Cardiff City, Swansea City and Wrexham will all compete in the Championship in 2026-27, marking the first time Wales’ three biggest clubs have shared English football’s second tier for 45 years. Their reunion creates six Welsh derbies across the season and adds local rivalry to their separate ambitions of reaching the Premier League.

The clubs have been in the same division only six times, and shared the second tier only in 1979-80 and 1980-81. Swansea led the Welsh trio in 1979-80 before winning promotion to the top flight the following year, while Cardiff narrowly avoided relegation and Wrexham finished 16th; Cardiff had the strongest derby record that season. Wrexham reached the Championship in 2024-25, Cardiff returned immediately after relegation to League One, and Swansea remained in the division after another mid-table campaign.