What Happens at the End of a Premier League Season? Trophies, Relegation and What Is Decided on the Final Day

Explainer covering everything that gets decided at the end of a Premier League season: the title, Champions League and Europa League qualification, relegation, individual awards and prize money. Perfect for newer fans and international audiences searching as the season winds down. Timely for April without relying on any results that have not happened yet.

As the Premier League reaches its final weeks, almost every club in the division still has something to play for. The title, European places, relegation, prize money, individual awards. It all gets decided across the same final stretch of fixtures. And sometimes, it all comes down to the last day. Here's everything that gets settled when the season ends.

What is decided on the final day of the season?

The Premier League title goes to whichever club finishes top of the table after 38 games. There's no playoff, no final. Whoever accumulates the most points over the course of the season lifts the trophy. If two clubs finish level on points, goal difference separates them. If that's level too, it goes to total goals scored.

The title is often settled before the final day, but not always. Some of the most memorable moments in Premier League history have come when the overall winner of the trophy wasn't locked in until the last ninety minutes of the season. 

Below the top, the table also decides European qualification. The exact number of places can shift slightly depending on how English clubs have performed in Europe that season and whether cup winners have already qualified through the league. As a baseline, the top four clubs qualify for the Champions League, with fifth going to the Europa League along with the FA Cup winner. 

In 2024/25, England's strong European performance earned a fifth Champions League place from the league, so the top five all qualified for the Champions League, with the sixth-placed club going into the Europa League instead.

At the other end of the table, the bottom three clubs are relegated to the Championship. Like the title race, this is sometimes settled weeks early, and sometimes it comes down to the final day with multiple clubs in danger.

How European qualification works

The Champions League is the biggest prize outside the title itself. Qualifying guarantees club involvement in European football's premier competition the following season, along with significantly increased prize money and commercial revenue. It typically goes to the top four clubs in the league, though England has earned a fifth place in recent seasons based on collective European performance.

The Europa League goes to the fifth or sixth-placed club depending on that season's allocation, plus the FA Cup winner. The Conference League goes to the EFL Cup winner, or the next highest league finisher if the cup winner has already qualified for a higher competition through the league.

For clubs in the lower half of the top ten, a Conference League place can represent a realistic and meaningful European target, particularly if other clubs' cup runs open up additional spots. One important wrinkle is that winning a European trophy earns automatic entry into the Champions League the following season, regardless of where a club finishes in the league. 

Tottenham finished 17th in 2024/25 but qualified for the Champions League by winning the Europa League final against Manchester United in Bilbao. That place is in addition to the league's regular allocation, not instead of it.

Relegation, prize money and end-of-season awards explained

The bottom three clubs at the end of the season are relegated to the Championship. And the financial consequences are severe. 

Prize money across the division is distributed based on final league position, facility fees from televised matches, and an equal share payment every club receives regardless of where they finish. Finishing higher earns more. Finishing lower earns less. A club's final position can mean the difference of tens of millions of pounds.

Individual awards are also handed out at the end of the season:

• The Golden Boot goes to the top scorer

• The Golden Glove goes to the goalkeeper with the most clean sheets

• The Playmaker award goes to the player with the most assists

• The EA Sports Player of the Season is voted for by fans and players and goes to the standout performer across the campaign.

Last season, Mohamed Salah became the first player in Premier League history to win the Golden Boot, the Playmaker award and the Player of the Season in the same year.

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