Leicester City Relegated to League One: A Decade After Premier League Glory

Leicester City’s remarkable journey from Premier League champions to EFL League One has been confirmed following a 2-2 draw with Hull City at the King Power Stadium on April 21, 2026. The result sealed their second successive relegation, dropping the Foxes from the Championship to the third tier of English football for the first time since 2009.

The club’s descent comes exactly ten years after their historic 5,000/1 odds-defying Premier League title win in 2016, a feat that captivated the football world and remains one of sport’s greatest underdog stories. That triumph, achieved under Claudio Ranieri, included a memorable celebration where fans were serenaded by Andrea Bocelli before the final home match against Everton.

Gary Rowett’s side briefly threatened a late escape when Jordan James and Luke Thomas scored quick-fire goals to overturn Liam Millar’s opener. However, Oli McBurnie’s 63rd-minute equaliser for Hull extinguished Leicester’s hopes, leaving them seven points from safety with only two matches remaining. Rowett acknowledged the difficulty of avoiding relegation over such a short span, stating: “The bigger picture is you don’t get relegated over three or four games, you get relegated over a season.”

The confirmation of relegation sparked strong reactions from supporters, with fans demanding the exit of the club’s ownership and booing players off the field. Rowett reflected on the emotional weight of the moment, noting: “This club won the Premier League not too many moons ago. That was an incredible high at the time for the fans, for everyone associated with the club.”

Leicester City now join an unfortunate group as only the fifth team in English football history to suffer back-to-back relegations to League One. Their 2026-27 campaign will mark just the second occasion in the club’s 142-year history that they compete in the third tier, having previously played in League One during the 2008-09 season.

The Foxes’ trophy cabinet includes seven major honours: one Premier League title (2015-16), one FA Cup, three League Cups, and two FA Community Shields. Despite their current predicament, they remain one of only five clubs to have won all three major domestic trophies since the turn of the century.

As Leicester prepare for life in League One, the stark contrast between their recent pinnacle and present circumstances serves as a poignant reminder of football’s cyclical nature. The King Power Stadium, renamed in 2011, will host third-tier football for the first time in 17 years when the 2026-27 season begins.