A new era for Bulgarian esports football - eLeague kicks off on November 9th

The 2026/2027 season of Bulgarian esports football kicks off on November 9, bringing a new name, a new home, and significant changes to the competition format. Organized by the Bulgarian Football Union and esports.bg, the championship has been rebranded as eLeague and will follow a format that more closely resembles Bulgaria's top-tier football championship, First League.

The new season will also feature a record-breaking prize pool of €6,000 for an EA SPORTS FC tournament in Bulgaria, made possible with the support of the league's main partner, Red Bull Bulgaria. The eLeague champion will qualify for the eChampions League and the Esports World Cup.

The biggest change, however, introduces an opportunity that every football fan can appreciate – competing for the Bulgarian championship while wearing the colours of their favourite club. Unlike previous seasons, qualifiers will no longer be tied to specific football clubs. Instead, each qualifier winner will earn the right to choose which of the 14 First League clubs they wish to represent during the regular season, provided that the club has not already been selected.

The aim of this change is to strengthen the connection between competitors, esports football, traditional football clubs, and their supporters. For Bulgaria's top EA SPORTS FC players, eLeague will offer more than just a chance to compete for a trophy – it will be an opportunity to represent a badge they genuinely identify with. For football clubs, the new format opens up an opportunity to connect with a younger gaming audience.

The Road to the Title Begins with 14 Open Qualifiers

The first stage of eLeague will take place between November 9 and 28, with 14 qualifying tournaments determining the participants in the regular season. Every passionate football and EA FC fan will have the opportunity to enter, with registration available on the league's official website: www.eleague.bg.

The website also provides the complete rules and regulations of the revamped competition. All matches in the new season will be played on PlayStation 5, using the Ultimate Team mode in EA SPORTS FC 27.

Following each qualifier, the winner will inform the organizers which football club they have chosen to represent in the first stage of the regular season.

A Regular Season Modelled After Bulgaria's First League

Following the qualifiers, the battle for the championship will continue throughout February and March 2027. For the first time, all competitors will face each other in a single league table, mirroring the format of Bulgaria's top football division.

Over 13 matchdays, each of the 14 participants will face every other competitor once. All matches, from the regular season through to the tournament's grand final, will be broadcast on esports.bg channels across various streaming platforms.

At the end of the 13 matchdays, the top eight competitors in the standings will advance to the playoffs.

The Grand Final Is Set for April 18 – with a Place Among the World's Elite at Stake

The 2026/2027 season will reach its climax in April, when the eight best competitors come together for the final stage of the championship. The quarterfinals will take place on April 16, followed by the semifinals on April 17. On April 18, 2027, a new Bulgarian esports football champion will be crowned in front of a live audience at a special LAN event.

Beyond competing for a share of the €6,000 prize pool, participants will be chasing an even greater goal. The eLeague champion will secure a place in the eChampions League – the esports equivalent of the UEFA Champions League – as well as the Esports World Cup (EWC), one of the biggest events in global esports, renowned for its enormous prize pool and the participation of the world's best competitors.

Registration for the qualifiers, the complete tournament regulations, the competition schedule, and all the latest championship news are available at www.eleague.bg.