# 2026–27 Azerbaijan Premier League
The 2026–27 [Azerbaijan Premier League](https://www.edgepedia.org/azerbaijan-premier-league), known for sponsorship reasons as the Misli Premyer Liqası, is the 35th edition of the top-flight national football championship of [Azerbaijan](https://www.edgepedia.org/azerbaijan), contested by 12 clubs and running from 14 August 2026 to 21 May 2027.[1](https://www.qarabagh.com/en/news/premier-league-fixtures-confirmed/13702) • [2](https://metaratings.by/match-center/football/tournaments/azerbaydzhan-premer-liga/) • [3](https://www.globalscorex.com/football/league/premyer-liqa/matches)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Official name | Misli Premyer Liqası (title-sponsored name of the Azerbaijan Premier League)[3](https://www.globalscorex.com/football/league/premyer-liqa/matches) |
| Edition | 35th national championship; fixture list confirmed at the season draw[1](https://www.qarabagh.com/en/news/premier-league-fixtures-confirmed/13702) |
| Dates | 14 August 2026 – 21 May 2027[2](https://metaratings.by/match-center/football/tournaments/azerbaydzhan-premer-liga/) |
| Clubs | 12: Araz-Naxçıvan, İmişli, Kəpəz, Neftçi, Qəbələ, Qarabağ, Sabah, Şəfa, Şamaxı, Sumqayıt, Turan Tovuz, and Zirə[3](https://www.globalscorex.com/football/league/premyer-liqa/matches) |
| Broadcast | CBC Sport holds exclusive rights to the Premier League and the Azerbaijan Cup[4](https://operativmm.az/en/premyer-liqa) |
| Leading scorer (early season) | Breno Almeida (Neftçi), 7 goals[4](https://operativmm.az/en/premyer-liqa) |
## Clubs and venues
The 12 clubs of 2026–27 are Araz-Naxçıvan, İmişli FK, Kəpəz, Neftçi Baku, Qəbələ, Qarabağ, Sabah FA, Şəfa Baku, Şamaxı FK, Sumqayıt, Turan Tovuz, and Zirə.[3](https://www.globalscorex.com/football/league/premyer-liqa/matches) Several clubs play home matches away from their home cities. Qarabağ, based in Ağdam, has played in Baku since 1993 because of the Karabakh war; Ağdam is being rebuilt and the club's home stadium is scheduled to reopen in 2029. Araz-Naxçıvan plays home games in Qəbəlä, about 500 km north-east of Naxçıvan, İmişli plays in Yevlax, 155 km north-west of İmişli, and Şəfa plays in Sumqayıt, 36 km north-west of Baku.[5](https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/azer2027.html)
## Season launch and licensing
The fixture draw for the season took place before the opening round, with the schedule for the 35th edition confirmed.[1](https://www.qarabagh.com/en/news/premier-league-fixtures-confirmed/13702) Before the season, AFFA, the Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan, held the opening meeting of the 2026/2027 licensing season at its headquarters for clubs of the Misli Premier League, League I, League II, and the Top Girls League, presenting changes to licensing rules and a new application format via the licensing portal.[6](https://www.affa.az/index.php/news/the-opening-meeting-of-the-licensing-season/79265)
## Early results
The opening round was played on 14–17 August 2026. Turan Tovuz beat Qəbələ 1:0, Sabah beat Kəpəz 2:0, Araz-Naxçıvan drew 0:0 with İmişli, Sumqayıt lost 1:3 to Neftçi, Zirə beat Şəfa 2:0, and Qarabağ beat Şamaxı 3:1.[7](https://www.affa.az/index.php/yarlar/topaz-premyer-liqas/tqvim/i-dvr/2436) Round 1 recorded a total attendance of 9,597, an average of 1,600 per match, while Round 3 drew 17,500 in total, an average of 2,917.[5](https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/azer2027.html)
## Standings through October
After seven rounds in mid-October 2026, three teams shared the lead on 16 points: [Neftçi PFK](https://www.edgepedia.org/neftci-pfk) (5 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss, 18 goals for and 5 against), Sabah FK (5 wins, 1 draw, 0 losses, 14–1), and Qarabağ Ağdam FK (5 wins, 1 draw, 0 losses, 11–4). Turan Tovuz followed on 14 points and Zirə on 11. At the bottom, Şəfa had 3 points and Araz-Naxçıvan 2 points from seven matches, with no wins.[8](https://globalsportsarchive.com/en/soccer/competition/misli-premyer-liqasi-2026-2027/80343) The league's leading scorer at that stage was Neftçi's Breno Almeida with 7 goals, followed by Sabah's Joy-Lance Mickels with 4.[4](https://operativmm.az/en/premyer-liqa)
## References
1. [Premier League Fixtures Confirmed, Qarabağ FK](https://www.qarabagh.com/en/news/premier-league-fixtures-confirmed/13702)
2. [Футбол, Азербайджан, Премьер Лига 2026/27, Metaratings](https://metaratings.by/match-center/football/tournaments/azerbaydzhan-premer-liga/)
3. [Premyer Liqa (Azerbaijan) 2026/27 Fixtures & Results, GlobalScoreX](https://www.globalscorex.com/football/league/premyer-liqa/matches)
4. [Azerbaijan Premier League table 2026/27, OperativMM](https://operativmm.az/en/premyer-liqa)
5. [Azerbaijan 2026/27, RSSSF](https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/azer2027.html)
6. [The opening meeting of the licensing season, AFFA](https://www.affa.az/index.php/news/the-opening-meeting-of-the-licensing-season/79265)
7. [Misli Premyer Liqası 2026/27 təqvimi, I dövrə, AFFA](https://www.affa.az/index.php/yarlar/topaz-premyer-liqas/tqvim/i-dvr/2436)
8. [Azerbaijan – Misli Premyer Liqası 2026/2027, Global Sports Archive](https://globalsportsarchive.com/en/soccer/competition/misli-premyer-liqasi-2026-2027/80343)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football competitions and records › Seasons and editions › Domestic league season editions › Northern, Central, and Eastern European league seasons*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license