The draw for Round 1 of the 2026 All-Ireland football championship will take place on Monday at 1pm, with the 16 teams in the competition now finalised.
The eight provincial finalists will be placed in Pot 1, to be drawn against the seven highest ranked teams from the Allianz Football League, as well as Kildare, who qualify by virtue of their Tailteann Cup victory in 2025.
Westmeath's Leinster semi-final victory over Kildare saw them displace Down in the Sam Maguire competition, the latter entering the Tailteann Cup draw where they will host Leitrim in Round 1.
The provincial finalists will enjoy home advantage, with the finalists in Munster and Connacht playing their Round 1 games on the weekend of 23-24 May, while the finalists in Leinster and Ulster will play on 30-31 May.
Provincial finalists - Pot 1 (home teams)
Kerry, Cork, Galway, Roscommon, Dublin, Westmeath, Armagh, Monaghan.
Qualified via league placing / Tailteann Cup - Pot 2 (away teams)
Donegal, Mayo, Meath, Louth, Derry, Tyrone, Cavan, Kildare.
Eight ties will be drawn on Monday at lunchtime, which will begin the new format of the All-Ireland series.
'There'll be a few twists and turns in this format yet' - The Sunday Game panel look ahead to the Sam Maguire draw with the line-up finalised after today's games #RTEGAA #SundayGame pic.twitter.com/bhUHyOvbHq
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) May 3, 2026
ALL-IRELAND SERIES FORMAT
Round 1
The eight provincial finalists will be drawn at home against the eight next best placed teams according to league position. The draw for this stage is on Monday.
Round 2A
From there, the eight winners of the Round 1 ties will be drawn against each other in Round 2A. The four winners from this stage progress to the All-Ireland SFC quarter-finals.
The draw will be subject to the avoidance of repeat provincial final pairings. The first team drawn will be at home.
Round 2B
The eight losers of the Round 1 ties will be drawn against each other in Round 2B. The four losers at this stage will exit the championship.
The draw will be subject to the avoidance of repeat provincial final pairings. The first team drawn will be at home.
Round 3
The four losers of the Round 2A ties will be drawn against the four winners of the Round 2B ties.
A draw will determine the home venue for each pairing. The draw will be subject in the first instance to the avoidance of repeat provincial final pairings and, where possible, repeat pairings from Round 1.
The four winners at this stage will advance to the All-Ireland SFC quarter-finals, where they will be drawn against the four winners from Round 2A.
