The 2026 Kazakhstan Premier League is the 35th season of the Kazakhstan Premier League, the highest football league competition in Kazakhstan.
Overview For the 2026 season, the Kazakhstan Premier League will expand from 14 to 16 teams. This expansion was officially ratified by the Kazakhstan Football Federation (KFF) and the Professional Football League of Kazakhstan (QFL) as part of a long-term strategy to increase the professionalization of the sport and enhance regional representation across the country.
To facilitate the increase in participants, a specific promotion and relegation format was applied to the 2025 season: Only one team (the bottom-placed club) was relegated from the Premier League to the First Division. The top three teams from the Kazakhstan First Division earned direct promotion to the Premier League for 2026.
The expansion marks a return to a larger league format, which was previously reduced due to infrastructure and financial licensing requirements. Under the new 16-team structure, the KFF has introduced stricter stadium and financial criteria to ensure the sustainability of the newly promoted clubs.
Events
Teams Following the conclusion of the 2025 season, Turan were the only club relegated to the Kazakhstan First Division after finishing in 14th place (last). This limited relegation was a one-time adjustment to allow for the league's expansion from 14 to 16 teams for the 2026 campaign.
To fill the expanded roster, three clubs were promoted from the Kazakhstan First Division: Caspiy – The champions of the 2025 First Division, returning to the top flight after a two-year absence. Irtysh Pavlodar – The runners-up, marking the historic return of the five-time Kazakhstan champions to the Premier League. Altai – The third-place finishers, securing the final promotion slot under the new expansion rules. Play in top flight for the first time.
Team overview
Team Location Venue Capacity Altai Oskemen Vostok Stadium 8,500 Aktobe Aktobe Central Stadium 12,729 Astana Astana Astana Arena 30,200 Atyrau Atyrau Munaishy Stadium 8,900 Elimai Semey Spartak Stadium 8,000 Irtysh Pavlodar Central Stadium 12,000 Kairat Almaty Central Stadium 23,804 Kaisar Kyzylorda Gany Muratbayev Stadium 7,500 Kyzylzhar Petropavl Karasai Stadium 11,000 Okzhetpes Kokshetau Torpedo Stadium 4,100 Ordabasy Shymkent Kazhymukan Munaitpasov Stadium 20,000 Tobol Kostanay Central Stadium 9,500 Ulytau Jezkazgan Metallurg Stadium 2,500 Zhenis Astana Astana Arena 30,200 Zhetysu Taldykorgan Samat Suyumbayev Stadium 4,000
Personnel and kits Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players and Managers may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Team Manager Captain Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor Aktobe Igor Cherevchenko Ivan Ordets Adidas Olimpbet, Kazchrome, A'su Altay Oskemen Vakhid Masudov Dmitriy Schmidt Astana Grigori Babayan Marin Tomasov Adidas Samruk Kazyna, Olimpbet, Okadzaki, Miglior, SportQory Atyrau Vladimir Cheburin Rinat Dzhumatov Macron Olimpbet, A'su, Dodo Pizza Elimai Andrey Karpovich Ramazan Orazov Puma Altay Resurs Irtysh Erlan Shoytymov Samat Zharynbetov Jenis Vladimir Slišković Islambek Kuat Joma Freedom Bank Kairat Rafael Urazbakhtin Alyaksandr Martynovich Joma 1XBET, KNK Kemikal, EcoAlmaty, Alex Saryagash Kaisar Dmitriy Karpov (caretaker) Nurymzhan Salaidin Adidas Biali, Olimpbet, A'su Kaspiy Ruslan Esatov Amandyk Nabikhanov Kyzylzhar Vitaly Zhukovsky Yevhen Makarenko Kelme None Okzhetpes Rinat Alyuetov Oralkhan Omirtayev Jako None Ordabasy Andrei Martin Serhiy Maliy Puma Olimpbet Tobol Miroslav Romashchenko Askhat Tagybergen Macron Solidcore Resources, Olimpbet Ulytau Nurken Mazbayev Sergey Keiler Cikers Kazakhmys Zhetysu Samat Smakov Serikzhan Muzhikov Adidas None
Foreign players The number of foreign players is restricted to thirteen per KPL team squad of 25 players. For transfers during the season, see Winter 2025–26 transfers and Summer 2026 transfers.
