NPFL: Top 3 favourites to win ₦1bn challenge in 2026/27 season

The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) is set to kickoff this weekend, and it is safe to say it is entering a new era, Soccernet.ng reports.

The league is undergoing a rebranding. And from the 2026/27 season there will be a huge financial incentive that could change the intensity of the title race.

The league champions will receive a record ₦1 billion, five times the ₦200 million that was previously awarded to the winners. At first there were fears that the organizers would not be able to meet up with this amount. But yesterday, it was confirmed that the NPFL had gotten new sponsors.

They unveiled a new three-year, $7.5 million title sponsorship deal with EuroMatch, a Poland-based private investment and gaming technology company. With this, there will be enough money to spend.

That money will be particularly attractive after a 2025/26 campaign that produced one of the closest title races in recent NPFL history.

Former @NGSuperEagles Stars thrilled by NPFL-EUROMATCH $7.5m sponsorship deal https://t.co/EqOpgvyFgJ pic.twitter.com/DvTkSAzV6o

— NPFL (@NigeriaPFL) August 27, 2026

Rangers eventually finished champions with 68 points, but Rivers United were just one point behind on 67. Shooting Stars completed the top three with 60 points, while former champions Enyimba finished a disappointing 11th. Even more surprisingly, defending champions Remo Stars were relegated after finishing 17th.

So who has the strongest case to take the new ₦1 billion prize?

1. Rivers United

The Port Harcourt club came agonisingly close to winning the title last season, finishing just one…