours of Armagh.svg Armagh Armagh Ulster Athletic Grounds 18,500
Colours of Carlow.svg Carlow Carlow Leinster Dr Cullen Park 21,000
Colours of Cavan.svg Cavan Cavan Ulster Breffni Park 25,030
Colours of Clare.svg Clare Ennis Munster Cusack Park 19,000
Colours of Cork.svg Cork Cork Munster Páirc Uí Chaoimh 45,000
Colours of Derry.svg Derry Derry Ulster Celtic Park 18,500
Colours of Donegal GAA.svg Donegal Ballybofey Ulster MacCumhaill Park 18,000
Colours of Down.svg Down Newry Ulster Páirc Esler 20,000
Colours of Dublin.svg Dublin Dublin Leinster Croke Park 82,300
Colours of Fermanagh.svg Fermanagh Enniskillen Ulster Brewster Park 20,000
Colours of Galway.svg Galway Galway Connacht Pearse Stadium 26,197
Colours of Kerry GAA.svg Kerry Killarney Munster Fitzgerald Stadium 38,000
Colours of Kildare.svg Kildare Newbridge Leinster St Conleth's Park 15,000
Colours of Laois.svg Laois Portlaoise Leinster O'Moore Park 22,000
Colours of Leitrim.svg Leitrim Carrick-on-Shannon Connacht Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada 9,331
Colours of Limerick.svg Limerick Limerick Munster Gaelic Grounds 44,023
Colours of London.svg London South Ruislip Britain McGovern Park 3,000
Colours of Longford.svg Longford Longford Leinster Pearse Park 10,000
Colours of Louth.svg Louth Drogheda Leinster Drogheda Park 3,500
Colours of Mayo.svg Mayo Castlebar Connacht MacHale Park 25,369
Colours of Meath GAA.svg Meath Navan Leinster Páirc Tailteann 11,000
Colours of Monaghan.svg Monaghan Clones Ulster St Tiernach's Park 29,000
Colors of New York.svg New York Bronx North America Gaelic Park 2,000
Colours of Offaly.svg Offaly Tullamore Leinster O'Connor Park 18,000
Colours of Roscommon.svg Roscommon Roscommon Connacht Dr Hyde Park 18,890
Colours of Sligo.svg Sligo Sligo Connacht Markievicz Park 18,558
Colours of Tipperary.svg Tipperary Thurles Munster Semple Stadium 45,690
Colours of Tyrone.svg Tyrone Omagh Ulster Healy Park 17,636
Colours of Waterford.svg Waterford Waterford Munster Fraher Field 15,000
Colours of Westmeath.svg Westmeath Mullingar Leinster Cusack Park 11,000
Colours of Wexford.svg Wexford Wexford Leinster Chadwicks Wexford Park 18,000
Colours of Wicklow.svg Wicklow Aughrim Leinster Aughrim County Ground 7,000

Statistics

Top scorers

Overall

RankPlayerCountyTallyTotalMatchesAverage

In a single game

RankPlayerCountyTallyTotalOpposition

Miscellaneous

References

  1. "Kerry dash Donegal's dream in All-Ireland final". 27 July 2025.
  2. "New All-Ireland SFC structure to be implemented in 2026". GAA. 22 February 2025.
  3. "Group phase abolished as new football championship format approved for 2026". RTÉ. 22 February 2025.