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2025–26 Russian First League

Russian First League
Season2025–26
Dates19 July 2025 - May 2026
Matches played54
Goals scored115 (2.13 per match)
Top goalscorerAmur Kalmykov
David Karaev
(5 goals)
Biggest home winUral 4–0 Volga
25 August 2025
Biggest away winYenisey 0–3 Chayka
20 July 2025
Chayka 0–3 Arsenal
24 August 2025
Highest scoringTorpedo 2–3 Chelyabinsk
20 July 2025
Ural 3–2 Chernomorets
28 July 2025
Longest winning run6 matches
Fakel
Longest unbeaten run6 matches
Arsenal
Fakel
Longest winless run6 matches
Chernomorets
Rodina
Sokol
Longest losing run2 matches
Chayka
Chernomorets (twice)
Neftekhimik
Rodina
Shinnik
SKA-Khabarovsk
Torpedo
Volga
Yenisey
Highest attendance19,987
Rotor 3–0 Torpedo
25 August 2025
Lowest attendance947
Rodina 1–1 Arsenal
9 August 2025
Total attendance275,461
Average attendance5,101
2026–27 →
All statistics correct as of 25 August 2025.

The 2025–26 Russian First League (First League Pari for sponsorship reasons) is the 34th season of Russia's second-tier football league since the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The season began on 19 July 2025, and will have a 3-month winter break between December 2025 and March 2026.

Team changes

[edit]

To First League

[edit]
Promoted from Second League Division A
Relegated from Premier League

Khimki, which was administratively relegated from the Premier League, was then dissolved and did not enter the First League.[1]

Pari Nizhny Novgorod, which lost in the relegation play-offs, was kept in the Premier League as a replacement for Khimki.

Orenburg, which was originally relegated from the Premier League, remained in it due to the attempted match-fixing by Torpedo Moscow in the previous season.[2][3]

From First League

[edit]
Relegated to Second League

Sokol Saratov, which finished the previous season in the relegation zone, was kept in the league as a replacement for Khimki

Promoted to Premier League

Torpedo Moscow, which was initially promoted to the Premier League, was kept in the First League due to attempted match-fixing in the previous season.[2][3]

Stadiums by locations

[edit]
class=notpageimage|
Location of teams in 2025–26 First League.[4]

League table

[edit]
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion, qualification or relegation
1 Fakel Voronezh 6 6 0 0 7 1 +6 18 Promotion to Premier League
2 Ural Yekaterinburg 6 5 0 1 12 4 +8 15
3 KAMAZ Naberezhnye Chelny 6 4 1 1 12 7 +5 13[a] Qualification to Premier League play-offs
4 Spartak Kostroma 6 4 1 1 9 5 +4 13[a]
5 Chelyabinsk 6 4 0 2 10 7 +3 12
6 Rotor Volgograd 6 3 2 1 7 3 +4 11
7 Arsenal Tula 6 2 4 0 10 6 +4 10
8 SKA-Khabarovsk 6 2 2 2 6 6 0 8
9 Chayka Peschanokopskoye 6 1 3 2 6 7 −1 6[b]
10 Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk 6 1 3 2 4 5 −1 6[b]
11 Shinnik Yaroslavl 6 1 2 3 4 7 −3 5[c]
12 Ufa 6 1 2 3 3 6 −3 5[c]
13 Yenisey Krasnoyarsk 6 1 2 3 5 9 −4 5[c]
14 Torpedo Moscow 6 1 1 4 3 8 −5 4[d]
15 Volga Ulyanovsk 6 1 1 4 4 10 −6 4[d]
16 Rodina Moscow 6 0 4 2 5 8 −3 4[d] Relegation to Second League
17 Sokol Saratov 6 0 4 2 3 6 −3 4[d]
18 Chernomorets Novorossiysk 6 0 2 4 5 10 −5 2
Updated to match(es) played on 25 August 2025. Source: Soccerway
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head matches won; 4) Head-to-head goal difference; 5) Head-to-head goals scored; 6) Matches won; 7) Goal difference; 8) Goals scored; 9) Away matches won; 10) Away goals scored; 11) Disciplinary record in ascending order (3 points for direct red card, 1 point for yellow card, 2.5 points for red card after two yellows); 12) 2024–25 position (does not apply to final standings); 13) Play-offs. If the teams tied on points did not all play equal number of head-to-head matches, head-to-head criteria are not used to determine the standings.[5]
Notes:
  1. ^ a b Ranked on goal difference
  2. ^ a b Ranked on goals scored
  3. ^ a b c Head-to-head matches played: Shinnik, Ufa 1, Yenisey 0. Goal difference: Shinnik, Ufa –3, Yenisey –4. Goals scored: Shinnik 4, Ufa 3.
  4. ^ a b c d Matches won: Volga, Torpedo 1, Rodina, Sokol 0. Goal difference: Torpedo –5, Volga –6. Goals scored: Rodina 5, Sokol 3.

