The 2026 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (SFC) was the 140th edition of the Gaelic Athletic Association's main inter-county Gaelic football tournament. Thirty-one of the thirty-two Irish counties took part, with Kilkenny being the exception. London and New York completed the lineup by entering the Connacht SFC.
Mayo beat Kerry by 1-20 to 1-17 in the final to become All-Ireland football champions for the first time since 1951, bridging a 75-year gap. Kerry had been the defending champions. The bookmakers' favourites had been Kerry and Donegal, with , , and also considered contenders.
Format
At the GAA's Annual Congress in Donegal in 2025, delegates approved Motion 19 to revise the Championship structure from 2026 onwards. The championship features 16 teams: The four provincial champions The four beaten provincial finalists The 2025 Tailteann Cup winner (Kildare) The seven next-ranked teams, based on final position in the 2026 National Football League Position is based on standings after promotion and relegation are applied and after finals are played; therefore, the top two teams in Division 2 outrank the bottom two teams in Division 1; if the 2nd-placed team in Division 2 wins the final, they are ranked above the first-placed finisher who lost the final.
The round-robin stage is scrapped under the new format, moving to a modified double-elimination tournament.
Provincial champions and runners-up are seeded in the draw for Round 1 of the knockout stage and given home-field advantage. The sixteen games are played over two weekends: the Munster and Connacht finalists on the first weekend, while the Ulster and Leinster finalists' ties are on the second weekend.
In Round 1 the eight winners move into Round 2A, while the eight losers enter Round 2B. The winners of the four Round 2A ties advance directly to the quarter-finals. The four Round 2A losers meet the four Round 2B winners in Round 3 to decide the remaining quarter-finalists. Round 2B and Round 3 losers are eliminated.
In Round 2 and Round 3, the team picked first plays at home; a re-draw or fixture swap occurs if a selected tie is a rematch of a provincial final or Round 1 match-up.
The draw for the early stages of the competition took place on 27 November 2025.
All throw-in times are UTC+1 (Irish Standard Time or British Summer Time), except where indicated.
Teams Thirty-three counties compete in the All-Ireland Championship: every Irish county except Kilkenny. This number is augmented by London and New York, both of whom compete in the Connacht Championship, bringing the total there to seven teams. Eleven teams compete in the Leinster Championship, six in Munster and nine in Ulster.
CountyLast title2025 resultProvinceHome stadiumProvincialAll-IrelandPlaceNameCapacity Antrim1951 —UlsterBelfastCorrigan Park3,700 Armagh20262024UlsterArmaghAthletic Grounds18,500 Carlow1944 —LeinsterCarlowDr Cullen Park21,000 Cavan20201952UlsterCavanBreffni Park25,030 Clare1992 —MunsterEnnisCusack Park19,000 Cork20122010MunsterCorkPáirc Uí Chaoimh45,000 Derry20231993UlsterDerryCeltic Park18,500 Donegal20252012UlsterBallybofeyMacCumhaill Park18,000 Down19941994UlsterNewryPáirc Esler20,000 Dublin20242023LeinsterDublinCroke Park82,300 Fermanagh — —UlsterEnniskillenBrewster Park20,000 Galway20252001ConnachtGalwayPearse Stadium26,197 Kerry20252025MunsterKillarneyFitzgerald Stadium38,000 Kildare20001928LeinsterNewbridgeSt Conleth's Park15,000 Laois2003 —LeinsterPortlaoiseO'Moore Park22,000 Leitrim1994 —ConnachtCarrick-on-ShannonPáirc Seán Mac Diarmada9,331 Limerick18961896MunsterLimerickGaelic Grounds44,023 London — —ConnachtSouth RuislipMcGovern Park3,000 Longford1968 —LeinsterLongfordPearse Park10,000 Louth20251957LeinsterCarlowDr Cullen Park11,000 Inniskeen Páirc Grattan 5,000 Mayo20212026ConnachtCastlebarMacHale Park28,000 Meath20101999LeinsterTullamoreO'Connor Park11,000 Monaghan2015 —UlsterClonesSt Tiernach's Park29,000 New York — —ConnachtBronxGaelic Park2,000 Offaly19971982LeinsterTullamoreO'Connor Park18,000 Roscommon20191944ConnachtRoscommonDr Hyde Park18,890 Sligo2007 —ConnachtSligoMarkievicz Park18,558 Tipperary20201920MunsterThurlesSemple Stadium45,690 Tyrone20212021UlsterOmaghHealy Park17,636 Waterford1898 —MunsterDungarvanFraher Field15,000 Westmeath2004 —LeinsterMullingarCusack Park11,000 Wexford19451918LeinsterWexfordChadwicks Wexford Park18,000 Wicklow — —LeinsterAughrimAughrim County Ground7,000
