The Ukrainian Premier League has officially approved the schedule for the opening round of the 2026/27 championship. The league directorate has announced the exact dates and kick-off times for all matches that will determine the balance of power at the start of the new campaign. The new season will kick off on Friday, July 31, and conclude on Monday, August 3.
How the first round of the championship will unfold
The season opener will take place on Friday, July 31, with a match where Luhansk's "Zorya" will host "Kolos" at their home ground. This encounter will mark the first event of the new sporting year.
On Saturday, August 1, two more matches will be played: Kropyvnytskyi's "Kryvbas" will face Lviv's "Karpaty", while Kharkiv's "Kharkiv" will host Rivne's "Veres".
The main match of the week and the round finale
Traditionally, the most packed day will be Sunday, August 2. Three matches are scheduled for this day, among which the clash between Kyiv's "Dynamo" and the "Levyi Bereh" team will attract special attention.
The first round will conclude on Monday, August 3, with an away match for the reigning Ukrainian champions — Donetsk's "Shakhtar". The team under the head coach will travel to visit "Kudrivka".
Context and transfers ahead of the start
Earlier, the full UPL calendar for the 2026/27 season was published. On the eve of the season start, several significant events occurred in Ukrainian football. Thus, Andriy Yarmolenko was not included in Kyiv's "Dynamo" squad for the next season, leaving the "white-and-blues".
Also, Rivne's "Veres" became involved in a scandal during the off-season, parting ways with one of their leaders. These personnel changes could significantly affect the balance of power in the championship.
Separately, it is worth noting the successes of the league's media platform. Daniil Vereitin, in an opinion piece for RBK-Ukraine, analyzed the financial achievements of UPL TV and the results achieved by the official broadcaster of the Ukrainian Premier League over two years of operation.
