The English Football League Championship is the second–highest division of the English Football League (EFL) and second–tier overall in the English football league system. It was founded in 2004, when the football league First Division was rebranded as the Football League Championship. The league currently comprises 24 teams.

The Championship is the richest non–top flight football division in the world and the seventh richest division in Europe. With an average match attendance of 17,578, the Championship is the third most–watched secondary football league in the world, behind only the Bundesliga 2 and Major League Soccer.

The six highest–placed teams in the Championship automatically qualify for the following season‘s UEFA Europa League group stage, with the top two going directly into the group stage and the fourth– through seventh–placed teams entering in the second qualifying round. The three lowest–placed teams are relegated to League One. The Championship is home to some of England‘s biggest and most historic clubs, including Aston Villa, Sheffield Wednesday, and Derby County. The stadiums of these clubs are among the largest in England, with Villa Park, Hillsborough Stadium, and Pride Park Stadium all able to seat more than 30,000 spectators.

The Championship also features intense rivalries, such as the West Midlands derby between Aston Villa and Birmingham City and prior to Leeds United’s promotion to the Premier League, the Yorkshire derby between Leeds United and Sheffield Wednesday.