The FAI National League will begin its inaugural season on Saturday, August 29th as 15 clubs take part in Ireland’s premier amateur competition.

Below is a guide on everything you need to know about the new league.

Who will play in the FAI National League?

The 15 founding members of the league are: Bonagee United, Cockhill Celtic, Home Farm DCU, Lucan United, Mervue United, Letterkenny Rovers, Salthill Devon, St. Francis, TU Dublin, CK United, Killarney Celtic, Newbridge Town, UCC Soccer, Villa.

What is the format of the league?

The 2026 season will see three groups of five teams play home and away matches across 10 rounds of games before the three group winners advance to the semi-finals, with the fourth spot reserved for the best-placed group runner-up. The winners from the semi-finals ties will face off in the FAI National League Final in November. 

What level is the FAI National League in the Ireland football pyramid?

The FAI National League is step three of the Irish football pyramid. The 2027 season will be the first season with a mechanism in place for National League clubs to seek promotion to the League of Ireland, with the criteria to be approved.

Can a team be promoted to the League of Ireland?

The 2026 season is a truncated version of the competition, comprising 10 rounds of fixtures, with no opportunity for promotion to the League of Ireland First Division. Subject to the ongoing approval process relating to promotion and relegation, the 2027 season will see the FAI National League operate in its full format. If approved, at the conclusion of the 2027 season, the National League champions will face the bottom-placed team in the League of Ireland First Division in a promotion/relegation play-off, subject to the National League champions having applied for a First Division Licence during the season. If the National League champions have not applied for a First Division Licence, the play-off will not be required.

When are the matches to be played?

The allocated match-days for the National League are Saturdays. A full list of fixtures can be found here. Please note fixtures are subject to change.

How are match officials selected?

Match officials for the FAI National League are appointed by the FAI Referee Department in collaboration with our network of Referee Observers. Officials are selected on the basis of merit, performance and development potential, with appointments providing opportunities for top-performing grassroots officials, referees involved in the FAI CORE Programme and emerging officials who have demonstrated the potential to perform at this level.

For the 2026 season, appointments will be made from the existing grassroots referee pools, taking account of performance, form and availability.

The National League also provides an important new step in the FAI referee pathway, giving ambitious grassroots match officials the opportunity to gain experience in a national competition and demonstrate their ability at a higher level. Performances will help identify and develop officials with the potential to progress further through the FAI referee pathway.

Where will the final be played?

The FAI National League Final will be played at a neutral venue which is to be determined.

How can I follow match updates?

People can download the FAI Connect app which will provide live scores and line-ups from each games. It can be downloaded here.

 Alternatively each club will provide live updates through their social media channels as will @FAIreland on social media.