Following Scottish football

Most people who follow Scottish football start with one club. Before long they are keeping an eye on the rest of the game too. This page explains how the senior game fits together in 2026/27, and where to find official fixtures and results.

The four men's divisions

The Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) runs the top four levels of the men's game. It has 42 clubs. In 2026/27 the Premiership has 12 clubs. The Championship, League One and League Two have 10 clubs each.

The Highland Football League and the Lowland Football League sit just below League Two. The Highland League was founded in 1893. It is Britain's most northerly senior football championship.

How a league season runs

The Premiership season began on 31 July 2026. Each club plays every other club three times, which makes 33 matches. The league then splits into a top six and a bottom six. Each club plays five more matches against the other clubs in its half, so 38 in all. The last round is due on 15 and 16 May 2027.

In the other three divisions, clubs play each other four times, twice at home and twice away. The Championship winners swap places with the bottom club in the Premiership. The clubs in 2nd, 3rd and 4th in the Championship play off for a chance to meet the Premiership's 11th-placed club. The two legs of that final are due on 20 and 23 May 2027. The bottom club in League Two plays the winner of a play-off between the Highland and Lowland League champions.

The Scottish Cup and the League Cup

The Scottish FA runs the Scottish Cup. It was first played in the 1873/74 season, and its trophy is the oldest national trophy in world football. Clubs enter at different stages, and Premiership clubs join in the fourth round. In 2026/27 that round is on 16 January 2027 and the final is on 22 May 2027. The winners earn a place in the next season's UEFA Europa League. Celtic are the holders, after beating Dunfermline Athletic in the 2026 final.

The SPFL runs the League Cup, called the Premier Sports Cup for sponsorship. It starts in July with 40 clubs in eight groups of five. The five clubs in European competition join in the second round. Rangers play Aberdeen, and Heart of Midlothian play Hibernian, in the semi-finals at Hampden on 31 October and 1 November 2026. The final is on Sunday 13 December 2026. St Mirren won the last final, beating Celtic 3-1.

The women's game

The Scottish Women's Premier League (SWPL) is the top level of women's football in Scotland. Since 2022 it has been run as a company within the SPFL. It has two divisions, SWPL and SWPL 2. In 2026/27 the top division has ten clubs, among them Glasgow City, Celtic, Rangers, Hearts and Hibernian. Hearts won the title in 2025/26, the league's fourth different champions in four years.

The SWPL runs its own cup, the Sky Sports Cup, with the final due on 27 or 28 March 2027. The Scottish FA runs the Women's Scottish Cup. Holders Celtic play in the third round on 22 November 2026, and the final is on 30 May 2027.

The national teams

The men's team, under Sébastien Pocognoli, is playing in the UEFA Nations League this autumn. Scotland host North Macedonia on 13 November 2026 and visit Switzerland on 16 November. The draw for the Euro 2028 qualifiers is on 6 December 2026, and qualifying starts in March 2027.

The women's team, under Melissa Andreatta, beat Czechia 5-2 on aggregate in a World Cup play-off on 13 October 2026. They meet Sweden in December for a place at the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil.

Where to follow it

The SPFL site carries fixtures, results and tables for all four divisions and its cups. The SPFL notes that all dates can change, including for television, so the club and league sites are the place to check a kick-off time. The SWPL has its own match centre for both women's divisions. The Scottish FA site covers the Scottish Cups and the national teams.

The original Scottish Cup trophy lives at the Scottish Football Museum at Hampden Park in Glasgow. It is Europe's first national football museum.

Useful links