Allianz National Football League Preview 2026
The Allianz National Football League will begin on the 24th and 25th of January with the first round of league fixtures for each county. The Allianz National Football League 2026 promises to be another thrilling campaign as teams strive for promotion, survival, and silverware. The league provides a crucial stage for emerging talent and established stars alike, as counties look to find their strongest team for the Championship season.
Supporters can expect intense rivalries, dramatic moments, and unforgettable displays of athleticism across all four divisions. The league does not define the season but can help teams' momentum for the Championship season and can define whether they compete in the All Ireland Championship or the second tier competition, the Tailteann Cup. Let’s take a look at who will be competing in each division as well as the opening weekend fixtures.
Division 1 Preview
Division 1 is always an unpredictable division each year as it is full of some of the best teams in the country. Last year’s Division 1 winners were Kerry, who then went on to win the All Ireland Football Championship. The teams still in Division 1 from last season are Armagh, Dublin, Kerry, Galway, Mayo and Donegal while Roscommon and Monaghan got promoted from Division 2 in 2025.
Division 1 is always hard to predict as some of the main counties tend to try out new players for the league campaign and it is always unpredictable how this will fare for them. Kerry look to be the strongest team still and we will predict them to retain the Allianz National League crown, defeating Donegal in the final. The opening weekend of the Division 1 league will see the following matches;
- Galway vs Mayo
- Kerry vs Roscommon
- Monaghan vs Armagh
- Dublin vs Donegal
Division 2 Preview
Division 2 is perhaps the most exciting division of all because of the jeopardy that exists at the top and bottom of the table. If you finish in the top 2 not only do you get a place in the Division 2 league final in Croke Park but you also gain promotion to Division 1. At the bottom side of the table, if you finish 7th or 8th you are relegated to Division 3.
This impacts your Championship season and could see a team play in the Tailteann Cup instead of the All Ireland Championship depending on how the provincial campaign goes. There is risk everywhere in this division which makes it the most exciting. The opening weekend of the Division 2 league will see the following matches;
- Meath vs Derry
- Tyrone vs Kildare
- Cork vs Cavan
- Offaly vs Louth
Division 3 Preview
The favourites for Division 3 will no doubt be those teams who were relegated from Division 2 in 2025, Westmeath and Down. Elsewhere in Division 3, Fermanagh, Clare, Laois and Sligo will all see themselves as contenders for promotion from Division 3, while newly promoted sides Wexford and Limerick’s first goal will be to maintain their Division 3 status before thinking about promotion. The opening weekend of the Division 3 league will see the following matches;
- Down vs Clare
- Laois vs Limerick
- Fermanagh vs Wexford
- Westmeath vs Sligo
Supporters can expect intense rivalries, dramatic moments, and unforgettable displays of athleticism across all four divisions.
Division 4 Preview
Division 4 is the lowest division, therefore is the only division with no relegation. Every team in this division has the same goal, to gain promotion to Division 3 for 2027. In 2025 Antrim and Leitrim were relegated from Division 3 and will be the favourites for immediate promotion back there. Waterford and London will once again be the favourites to finish in the bottom 2 places, although both did pick up victories last year with Waterford winning once and London winning twice.
Elsewhere, Longford, Tipperary, Carlow and Wicklow will all be hopeful of returning to Division 3. The sides in Division 4 are all of similar quality and momentum will be key for each team. The opening weekend of the Division 4 league will see the following matches;
- Wicklow vs Leitrim
- London vs Tipperary
- Antrim vs Carlow
- Waterford vs Longford
Conclusion
This year’s Allianz National promises to be exciting once again. The new rules introduced last year improved the quality of matches, and hopefully this upward trend continues. The inter-county GAA season has officially begun, and it promises to be intense.
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Jack Guing
Jack hails from County Offaly in Ireland and joins the team as a Content Writer and Performance Analyst. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English and History from Maynooth University and a master’s degree in Sports Performance from the University of Limerick. Jack is a keen sports fan with a love for performance analysis and wishes to use this data-driven style that is seen in performance analysis in his writing to deliver informative predictions.