2025–26 Watford F.C. season

Watford
2025–26 season
OwnerGino Pozzo
ChairmanScott Duxbury
Head CoachPaulo Pezzolano
StadiumVicarage Road
Top goalscorerLeague:
All: –

The 2025–26 season is the 127th season in the history of Watford and their fourth consecutive season in the Championship. The club are participating in the Championship, the FA Cup, and the EFL Cup.

Prior to the season starting, Paulo Pezzolano was appointed as the new Head Coach.[1]

Transfers and contracts

In

Date Position Player From Fee Ref.
1 July 2025[a] GK Nathan Baxter Bolton Wanderers Bosman [2]
1 July 2025[b] LB Marc Bola Samsunspor [3]
1 July 2025[c] DM Hector Kyprianou Peterborough United [4]
5 July 2025 CF Vivaldo Semedo Udinese Undisclosed [5]
  1. ^ The transfer was announced on 2 June, and would become official on July 1 once his Bolton contract had ended
  2. ^ The transfer was announced on 6 June, and would become official on July 1 once his Samsunspor contract had ended
  3. ^ The transfer was announced on 19 May, and would become official on July 1 once his Peterborough contract had ended

Out

Date Pos. Player To Fee Ref.
19 June 2025 CB Francisco Sierralta Auxerre £1,500,000 [6][7]
Income: £1,500,000

Loaned in

Date Pos. Player From Date until Ref.
30 June 2025 CB James Abankwah Udinese 31 May 2026 [8]

Loaned out

Date Pos. Player To Date until Ref.
27 June 2025 RW Michael Adu-Poku Barrow 31 May 2026 [9]
30 June 2025 GK Myles Roberts Walsall [10]

Released / Out of Contract

Date Pos. Player Subsequent club Join date Ref.
30 June 2025 CB George Abbott [11]
CM Freddie Buers [11]
CB Aidan Coyne [11]
CM Zak Fraser-Grante [11]
CM Ignacio Garcia-Romero [11]
DM Luigi Gaspar [11]
CB Ali Gould [11]
CB Angelo Ogbonna [11]
LM Prince Sikiru [11]
CF Jake Watkiss [11]

New Contract

Date Pos. Player Length End date Ref.

Pre-season and friendlies

On 30 May, Watford announced their first two pre-season friendlies, against Boreham Wood and Leyton Orient.[12] Ten days later, a third fixture was added against AFC Wimbledon.[13] A home friendly was later announced, against Deportivo La Coruña.[14]

  Win   Draw   Loss   Fixtures

8 July 2025 Friendly Boreham Wood 0–2 Watford Borehamwood
19:30 BST Report
  • Louza 27'
  • Nabizada 70'
 Stadium: Meadow Park
12 July 2025 Friendly AFC Wimbledon v Watford Ruislip
15:00 BST Stadium: Grosvenor Vale
26 July 2025 Friendly Leyton Orient v Watford Leyton
15:00 BST Stadium: Brisbane Road
30 July 2025 Friendly Watford v Deportivo La Coruña Watford
19:45 BST Stadium: Vicarage Road

Competitions

Championship

Main article: 2025–26 EFL Championship

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion, qualification or relegation
20 Stoke City 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
21 Swansea City 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
22 Watford 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Relegation to EFL League One
23 West Bromwich Albion 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
24 Wrexham 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
First match(es) will be played: 8 August 2025. Source: EFL Official Website
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Head-to-head results; 5) Wins; 6) Away goals; 7) Penalty points (sec 9.5); 8) Number of 12-point sending off offences; 9) Play-off (only if needed to determine promotion/relegation)[15]

Results summary

Overall Home Away
Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts W D L GF GA GD W D L GF GA GD
0 0 0 0 0 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0 0 0 0 0 0  0

Last updated: pre-season.
Source: Soccerway

Results by round

Round1
Ground
Result
Position
Points
Source: Soccerway
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss; P = Postponed

Matches

On 26 June, the Championship fixtures were released.[16]

  Win   Draw   Loss   Fixtures

9 August 2025 1 Charlton Athletic v Watford Charlton
12:30 BST Stadium: The Valley
16 August 2025 2 Watford v Queens Park Rangers Watford
15:00 BST Stadium: Vicarage Road
23 August 2025 3 Swansea City v Watford Landore
12:30 BST Stadium: Swansea.com Stadium
Note: Fixture was originally scheduled for a 15:00 kick-off, but was moved live Sky Sports broadcasting.[17]
30 August 2025 4 Watford v Southampton Watford
15:00 BST Stadium: Vicarage Road
13 September 2025 5 Watford v Blackburn Rovers Watford
15:00 BST Stadium: Vicarage Road
22 September 2025 6 Millwall v Watford Bermondsey
20:00 BST Stadium: The Den
Note: Fixture was originally scheduled for 20 September, but was moved live Sky Sports broadcasting.[17]

FA Cup

Main article: 2025–26 FA Cup

  Win   Draw   Loss   Fixtures

EFL Cup

Main article: 2025–26 EFL Cup

Watford were drawn at home to Norwich City in the first round.[18][19]

  Win   Draw   Loss   Fixtures

12 August 2025 First round Watford v Norwich City Watford
19:45 BST Stadium: Vicarage Road

Statistics

Appearances and goals

Players with no appearances are not included on the list
Italics indicate a loaned in player

No. Pos. Nat. Name League FA Cup EFL Cup Total Discipline
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals

Notes


References

  1. ^ "Pezzolano Appointed Head Coach". Watford FC. 13 May 2025. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
  2. ^ "Baxter Joins Hornets". Watford FC. 2 June 2025. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
  3. ^ "Hornets Swoop For Bola". Watford FC. 6 June 2025. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
  4. ^ "Kyprianou Signs!". Watford FC. 19 May 2025. Retrieved 19 May 2025.
  5. ^ "Hornets Complete Semedo Signing". Watford FC. 5 July 2025. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  6. ^ "Sierralta Departs". Watford FC. 19 June 2025. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
  7. ^ "Watford defender set to complete move to Auxerre for £1.5m". Watford Observer. 30 May 2025. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
  8. ^ "Abankwah Returns". Watford FC. 30 June 2025. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  9. ^ "Adu-Poku Joins Barrow On Loan". Watford FC. 27 June 2025. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  10. ^ "Walsall Loan For Roberts". Watford FC. 30 June 2025. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Retained & Released List Confirmed". Watford FC. 22 May 2025. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
  12. ^ "Two Friendlies Confirmed". Watford FC. 30 May 2025. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
  13. ^ "AFC Wimbledon Friendly Confirmed". Watford FC. 10 June 2025. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
  14. ^ "Deportivo de La Coruña Friendly Confirmed". Watford FC. 17 June 2025. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
  15. ^ "EFL Regulations Section 3 – The League; subsection 9 – Method of Determining League Positions". English Football League. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  16. ^ "Championship 2025/26 fixtures, dates, schedule & how to watch: Birmingham vs Ipswich, Southampton vs Wrexham open new season". Sky Sports. 26 June 2025. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
  17. ^ a b "Two Games Picked For Sky Broadcast". Watford FC. 4 July 2025. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
  18. ^ "Carabao Cup Round One confirmed". English Football League. 26 June 2025. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  19. ^ "Norwich Date Confirmed". Watford FC. 4 July 2025. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
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