The top three Championship opening day fixtures to watch

The new Championship season is set to begin with exciting matchups, including Birmingham City vs Ipswich Town, Southampton vs Wrexham, and Leicester City vs Sheffield Wednesday. Each game features newly promoted or relegated teams, promising intrigue and drama as they aim for promotion and navigate potential challenges ahead.

With the fixture lists revealed for each Championship club, the buzz of the new season begins. A new season that will promise new storylines, heroes, villains, controversy and drama, here are the three standout opening day fixtures and what to anticipate in them.

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Birmingham City vs Ipswich Town

The 2025/26 season kicks off on Friday, 8 August at St. Andrew’s with Birmingham hosting Ipswich. The newly promoted Birmingham face the newly relegated Ipswich, with both sides targeting promotion to the Premier League.

The fixture promises excitement, and all footballing eyes will likely be tuning in. Many will be intrigued to see how the new look Birmingham outfit fare back in the Championship, and Ipswich have been touted as the early favourites for the title by Betfred.

What a way to start the new Championship season!

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Southampton vs Wrexham

Another newly relegated side facing a newly promoted one, the afternoon kick-off on the Saturday sees Southampton take on Wrexham.

The story ahead of the campaign is undoubtedly Wreham, who have and will dominate the media headlines in anticipation of their Championship season getting underway. Likewise, Southampton will be expected to make a return to the Premier League for the first time of asking, and the intrigue around new boss Will Still and how he will fare is high.

Possibly the game of the weekend, this one is certainly a must-watch.

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Leicester City vs Sheffield Wednesday

Closing out the opening weekend, two of the most talked-about teams will clash at the King Power Stadium, with Leicester against Sheffield Wednesday. Both sides are clouded with potential charges, point deductions and sanctions.

Sheffield Wednesday are in a much-documented crisis, which has not been helped by the reported departure of boss Danny Rohl. The Telegraph claims that the German is in discussions to bring an end to his long-term contract at Hillsborough.

As for Leicester, there is still much speculation surrounding their near future. Many questions are yet to be answered, such as whether they will face a point deduction. Who will be in the dugout? And how will they line up next season?

With these two playing out the final game of the weekend, expect fireworks from these two.

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Written by Callum Pawley