This page summarizes everything related to Estonian football in the year 2026. It contains information about different league systems, national teams, futsal, beach football and most important transfers.
National teams The 2026 season for the Estonia national football team is centered on international friendlies and the commencement of the 2026–27 UEFA Nations League in September. Following the conclusion of the 2026 World Cup qualification cycle in late 2025, the team enters a transition phase under head coach Jürgen Henn. The women's national team begins its 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification campaign in March, while the youth setups continue their development in UEFA European Championship qualifying rounds. Men's senior
Women's senior
Youth teams County competition
League system The 2026 domestic season is scheduled to run from March 6 to November, with the Premium Liiga featuring ten clubs competing for the national title. This year marks the return of Nõmme United to the top flight. The Esiliiga and Esiliiga B provide the professional pathway for the pyramid, while the lower regional tiers continue to host matches across the country throughout the summer months. Men's leagues A. Le Coq Premium liiga
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Relegation play-off's:
Esiliiga & Esiliiga B Esiliiga
The 2026 season had three team changes compared with the previous year. The 2025 Esiliiga champions FC Nõmme United were promoted to Premium Liiga after one season in the second division and were replaced by relegated JK Tallinna Kalev, who returned after four seasons in the top flight. JK Tallinna Kalev U21 and Tartu JK Tammeka U21 were relegated to Esiliiga B and replaced by Maardu Linnameeskond, who won Esiliiga B for the second time, and FC Nõmme United U21, who made their Esiliiga debut.
The season was marked by several unusual incidents. In September, a referee's error during a match between Nõmme United U21 and FC Elva led to the final minutes being replayed from the 88th minute, with Elva having only eight players on the field after two earlier dismissals. Later that month, the Estonian Football Association launched disciplinary proceedings over suspected betting and match-fixing involving Maardu Linnameeskond, with head coach Deniss Kovtun and players Vladislav Tšurilkin and Artjom Volkov placed under temporary bans from football. On 5 October, Maardu withdrew from the remainder of the season and lost its licence to compete in the licensed divisions. Its previous results remained valid, while its remaining fixtures were awarded as forfeits to its opponents.
Relegation play-off's:
Esiliiga B
The 2026 season featured several changes in the league's lineup. Tallinna Kalev U21 and Tartu Tammeka U21 were relegated from Esiliiga, replacing Maardu Linnameeskond and Nõmme United U21, who were promoted to the second division. Two teams were promoted from II liiga for the first time: Pärnu JK Vaprus U21 and Tallinna FCI Levadia U19. Viljandi Tulevik also gained promotion after defeating Paide Linnameeskond U21 in the promotion play-offs, condemning Paide to a second consecutive relegation. Kuressaare U21, after three seasons in Esiliiga B, and Läänemaa JK, who had competed in the division since 2020, were relegated to II liiga.
In March, former Estonia captain Ragnar Klavan returned to official league football, playing for Tallinna Kalev U21 against Viljandi Tulevik and assisting his team's goal in a 2–1 defeat. Due to the renovation of Kadriorg Stadium and insufficient facilities at Kalev Keskstaadion, the club's reserve team split its home matches between Raja indoor hall and Jüri Stadium. In August, a match between Tallinna JK Legion and Tartu Tammeka U21 was abandoned in the 68th minute with the score at 3–3 after Legion left the field in protest against the refereeing. The Estonian Football Association subsequently awarded Tammeka U21 a 3–0 victory, suspended Legion coach Mihhail Artjuhhov for five matches and fined the club €2,000.
Relegation play-off's:
Men's lower leagues II liiga
Relegation play-off's:
II liiga B
Champion's match:
III liiga
Champion's match:
IV liiga
Champion's match:
Women's leagues Naiste Meistriliiga
Women's lower leagues
Naiste Esiliiga
Naiste Teine liiga
Women's Baltic Football League
The 2026 season of the Women's Baltic Football League featured six teams, with two representatives from each of the Baltic states. Estonia was represented by Naiste Meistriliiga champions Tallinna FC Flora and runners-up Saku Sporting, Latvia by league champions Riga FC Women and runners-up RFS Women, and Lithuania by champions FK Gintra and third-placed MFA Žalgiris-MRU. The second-placed Lithuanian side FK TransINVEST declined its place in the competition. The six teams played a single round-robin main phase, with the top four advancing to the semi-finals, followed by the final and third-place match.
Riga FC Women won the competition for the second consecutive year, defeating MFA Žalgiris-MRU 7–0 in the final on 15 August. FK Gintra secured third place after beating RFS Women 5–0 in the third-place match.
Cup competitions Knockout football in 2026 is split between two seasons. The 2025–26 Estonian Cup (Tipneri karikas) resumes in the spring with the quarter-final stage, culminating in the final in May. Simultaneously, the 2026–27 edition of the tournament is set to begin in the summer with preliminary rounds. The season's first silverware is contested in the Estonian Supercup, traditionally held in early March as the curtain-raiser for the league season. Men's cups Tipneri karikavõistlused
Home teams listed on top of bracket. (AET): At Extra Time, (PL): Premium liiga, (EL): Esiliiga
Small Cup
Home teams listed on top of bracket. (AET): At Extra Time, (ML): Naiste Meistriliiga, (EL): Naiste Esiliiga
Women's cups
Home teams listed on top of bracket. (AET): At Extra Time, (ML): Naiste Meistriliiga, (EL): Naiste Esiliiga
European competitions Estonian clubs represented the nation in the 2026–27 editions of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, and UEFA Conference League. As the league champions, FC Flora entered the Champions League qualification path, while the second (FCI Levadia), third (Nõmme Kalju FC) and fourth place (Paide Linnameeskond) finishers from the previous season participated in the Conference League.
