The 2026–27 Premier League opening weekend began the competition’s 35th season.
The Premier League was founded in 1992, when clubs from the old Football League First Division formed a new top division. The 2026–27 campaign was therefore the 35th season under the Premier League name.
The season was also described as the 128th season of English top-flight football overall. Those two numbers are different because the broader history of English top-flight football began long before the Premier League era.
This distinction is a frequent source of confusion. Counting Premier League seasons gives 35, while counting all seasons of England’s top division gives 128. The opening fixture, Arsenal v Coventry City on 21 August 2026, marked the start of both the new Premier League campaign and another season in the longer history of English top-flight football.