A-Leagues Unveil Isuzu UTE A-League 25/26 Season Fixtures

Thursday 11 September, 2025: The Australian Professional Leagues (APL) has today unveiled the full fixture for the Isuzu UTE A-League 2025/26 season after a bumper twentieth season.

The Isuzu UTE A-League 2025/26 season will kick off on Friday 17 October, with a 26-game regular season. The Finals Series will take place from 1-24 May, with the Isuzu UTE A-League Men Grand Final to be played on the weekend of 23-24 May ahead of the FIFA World Cup 26™.

Commenting on the season ahead, Stephen Conroy, APL Executive Chairman said:

“Last season we celebrated twenty years in style with a record number of goals, a fourth consecutive year of growth in TV audiences and the highest total season attendance since 2016/17.”

“We also saw the prevalence of young stars shining across the Isuzu UTE A-League and on the world stage with 17 players called up to the Socceroos and 15 into the All Whites in the last 12 months. As well as a growing talent pool, we’ve also seen incredible action on the pitch that is exciting fans across Australia and New Zealand. We can’t wait for another action-packed A-Leagues season.”

Competition Overview:

The Isuzu UTE A-League 2025/26 season fixture has taken into account fan feedback, club requests, venue availability based on shared stadia and live events, Asian club competitions and the FIFA World Cup 26™.

The 25/26 season will be played across 26 rounds, with each club playing 22 home-and-away fixtures, plus four additional third-match up fixtures - two home and two away - following Western United FC being placed into conditional hibernation.

The complete Round 1 fixture is shown below, while the full season 2025/26 fixture, round by round, can be seen via the A-Leagues website.

More marquee match-ups:

The 2025/26 fixture features the most ever marquee match-ups, fewer mid-week fixtures and more continuity across the weekend to drive fan engagement in stadium and at home.

In total, the Isuzu UTE A-League season includes 12 traditional, cross-city derbies, plus tentpole fixtures across Australia and New Zealand on Boxing Day, New Years Eve, New Years Day, Australia Day, Waitangi Day and ANZAC Day. The fixture also features greater continuity than previous seasons with more rounds including a key Friday night fixture, two Saturday games and at least one Sunday match to deliver more consistency and less simultaneous kick-offs for fans and partners.

Meanwhile, another blockbuster ‘Summer of Football’ awaits with A-Leagues football returning to Boxing Day, and with fans able to enjoy at least one game of the Isuzu UTE A-League Men or Ninja A-League Women everyday from December 26 to January 4. The action then continues throughout the January school holidays culminating with the traditional Australia Day Big Blue at AAMI Park.

Engaging more fans across Australia and New Zealand:

Paramount Australia remains the exclusive home of Australian football for the 2025/26 season in Australia. Football fans across the country will once again enjoy access to a mountain of football with every single A-Leagues match available to stream live on Paramount+.

Building on the growth in TV viewership (up 9 per cent) in 2024/25, this season will again see a Saturday night doubleheader shown live on free-to-air - with back-to-back Isuzu UTE A-League Men matches on 10 Drama and 10 streaming from 5pm and 7:35pm AEST.

In New Zealand, Sky remains the exclusive home of the Isuzu UTE A-League, with all matches broadcast live on Sky Sport, Sky Sport Now and Sky Go, and selected A-Leagues’ games will be available to watch free-to-air on Sky Open.

Over 1.4 million New Zealanders tuned in to watch Isuzu UTE A-League football on Sky during the 24/25 season. An additional 450,000 viewers streamed matches via Sky Sport Now and Sky Go.

Isuzu UTE A-League Men season broadcast notes, include:

Every Isuzu UTE A-League Men's match will be shown live on Paramount+.

Each Saturday two Isuzu UTE A-League Men matches will be broadcast live and free on 10 Drama and available to stream live and free on 10.

Outside of the Saturday double-header on 10 Drama and 10 streaming, Paramount+ is the only place to catch every Isuzu UTE A-League Men match.

New Zealand fans can enjoy every Isuzu UTE A-League match live on Sky Sport, Sky Sport Now and Sky Go, with selected A-Leagues games also broadcast free-to-air on Sky Open.

Minis, highlights and replays are also available to stream on Paramount+.

Regulations factored into fixturing:

The ‘Summer Period’, which was extended by a month in 2024/25, will remain in place from early December (Round 6) through to mid-March (Round 20) to avoid teams playing through the hottest part of the day in the cities prone to extreme heat across these months.