Men's competitions
FC Flora
FCI Levadia
Nõmme Kalju FC
Paide Linnameeskond
Notable transfers Players are listed in an alphabetical order. Players with an "*" behind their name have changed teams inside and outside of Meistriliiga. Player's last team is listed as "free agent" if he has not represented a team in the previous six months. Player's next team is listed as "free agent" if he has not found a new club within the following six months. Inside Meistriliiga Listed are players, who have joined or left a club participating in the 2026 Meistriliiga. The player must have represented the Estonian national team at least once. The list may also contain more known players, who have either changed their club inside the lower leagues or retired from football. NamePos.AgeFromToDateNotesRef Ilja Antonov MF 33 FC Kuressaare Tallinna FC Flora 01.01 Signed a contract with Flora. Henri Järvelaid DF 27 Tallinna FCI Levadia FC Nõmme United 02.01 Signed a 1-year contract with United. Ken Kallaste DF 37 Tallinna FCI Levadia retired 01.01 Contract with Levadia ended. Started a coaching career. Mark Anders Lepik FW 25 Tallinna FC Flora Pärnu JK Vaprus 02.01 Signed a 1-year loan deal with Vaprus. Marco Lukka DF 29 Tallinna FC Flora FC Kuressaare 02.01 Signed a 2-year contract with Kuressaare. Pavel Marin MF 30 Nõmme Kalju FC Tartu JK Tammeka 06.01 Signed a contract with Tammeka. Joseph Saliste DF 30 Paide Linnameeskond Tallinna FCI Levadia 01.01 Contract with Paide ended. Signed a 3-year contract with Levadia. Edgar Tur DF 29 Tallinna FCI Levadia Paide Linnameeskond 01.01 Signed a contract with Paide.
Outside Meistriliiga Listed are all Estonian footballers, who have joined or left a foreign team. NamePos.AgeFromToDateNotesRefKarl Jakob Hein GK 24 SV Werder Bremen Arsenal F.C. 30.06 Loan deal with Bremen ended. Arsenal F.C. SV Werder Bremen 01.07 Signed a 4-year contract with Bremen. Kristo Hussar DF 23 Tallinna FC Flora AS Trenčín 16.02 Signed a 1.5+1-year contract with Trenčín. Markus Kaalma FW 16 Viimsi JK Kristiansund BK II 01.08 Signed a contract with Kristiansund. Andero Kaares FW 17 Tallinna FC Flora Villarreal CF U19 04.07 Signed a contract with Villarreal. Nikita Komissarov MF 25 FA Šiauliai FK Minija 13.02 Signed a contract with Minija. Märten Kuusk DF 30 GKS Katowice Polonia Warsaw 13.07 Signed a 2+1-year contract with Polonia. Aleksandr Lohmatov MF 19 Frosinone Calcio U20 FK Pohronie 04.02 Signed a contract with Pohronie. Karol Mets DF 33 FC St. Pauli VfL Bochum 17.07 Signed a 2-year contract with Bochum. Nikita Mihhailov MF 23 Tallinna FC Flora MFK Zemplín Michalovce 11.03 Signed a 2-year contract with Zemplín. Marten-Chris Paalberg FW 17 Pärnu JK Vaprus AS Saint-Étienne 02.02 Signed a 2.5-year contract with Saint-Étienne. Kevor Palumets MF 23 FK Železiarne Podbrezová FC Košice 04.07 Signed a 2+1-year contract with Košice. Markus Poom MF 26 Tallinna FC Flora AS Trenčín 03.02 Signed a 1.5+1-year contract with Trenčín. Sten Reinkort FW 27 Paide Linnameeskond S.C. Espinho 01.02 Signed a 0.5-year contract with Espinho. Rauno Sappinen FW 30 Tallinna FC Flora Olympiakos Nicosia 18.08 Signed a 1+1-year contract with Olympiakos. Michael Schjönning-Larsen DF 24 Tallinna FCI Levadia Kilmarnock F.C. 01.01 Contract with Levadia ended. Signed a 1.5-year contract with Kilmarnock. Rocco Robert Shein MF 22 Fredrikstad FK Portsmouth F.C. 13.07 Signed a 3-year contract with Portsmouth. Vlasiy Sinyavskiy DF 29 Bohemians 1905 FC Baník Ostrava 06.01 Signed a 2-year contract with Banik. Markus Soomets MF 26 IK Start Kolding IF 20.08 Signed a 3-year contract with Kolding. Erik Sorga FW 26 free agent Havnar Bóltfelag 28.02 Signed a contract with HB. Havnar Bóltfelag free agent 01.07 Contract with HB terminated. Aleksandr Šapovalov FW 22 Niki Volos F.C. Egaleo F.C. 16.01 Signed a 0.5-year contract with Egaleo. 23 Egaleo F.C. Hellas Syros F.C. 01.07 Contract with Egaleo ended. Signed a 1-year contract with Syros. Erko Jonne Tõugjas DF 22 Tallinna FC Flora Halmstads BK 01.01 Signed a 3-year contract with Halmstads. Alex Matthias Tamm FW 24 NK Olimpija Ljubljana Livingston F.C. 08.01 Signed a 0.5-year loan deal with Livingston. Georgi Tunjov MF 24 AC Ospitaletto Franciacorta Aurora Pro Patria 1919 22.01 Signed a 0.5-year contract with Egaleo. 25 Aurora Pro Patria 1919 AS Sambenedettese 01.07 Contract with Aurora ended. Signed a contract with Sambenedettese.
Foreign signings Listed are all foreign players that have joined or left a team participating in the 2026 Meistriliiga.