Provincial championships
Connacht Senior Football Championship
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final
Leinster Senior Football Championship
Preliminary round
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final
Munster Senior Football Championship
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final
Ulster Senior Football Championship
Preliminary round
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final
All Ireland series Team allocation and draw Sixteen teams qualify for the All-Ireland Championship, as follows: 8 provincial finalists; these are the seeded teams in the draw 1 winner of the 2025 Tailteann Cup 7 highest ranking teams (not otherwise qualified) in the 2026 National Football League (NFL). Promoted teams are ranked above teams relegated from the next highest division, with league final champions ranked higher regardless of round-robin table position. If the 2025 Tailteann Cup winner were a provincial finalist or qualified via league position, their automatic berth would transfer to the 8th-highest ranking NFL team. The remaining 17 teams play in the 2026 Tailteann Cup
The NFL rankings were as follows:
Place Team NFL champions NFL finalists 3rd Div 1 4th Div 1 5th Div 1 6th Div 1 Div 2 champions Div 2 finalists 7th Div 1 8th Div 1 3rd Div 2 4th Div 2 5th Div 2 6th Div 2 Div 3 champions Div 3 finalists 7th Div 2 8th Div 2 3rd Div 3 4th Div 3 5th Div 3 6th Div 3 Div 4 champions Div 4 finalists 7th Div 3 8th Div 3 3rd Div 4 4th Div 4 5th Div 4 6th Div 4 7th Div 4 8th Div 4 Did not play
Bracket: Rounds 1-3
Final stage bracket
All-Ireland Championship
Round 1
Round 2A The draw for rounds 2A and 2B took place on 2 June 2026.
Round 2B
Round 3 The Round 3 draw took place on 15 June, and involved those teams which had won 1 and lost 1 game in the All-Ireland series. Round 2A losing teams play against Round 2B winners; another draw took place to decide home venue. Provincial final and Round 1 pairings cannot be repeated, so the pairings Kerry–Donegal, Armagh–Monaghan, Mayo–Monaghan and Dublin–Westmeath were forbidden.
Quarter-finals The quarter-finals draw took place on 22 June, involving the Round 2A winners playing against Round 3 winners. Provincial final and Rounds 1 and 2A pairings cannot be repeated, so the pairings Cork–Kerry, Mayo–Tyrone and Dublin–Louth were forbidden.
Semi-finals The semi-final draw took place on 28 June. Provincial final and Rounds 1 and 2A pairings could not be repeated, so Dublin and Louth could not play each other.
Final
Referees panel The referees panel was reduced from 24 to 20 for the 2026 championship. David Coldrick (Meath) and Fergal Kelly (Longford) were both set to complete their ultimate season on the panel, while Joe McQuillan (Cavan) and Derek O’Mahoney (Tipperary) were excluded permanently due to their advanced age (both men had turned 50). Also absent were Jerome Henry (Mayo), who was unable to be involved because of conflicting commitments. James Molloy (Galway) and David Murnane (Cork) were both absent from this panel, having been included in 2025. +Championship PanelNameCountyClubMatches refereedCASSIDY, BarryDerryBellaghyLeinster SFC quarter-final: Meath/Westmeath; Ulster SFC quarter-final: Fermanagh/ArmaghCAWLEY, BrendanKildareSarsfieldsConnacht SFC quarter-final: New York/Roscommon; Ulster SFC semi-final: Armagh/Down; All-Ireland SFC Round 1: Cork/Meath; All-Ireland SFC Round 2A: Tyrone/Mayo; All-Ireland SFC semi-final: