Cymru Premier expansion will see six teams promoted
- Published
Six teams from the second tier will be promoted to the Cymru Premier when the league expands to 16 teams for the 2026-27 season.
The Football Association of Wales (FAW) considered a range of options on how to expand the top-flight.
The top three teams in both the Cymru North and Cymru South at the end of the 2025-26 season will be promoted subject to obtaining Tier 1 licences.
Southern League club Merthyr Town rejected an offer to join the Cymru Premier, opting instead to remain in the English non-league system.
The FAW confirmed an expansion to 16 teams last October having announced a four-year £6m investment package for the Cymru Premier.
It was described as the single biggest investment into the league since it was formed in 1992.
The FAW hopes the changes will "build the profile, brand and awareness of the league", boost attendances and enhance the competition's commercial appeal.
In the new format, once the 16 teams have played each other home and away, the new split will see the league divided into three tiers of six, four and six clubs to contest the title, European qualification and relegation respectively.
From 2026-27, the top six in the Cymru Premier – the 'Championship Race' – will play each other once more, with the team top of the table after the 35th matchday crowned champions. Clubs ranked second to sixth will qualify for at least the end-of-season European qualification play-offs.
Clubs ranked seventh to 10th – the 'European Challenger' – will play each other once more, with the club placed seventh after matchday 33 claiming the final spot in the end-of-season European qualification play-offs.
Finally, clubs ranked 11th to 16th – the 'Survival Zone' – will also play each other once more. At the end of matchday 35, the clubs in 15th and 16th will be automatically relegated, while the club in 14th will compete in the relegation play-off.
Here, they will meet the winner of a tie between the runner-up in the Cymru North and runner-up in the Cymru South for the right to remain in the Cymru Premier.