The 2025-26 season balance sheet in football leagues is clear: "13 teams celebrated, 27 sides were devastated"

The 2025-26 season in professional football leagues has concluded, following the Trendyol 1st League play-off final. Throughout the season, 13 teams achieved promotion to a higher league, while 27 sides were relegated to lower divisions.

Following the conclusion of the championship and relegation battles in professional football leagues, the map for the new season has taken shape. In the professional leagues, where a total of 128 teams will compete next season, there will be 18 teams in the Süper Lig, 20 in the 1st League, 36 in two groups in the 2nd League, and 54 in three groups in the 3rd League. In the new season, 3 teams will be relegated from the Süper Lig, 4 from the 1st League, 6 from the 2nd League, and 12 from the 3rd League. Promotion quotas will be set at 3 teams for the 1st League, 4 for the 2nd League, and 6 for the 3rd League.

''THE FINAL TEAM TO EMERGE FROM THE BAL STALLED BY THE ETHICS COMMITTEE''

Four of the five teams set to be promoted from the Regional Amateur League (BAL) to the 3rd League (Bigaspor, 1922 Akşehirspor, Gölcükspor, Adaletgücü) have been determined. However, due to the referral of the clubs to the TFF Ethics Committee as a precautionary measure following the Kurtalanspor-Şırnak Petrolspor match played on Sunday, May 3, in BAL Group 1, the play-off matches in this group have been suspended until the committee's decision.

''ISTANBUL AT THE TOP''

Next season, 21 provinces will not have representatives in the professional leagues: Afyonkarahisar, Adıyaman, Ardahan, Artvin, Bartın, Bayburt, Bilecik, Bitlis, Burdur, Çankırı, Edirne, Giresun, Gümüşhane, Hakkari, Kars, Kilis, Nevşehir, Siirt, Sinop, Şırnak, and Tunceli. Conversely, Istanbul will be represented by 21 teams, İzmir by 8, Ankara and Bursa by 6 each, and Antalya by 5 teams in the professional leagues.

Bursaspor continued its rise, former champions faded

Bursaspor, which promoted from the 3rd League to the 2nd League last season, continued its success this season and secured a ticket to the 1st League. In contrast, teams with Süper Lig experience such as Sakaryaspor, Hatayspor, and Adana Demirspor bid farewell to the 1st League, while Adanaspor and Yeni Malatyaspor were relegated from the 2nd League. Giresunspor, which played in the Süper Lig for 8 seasons in the past, along with Kahramanmaraşspor and Denizlispor, who have experienced this pain before, dropped to the Regional Amateur League.

''NEW FACES OF THE Süper Lig AND THOSE WHO BID FAREWELL''

In the Süper Lig, where Galatasaray reached the championship, Antalyaspor, Kayserispor, and Fatih Karagümrük were the relegated teams. While Erzurumspor FK returned to the league after promoting from the 1st League, Amed Sportif Faaliyetler and Çorum FK secured a spot in the Süper Lig for the first time in their history. Mardin 1969, one of the new teams in the 1st League, will compete for promotion to the Süper Lig for the first time.

List of promoted and relegated teams by league

As of the end of the 2025-2026 season, the table in the professional leagues is as follows:

Süper Lig

•Relegated: Antalyaspor, Kayserispor, Fatih Karagümrük

1st League

•Promoted to Süper Lig: Erzurumspor FK, Amed Sportif Faaliyetler, Çorum FK

•Relegated: Serikspor, Sakaryaspor, Hatayspor, Adana Demirspor

2nd League

•Promoted to 1st League: Batman Petrolspor, Bursaspor, Mardin 1969, Muğlaspor

•Relegated: Bucaspor 1928, Karaman FK, Kepezspor, Beykoz Anadoluspor, Yeni Mersin İdmanyurdu,    

 Adanaspor, Yeni Malatyaspor

3rd League

•Promoted to 2nd League: İnegöl Kafkasspor, 12 Bingölspor, Sebat Gençlikspor, Kütahyaspor, 52 Orduspor, Çorluspor 1947

•Relegated: Edirnespor, Polatlı 1926, Kestel Çilekspor, Çankayaspor, Hacettepe, Kapadokyaspor, Kilis 1984, Kahramanmaraşspor, Giresunspor, Çayelispor, 1926 Bulancakspor, Artvin Hopaspor, Nazillispor, Bornova 1877, Afyonspor, İzmir Çoruhlu FK

Regional Amateur League (BAL)

•Promoted to 3rd League: Bigaspor, 1922 Akşehirspor, Gölcükspor, Adaletgücü