Azerbaijan Premier League's new season starts today

The 2026/27 Azerbaijan Premier League season kicks off on August 14, AzerNEWS reports.

Turan Tovuz will face Gabala in the opening match of the season. The game will kick off at 19:30.

The other matches of the opening round will be played over the following days.

On August 15, Araz-Nakhchivan will face Imishli, while Sabah will take on Kapaz. On August 16, Sumgayit will play Neftchi, and Zira will face Safa.

The final match of the opening round will take place on August 17, with Qarabag hosting Shamakhi at the Tofig Bahramov Republican Stadium.

The 2026/27 Azerbaijan Premier League season will kick off on August 14, with 12 teams set to compete for the country's top-flight football title.

The championship, officially known as the Misli Premier League for sponsorship purposes, will be played over three rounds. Each team will play 33 matches during the season. According to the regulations of the Professional Football League (PFL), three points are awarded for a win and one point for a draw.

The opening round will take place from August 14 to 17. The first match of the new season will see Turan Tovuz host Gabala on August 14.

The remaining opening-round fixtures are scheduled as follows: Araz-Nakhchivan vs Imishli and Sabah vs Kapaz on August 15; Sumgayit vs Neftchi and Zira vs Shafa on August 16; and Qarabag vs Shamakhi on August 17. The official AFFA calendar confirms the fixture dates for the 2026/27 season.

The 2026/27 campaign features 12 clubs. At the end of the season, the team finishing first will qualify for the UEFA Champions League qualifying stage, while the second- and third-placed teams will earn places in the UEFA Conference League qualifying stage. The winner of the Azerbaijan Cup will qualify for the UEFA Europa League qualifying stage, subject to the competition's qualification rules.

The team finishing last in the league will be relegated, while the 11th-placed side will play a relegation play-off against the second-placed team from the Azerbaijan First League for a place in the Premier League.

The new campaign follows the 2025/26 season, in which Sabah won its first Azerbaijan Premier League title.

The upcoming season is therefore set to begin with a new championship race involving 12 clubs competing for domestic honours and qualification for UEFA competitions.