The 2026 C'estbon Chinese Football League 1 () will be the 23rd season of China League One, the second tier of the Chinese football league pyramid, since its establishment in 2004.
Summary in 2022, Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials launched an anti-corruption probe resulting in eight footballing officials being investigated for "suspected of violations of discipline and law". In August 2024, former CCP Committee Secretary of the Chinese Football Association (CFA), Du Zhaocai, pleaded guilty to accepting more than US$6.1 million in bribes. On 10 September, CFA banned 38 players, including former nationals, Jin Jingdao, Guo Tianyu, and five officials for life over allegations of match-fixing and other forms of corruption. Other players and officials were also given shorter five years bans.
Four China League One clubs were also punished with fines and point deductions for the 2026 China League One. Changchun Yatai was docked four points. Meizhou Hakka, Ningbo and Suzhou Dongwu were docked three points each.
Clubs Club changes
To League One Teams promoted from 2025 China League Two Guangxi Hengchen Wuxi Wugo
Teams relegated from 2025 Chinese Super League Meizhou Hakka Changchun Yatai
From League One Teams promoted to 2026 Chinese Super League Liaoning Tieren Chongqing Tonglianglong
Teams relegated to 2026 China League Two Guangxi Pingguo Qingdao Red Lions
Shanghai Jiading Huilong F.C. relocated to Ningbo, Zhejiang in December 2025, and changed their name to Ningbo.
Stadiums and locations
TeamHead coachCityStadiumCapacity2025 seasonMeizhou Hakka R Zhu Jiong WuhuaHuitang Stadium 27,000CSL, 15thChangchun Yatai R Yan FengChangchunDevelopment Area Stadium23,400CSL, 16thGuangdong GZ-Power Feng FengGuangzhouYuexiushan Stadium18,0003rdYanbian Longding Lee Ki-hyungYanjiYanji Stadium30,0004thShijiazhuang Gongfu Jesús TatoShijiazhuangYutong International Sports Center38,0005thJiangxi Dingnan United Mao BiaoDingnanDingnan Youth Football Training Center12,0006thNantong Zhiyun Kim Dae-euiRugaoRugao Olympic Sports Center25,0007thDalian K'un City Yang LinDalianJinzhou Stadium30,7768thShaanxi Union Chen TaoXi'anXi'an International Football Center60,2359thSuzhou Dongwu Guo HuiSuzhouSuzhou Sports Center35,00010thNanjing City Li YinanNanjingWutaishan Stadium22,00011thNingbo Li WeifengNingboNingbo Cixi Stadium (Cixi)16,00012thFoshan Nanshi Li YaoFoshanNanhai Sports Center20,00013thShenzhen Juniors David PirriShenzhenBao'an Stadium44,05014thGuangxi Hengchen P Liu JunweiNanningGuangxi Sports Center60,000CL2, 1stQinzhou Sports Center (Qinzhou)Wuxi Wugo P Bruno DiasWuxiJiangyin Sports Centre (Jiangyin)30,161CL2, 2ndYixing Sports Center (Yixing)
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming managerDate of appointmentShaanxi Union Giovanni FrankenMutual consent8 November 2025Pre-season Henk Fraser1 January 2026Jiangxi Dingnan United Liu JianyeSigned by Chongqing Tonglianglong13 December 2025 Mao Biao14 December 2025Dalian K'un City Zhao FaqingMutual consent14 December 2025 Zhang Yaokun14 December 2025Shenzhen Juniors 22 December 2025 Ramiro Amarelle23 December 2025Changchun Yatai Ricardo Soares31 December 2025 Yan Feng1 January 2026Suzhou Dongwu Sergio Zarco Díaz16 January 2026 Yu Yuanwei16 January 2026Ningbo Zoran Janković26 January 2026 Yang Lin26 January 2026Meizhou Hakka Qu GangSigned by Changchun Yatai 1 January 2026 Gino Lettieri26 January 2026Foshan Nanshi Zhang XiaoruiSigned by Meizhou Hakka26 