West Ham United will begin their first Championship campaign since 2011-12 away to fellow relegated side Burnley.The east London club’s 14-season stay in the Premier League ended on the final day of the 2025-26 campaign. West Ham beat Leeds United 3-0 at the London Stadium but finished 18th, two points behind Tottenham Hotspur, whose victory over Everton confirmed their drop.West Ham last competed in the second tier under Sam Allardyce, returning to the Premier League at the first attempt after Ricardo Vaz Te’s late goal secured a 2-1 victory over Blackpool in the 2012 play-off final at Wembley.Their attempt to repeat immediate promotion will begin at Burnley’s Turf Moor on Sunday, August 16, before their first London derby of the campaign against Charlton Athletic in their first home fixture, six days later.
Locked in for the new season 🔐 pic.twitter.com/U625dneeDf
— West Ham United (@WestHam) June 25, 2026A busy opening month also includes a trip to Watford, while Wolverhampton Wanderers — the lowest placed club to be relegated from the Premier League last season — visit for the first midweek round of the campaign on September 1.West Ham’s first meeting with rivals Millwall takes place at the Den on September 19. It will be the first Dockers Derby since February 2012, with the return game scheduled for February 20.