Dublin/KerryCOLDRICK, DavidMeathBlackhall GaelsConnacht SFC semi-final: Mayo/Roscommon; Leinster SFC final: Dublin/Westmeath; All-Ireland SFC Round 1: Mayo/Monaghan; All-Ireland SFC Round 3: Armagh/Kerry; All-Ireland SFC semi-final: Louth/MayoCULLEN, NiallFermanaghErne GaelsConnacht SFC semi-final: Leitrim/Galway; All-Ireland SFC Round 2B: Kildare/KerryDEVENNEY, LiamMayoBallina StephnitesAll-Ireland SFC Round 2B: Cavan/DublinDOURNEEN, ConorCavanBallinaghLeinster SFC quarter-final: Wicklow/DublinEANNETTA, KieranTyroneOmagh St Enda'sLeinster SFC preliminary quarter-final: Longford/WestmeathFALOON, PaulDownDrumgathLeinster SFC preliminary quarter-final: Offaly/Laois; Munster SFC final: Kerry/Cork; All Ireland SFC Round 1: Galway/Kildare; All-Ireland SFC Round 2B: Monaghan/Roscommon; All-Ireland SFC Round 3: Mayo/MeathGRIFFIN, BrendanKerryBallydonoghueLeinster SFC semi-final: Louth/Dublin; All-Ireland SFC Round 2A: Galway/WestmeathGOUGH, DavidMeathSlaneUlster SFC quarter-final: Derry/Antrim; All-Ireland SFC Round 1: Roscommon/Tyrone; All Ireland SFC Round 2A: Donegal/Cork; All-Ireland SFC quarter-final: Galway/DublinHURSON, SeanTyroneGalbally PearsesUlster SFC quarter-final: Cavan/Monaghan; Connacht SFC final: Galway/Roscommon; All-Ireland SFC Round 1: Kerry/Donegal; All-Ireland SFC Round 2B: Derry/Meath; All-Ireland SFC quarter-final: Louth/MonaghanKELLY, FergalLongfordBallymahonConnacht SFC quarter-final: Sligo/Leitrim; Munster SFC semi-final: Tipperary/CorkLANE, ConorCorkBanteerLeinster SFC quarter-final: Kildare/Laois; All-Ireland SFC Round 2A: Louth/ArmaghLONERGAN, SeánTipperaryMoyle RoversLeinster SFC preliminary quarter-final: Carlow/WicklowMCNALLY, MartinMonaghanCorduffLeinster SFC quarter-final: Louth/Wexford; Leinster SFC semi-final: Westmeath/Kildare; All-Ireland SFC Round 1: Armagh/Derry; All-Ireland SFC Round 3: Dublin/Donegal; All-Ireland SFC quarter-final: Cork/Mayo; All-Ireland SFC final: Mayo/KerryMOONEY, NoelCavanCavan GaelsUlster SFC preliminary quarter-final: Armagh/Tyrone; Ulster SFC semi-final: Derry/Monaghan; All-Ireland SFC Round 1: Dublin/Louth; All-Ireland SFC Round 3: Monaghan/WestmeathMULHARE, SeamusLaoisThe HeathMunster SFC quarter-final: Cork/LimerickMURPHY, ThomasGalwayAnnaghdownMunster SFC semi-final: Clare/KerryNEILAN, PaddyRoscommonSt Faithleach'sConnacht SFC quarter-final: London/Mayo; Ulster SFC quarter-final: Donegal/Down; Ulster SFC final: Monaghan/Armagh; All-Ireland SFC Round 1: Westmeath/Cavan; All-Ireland SFC quarter-final: Tyrone/KerryTIERNAN, BarryDublinO'DwyersMunster SFC quarter-final: Waterford/Tipperary
Statistics
Top scorers Overall RankPlayerCountyTallyTotalMatchesAverage1 David Clifford Kerry 7–50 71 0.002 Ryan O'Donoghue Mayo 2–56 62 0.003 Steven Sherlock Cork 0–43 43 0.004 Con O'Callaghan Dublin 4–27 39 0.005 Conor Turbitt Armagh 3–26 35 0.006 Brandon Kelly Westmeath 4–23 35 0.007 Cormac Costello Dublin 0–41 41 0.008 Diarmuid Murtagh Roscommon 1–31 34 0.009 Jack McCarron Monaghan 1–28 31 0.0010 Paddy Small Dublin 2–26 32 0.0011 Kobe McDonald Mayo 1–28 31 0.0012 Robert Finnerty Galway 2–23 29 0.0013 Oisin Conaty Armagh 1–24 27 0.0014 Darragh Heneghan Roscommon 5–07 22 0.0015 Dylan Geaney Kerry 0–21 21 0.00
In a single game RankPlayerCountyTallyTotalOpposition1 Steven Sherlock Cork 0–14 14 MeathRyan O'Donoghue Mayo1–11143 David Clifford Kerry 1–10 13 ArmaghDiarmuid Murtagh Roscommon1-1013Mayo5 Con O'Callaghan Dublin 1–09 12 Cavan6 Darren McCurry Tyrone 0–10 10 Kerry
Notable events and records The Ulster quarter final between and was the first Ulster SFC game at O'Donnell Park, Letterkenny since 1951. reached an eleventh Connacht final in a row, equalling their records of 1933–43 and 1956–66. Westmeath reached their first Leinster SFC final since 2016 and won their first Leinster title since 2004. Dublin lost a Leinster final for the first time since 2001. It was the first Ulster final between Armagh and Monaghan since 1938. Armagh won their first Ulster title since 2008.