The 42 Reports from GAA Congress

THE ALL-IRELAND FOOTBALL championships will have a new look in 2026 after delegates at GAA Congress at Donegal voted 92.8% in favour to scrap the round-robin format and reintroduce a new ‘backdoor’ system.

The new format will see the provincial championships run off as previously before 16 teams progress to the Sam Maguire competition — the eight provincial finalists, the seven  next-best counties based on league position, and the Tailteann Cup holders.

These teams will meet in Round 1, with the eight winners then playing off in Round 2A for a place in the quarter-finals.

The eight Round 1 losers will play against each other in Round 2B, with the four winners progressing to a straight knockout Round 3 where they will play the Round 2A losers for a place in the quarter-finals.

Under the previous format, teams competing for the Sam Maguire or Tailteann Cup could potentially lose three championship games and still be alive in the competition.

However, from 2026 onwards, this will no longer be the case with beaten counties in Round 1 or Round 2A getting a second chance through the backdoor — but no third chance.

The Tailteann Cup will follow the same format with the addition of a preliminary quarter-final, whereby a Round 2A winner would be drawn to face New York. 

Written by Declan Bogue and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.