Who will win the Championship? Have your say ahead of big kick-off

Who will win the Championship? Have your say ahead of big kick-off

West Ham, Middlesbrough and Wolves are among the pre-season favourites to claim the Championship title with the second tier kicking off this Friday

West Ham will be determined to secure an immediate return to the Premier League as they look to justify their tag as Championship favourites.

The Hammers are back in the second tier for the first time since 2012 but have managed to retain their manager Nuno Espirito Santo and leading light Jarrod Bowen, leaving them as plenty of people's pre-season pick for the title.

They begin their campaign against fellow relegated side Burnley on Sunday with the Clarets undergoing notable upheaval as they embark on a sixth successive year in a different division.

Middlesbrough and Millwall were undone in the Championship play-offs last season, the former losing to Hull in the final, and both will look to use those near misses as motivation for the upcoming season.

Wolves were the third side to suffer relegation from the Premier League, ending their eight year spell in the Premier League, and will also be targeting an immediate return to the top flight. They begin the Championship season when they host Blackburn Rovers on Friday night.

Birmingham City and Wrexham, two teams who are North American owned and have invested heavily over recent years, will at least be targeting play-off berths. Lincoln City romped to the League One title, amassing more than 100 points, and have been backed to struggle, but may seek to spring a surprise.

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

Sky's Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle includes at least 215 live Premier League clashes across the 2026/27 season, with more than 1,500 games from the EFL and beyond, plus F1, golf and darts.

This introductory offer saves £384 compared to the standard price, with every package also providing 100 regular channels alongside free Netflix and discovery+ subscriptions.