Team Player 1 Player 2 Player 3 Player 4 Player 5 Player 6 Player 7 Player 8 Player 9 Player 10 Player 11 Player 12 Player 13 Former players Aktobe Pibe Nikita Korzun Daniel Sosah Nani Danilo Mitrović Pablo Álvarez Ajdin Zeljković Ivan Ordets Dmytro Topalov Altai Nikola Jambor Samuel Odeyobo Ivan Konovalov Nemanja Mićević Dragan Stoisavljević Astana Ivan Bašić Karlo Bartolec Josip Čondrić Branimir Kalaica Marin Tomasov Kipras Kažukolovas Nnamdi Ahanonu Asilbek Abdurasulov Atyrau Yegor Khatkevich Yegor Khvalko Ruslan Yudenkov Henrique Devens Mario Rabiu Konstantin Dorofeyev Soslan Takulov Dmitri Yashin Oleksandr Noyok Dmytro Yusov Caspiy Leonel Strumia Alan Dias Gustavo França Noha Ndombasi André Amaral Bernardo Morgado Idris Umayev Bogdan Petrović Yan Andrin Berat Değirmenci Max Kucheriavyi Elimai Edison Ndreca Yevgeny Beryozkin Higor Gabriel Dubán Palacio Marin Belančić Hrvoje Ilić Vladimir Stojković Ivan Miladinović Euloge Placca Fessou Irtysh Pavlodar Ruslan Khadarkevich Vladislav Klimovich Danila Nechayev Pavel Sedko Jean Morel Poé Fard Ibrahim Yushi Shimamura Godfrey Stephen Vitaly Botnar Mamadou Mbodj Kairat Sebastián Zeballos Alyaksandr Martynovich Lucas Áfrico Edmilson Ricardinho Oiva Jukkola Jaakko Oksanen Dan Glazer Jorginho Luís Mata Marc Gual Valery Gromyko Yegor Sorokin Kaisar Miquéias Thomas Jones Victor Moses Imoh Ezekiel Amir Mokhammad Nikola Cuckić Adam Kovac Kyzylzhar Damjan Krajišnik Plamen Galabov Stephane Bahoken Etienne Beugre Jóannes Bjartalíð Dumitru Celeadnic Honore Gomis Nedeljko Piščević Yevhen Makarenko Anatoliy Kozlenko Okzhetpes Dzmitry Baradzin Vasily Sovpel Léo Assunpção Ivan Kuzmichev Miroslav Lobantsev Borys Lototskyi Bektemir Abdumannonov Ordabasy Everton Moraes Léo Natel Dimitar Mitkov Guy-Marcelin Kilama Kilama David Abagna Aleksa Amanović Victor Mudrac Mihai Căpățînă Nikola Antić Vladyslav Naumets Yuriy Vakulko Tobol Rubin Hebaj Maksim Myakish Pape-Alioune Ndiaye Abdoulaye Cissé Nemanja Cavnić Marko Vukčević Amine Talal Kirill Gluschenkov Uroš Milovanović Luis Guerra Ulytau Arthur Bougnone David Martin Hiroki Harada Kotaro Kishi Ariagner Smith Georgi Bugulov Hlib Bukhal Beka Vachiberadze Zhenis Maksim Plotnikov Ivan Šaravanja Adílio Gian Martins Élder Santana Luka Imnadze Elguja Lobjanidze Zurab Tevzadze Samson Iyede Zhetysu Tsotne Mosiashvili Ştefan Sicaci Jovan Pajović Mladen Kovačević Strahinja Jovanović Marko Živanović Diego Luna
In bold: Players that have been capped for their national team. In Italic: Players that joined in mid-season
Managerial changes Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of vacancy Position in table Incoming manager Date of appointment Zhetysu Samat Smakov End of contract 14 November 2025 Pre-season Kayrat Nurdauletov 17 December 2025 Kyzylzhar Milić Ćurčić End of contract 31 December 2025 Ali Aliyev 5 January 2026 Atyrau Kuanysh Kabdulov End of interim spell 1 December 2025 Vitaly Zhukovsky 1 January 2026 Tobol Nurbol Zhumaskaliyev Resigned 21 April 2026 15th Miroslav Romashchenko 22 April 2026
Regular season League table
Results Results table
Results by match played
Positions by round
Season statistics Top scorers Rank Player Team Goals
Top assist Rank Player Team Assist
Clean sheets Rank Player Team Clean sheets
Discipline
Player
Team
Awards
References
External links
2026 Kazakhstan Premier League at Global Sports Archive