January 2026 Zhang Chiming11 March 2026Nanjing City Zhang XiaofengChange of role10 March 2026 Rodney Gonçalves14 March 2026Ningbo Yang Lin6 April 202614th Li Weifeng10 April 2026Shijiazhuang Gongfu Niu HongliResigned16 April 202612th Xiao Zhanbo (interim)16 April 2026Meizhou Hakka Gino LettieriResigned26 April 202615th Zhang Xiaorui (interim)26 April 2026Nanjing City Rodney GonçalvesMoved to technical director and assistant coach27 April 202612th Zhang Xiaofeng27 April 2026Shijiazhuang Gongfu Xiao Zhanbo (interim)Returned to assistant coach role30 April 202613th Jesús Tato30 April 2026Shaanxi Union Henk FraserResigned7 June 20269th Jouad Boufarra (interim)8 June 2026 Meizhou Hakka Zhang Xiaorui (interim) Returned to general manager 5 June 2026 16th Zhu Jiong 8 June 2026Shaanxi Union Jouad Boufarra (interim)Returned to assistant coach role20 June 20269th Chen Tao21 June 2026 Suzhou Dongwu Yu Yuanwei Mutual consent 3 July 2026 15th Guo Hui 4 July 2026 Shenzhen Juniors Ramiro Amarelle Mutual consent 14 July 2026 2nd Ren Peng (interim) 14 July 2026 Shenzhen Juniors Ren Peng (interim) End of interim spell 24 July 2026 2nd David Pirri 24 July 2026 Foshan Nanshi Zhang Chiming Resigned 5 August 2026 15th Li Yao 7 August 2026 Dalian K'un City Zhang Yaokun Appointed by China U16 21 August 2026 12th Yang Lin 21 August 2026Wuxi Wugo Kim Bong-gilContract expired20 August 20268th Bruno Dias31 August 2026
Foreign players Players name in bold indicates the player is registered during the mid-season transfer window. Players name in italics indicates the player is out of squad or left their respective clubs during the mid-season transfer window. TeamPlayer 1Player 2Player 3Hong Kong/Macau/Taiwan playersNaturalised playersReserves playersFormer playersChangchun Yatai Constantin Reiner Juan Camilo Salazar Ohi Omoijuanfo Clement Benhaddouche→ Lü KaiwenDalian K'un City Cyrille Bayala Kristoffer Normann Hansen Nyasha Mushekwi Wu Yen-shuFoshan Nanshi Rodney Antwi Mame Mor Ndiaye Miloš Deletić Nicholas Benavides Gabriel BispoGuangdong GZ-Power João Carlos Nikão Ousmane Camara Wang Chien-ming Alexandru TudorieGuangxi Hengchen Noel Mbo Rati Ardazishvili Loïc Lapoussin Yu Yao-hsingJiangxi Dingnan United Daciel Erikys Manuel Palacios Chen Po-liang→ Marcel PetrovMeizhou Hakka Vinni Triboulet Théo Pellenard Hamza Sakhi Yu Wai Lim Patrick PopescuNantong Zhiyun Lucas Kal Jasond González Aldo Kalulu Remi Dujardin→ Xu Hui Aleksandar KolevNanjing City Robertinho Zé Vitor Jerome Ngom Mbekeli Wong WaiNingbo Léo Cittadini Leonardo Stefan Tomović Chen Hao-wei Viv Solomon-OtaborShaanxi Union Astrit Selmani Rayan El Azrak Daleho Irandust Ma Hei WaiShenzhen Juniors Rodrigo Henrique Joel Nouble Rade Dugalić Leung Nok Hang Paul GaritaShijiazhuang Gongfu Dominic Vinicius Higor Vidal Tyrone ConraadSuzhou Dongwu Estrela Farley Rosa Omar BugielWuxi Wugo Tarik Isić Nino Noordanus Nicolás AlbarracínYanbian Longding Giovanny Felicio Brown Forbes Joaquim Domingos Vas Nuñez For Hong Kong, Macau, or Taiwanese players, if they are non-naturalised and were registered as professional footballers in Hong Kong's, Macau's, or Chinese Taipei's football association for the first time, they are recognised as native players. Otherwise they are recognised as foreign players. Naturalised players whose parents or grandparents were born in mainland China, thus are regarded as local players.
League table
Results
Positions by round
Results by match played
References
External links