Results

[edit]
Home \ Away ARS CHA CHL CHE FAK KAM NEF ROD ROT SHI SKA SOK SPA TOR UFA URA VOL YEN
Arsenal Tula 1–1 1–1 2–2
Chayka Peschanokopskoye 0–3 1–2 1–1
Chelyabinsk 1–0 3–1 1–0
Chernomorets Novorossiysk 1–2 0–1 0–2
Fakel Voronezh 1–0 1–0 1–0
KAMAZ Naberezhnye Chelny 2–1 1–2 3–1
Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk 1–3 0–0 0–0
Rodina Moscow 1–1 1–1 1–3
Rotor Volgograd 3–0 1–0 0–0
Shinnik Yaroslavl 0–2 1–1 0–1
SKA-Khabarovsk 1–1 1–2 1–0
Sokol Saratov 0–0 1–1 1–1
Spartak Kostroma 2–1 0–1 1–1
Torpedo Moscow 2–3 0–1 1–0
Ufa 0–0 1–0 1–1
Ural Yekaterinburg 3–2 2–1 4–0
Volga Ulyanovsk 1–2 1–2 1–0
Yenisey Krasnoyarsk 0–3 1–2 0–2
Updated to match(es) played on 25 August 2025. Source: First League (in Russian), Soccerway
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Positions by round

[edit]
Team ╲ Round12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334
Fakel Voronezh432211
Ural Yekaterinburg521122
KAMAZ Naberezhnye Chelny863633
Spartak Kostroma1778544
Chelyabinsk215355
Rotor Volgograd389776
Arsenal Tula9971087
SKA-Khabarovsk754468
Chayka Peschanokopskoye146899
Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk12101191010
Shinnik Yaroslavl161416171411
Ufa101510111112
Yenisey Krasnoyarsk181818181813
Torpedo Moscow141315161314
Volga Ulyanovsk151714151215
Rodina Moscow111617141616
Sokol Saratov131112121517
Chernomorets Novorossiysk61213131718
Promotion
Play-offs
Relegation to 2026–27 Russian Second League
Updated to match(es) played on 25 August 2025. Source: everysport.com

Results by round

[edit]
Team ╲ Round12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334
Arsenal TulaDDWDDW
Chayka PeschanokopskoyeWDDDLL
Chernomorets NovorossiyskDLLDLL
ChelyabinskWWLWLW
Fakel VoronezhWWWWWW
KAMAZ Naberezhnye ChelnyDWWLWW
Neftekhimik NizhnekamskDDDWLL
Rodina MoscowDLLDDD
Rotor VolgogradWLDWDW
Shinnik YaroslavlLDLLWD
SKA-KhabarovskDWWDLL
Sokol SaratovDDLDDL
Spartak KostromaLWDWWW
Torpedo MoscowLDLLWL
UfaDLWLDL
Ural YekaterinburgWWWWLW
Volga UlyanovskLLDLWL
Yenisey KrasnoyarskLLDLDW
Updated to match(es) played on 25 August 2025. Source: Soccerstats.com (in English)
W = Win; D = Draw; L = Lose

Season statistics

[edit]

Top goalscorers

[edit]
Rank Player Club Goals[6]
1 Russia Amur Kalmykov Arsenal 5
Russia David Karaev KAMAZ
3 Albania Belajdi Pusi Fakel 4
Russia Ruslan Apekov KAMAZ
5 Russia Ramazan Gadzhimuradov Chelyabinsk 3
Russia Denis Zhilmostnykh Spartak
Russia Ilya Safronov Rotor
Croatia Martin Sekulić Ural
9 14 players 2

References

[edit]
  1. ^ ""Химки" приостанавливают свою деятельность" (in Russian). FC Khimki. 18 June 2025.
  2. ^ a b "КДК РФС принял решение об исключении «Торпедо» из состава участников Мир РПЛ" [RFU CDC decided to exclude Torpedo from Mir RPL] (in Russian). Russian Premier League. 10 July 2025. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
  3. ^ a b "Бюро исполкома РФС включило «Оренбург» в состав участников МИР РПЛ" (in Russian). Russian Football Union. 11 July 2025.
  4. ^ "TEAMS". Russian Football National League. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
  5. ^ "First League 2025-26 regulations - paragraph 3.5" (PDF) (in Russian). Russian First League. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
  6. ^ "Top Scorers" (in Russian). Russian First League. Retrieved 25 August 2025.