During the ‘Summer Period’ there will be no 3pm kick off times, with all matches kicking off from 5pm local time - with the exception of a few matches due to time zones and broadcast commitments.

Following an off-season analysis on weather patterns across Australia and New Zealand, the ‘Summer Period’ will be slightly shorter in Newcastle and Victoria running from Round 7 to 18, where temperatures historically do not exhibit extreme temperatures for as long. Given the cooler climate in New Zealand there is no ‘Summer Period’ factored into the schedule for Auckland FC and Wellington Phoenix.

The A-Leagues Heat Policy, recognised as a conservative policy by international standards, remains part of each match’s operational assessment and will be implemented for any match in or outside the ‘Summer Period’ where extreme weather conditions may present a risk for players and the comfort of fans.

Working closely with Football Australia and the local organising committee for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup, the APL has also ensured there are no Isuzu UTE A-League matches kicking off at the same time as any CommBank Matildas or knock-out stage fixtures. The A-League will also avoid playing A-League matches in the same market as other women’s Asian Cup fixtures to avoid any clash and maximise support and cross-promotional opportunities between 1 - 21 March, 2026.

This season the Isuzu UTE A-League will again observe all FIFA international windows.

AFC Club Competitions:

This season Melbourne City and Macarthur Bulls FC will represent the Isuzu UTE A-League in the AFC’s continental club competitions; AFC Champions League Elite and AFC Champions League Two.

With the match schedules for both competitions having been released, the APL is working with both clubs to ensure there is as much time as possible to travel and recover for their adjacent A-League matches. As a result, there are some matches that require final scheduling and will be confirmed in the coming weeks

Melbourne City begins their Champions League Elite campaign at home against J1 League side Sanfrecce Hiroshima FC, while Macarthur’s matchday one Champions League Two game is away in Hong Kong against Tai Po FC. Should either team progress into the knock-out stages of either competition, the A-Leagues may need to make amendments to the season 25/26 fixture.

The dates of each stage of the AFC Champions League Elite, include:

Group Stage: Tuesday 16 September - Wednesday 18 February

Round of 16: Tuesday 3 March - Wednesday 11 March

Quarter Finals: Friday 24 April - Sunday 26 April

Semi Finals: Tuesday 28 April - Wednesday 29 April

Final: Saturday 2 May

The dates of each stage of the AFC Champions League Two group, include:

Group Stage: Wednesday 17 September - Thursday 11 December

Round of 16: Wednesday 11 February - Thursday 19 February

Quarter Finals: Wednesday 4 March - Thursday 12 March

Semi Finals: Wednesday 8 April - Wednesday 15 April

Final: Saturday 16 May

To find out more about the A-Leagues, visit www.aleagues.com.au

Notes:

Isuzu UTE A-League Men 25/26 - Round 1

Adelaide United vs Sydney FC - Friday 17 October, Coopers Stadium at 7:00pm AEDT

Brisbane Roar vs Macarthur FC - Friday 17 October, Suncorp Stadium at 9:05pm AEDT

Western Sydney Wanderers vs Melbourne City - Saturday 18 October, CommBank Stadium at 5:00pm AEDT

Melbourne Victory vs Auckland FC - Saturday 18 October, AAMI Park at 7:35pm AEDT

Perth Glory vs Wellington Phoenix - Saturday 18 October, HBF Park at 9:45pm AEDT

Central Coast Mariners vs Newcastle Jets - Sunday 19 October, polytec Stadium at 3:00pm AEDT

Sydney Derby - Sydney FC vs Western Sydney Wanderers

Saturday 29 November, CommBank Stadium at 7:35pm AEDT

Saturday 31 January, Allianz Stadium at 7:35pm AEDT

Saturday 11 April, CommBank Stadium at 7:35pm AEST

Melbourne Derby - Melbourne City vs Melbourne Victory

Saturday 8 November, AAMI Park at 7:35pm AEDT (Victory home)

Saturday 20 December, AAMI Park at 7:35pm AEDT (City home)

Saturday 21 February, AAMI Park at 7:35pm AEDT (Victory home)

F3 Derby - Central Coast Mariners vs Newcastle Jets

Sunday 19 October, polytec Stadium at 3:00pm AEDT

Saturday 28 February, polytec Stadium at 5:00pm AEDT

Saturday 25 April, McDonald Jones Stadium at 5:00pm AEST

NZ Derby - Auckland FC vs Wellington Phoenix

Saturday 8 November, Sky Stadium at 5:00pm AEDT

Saturday 6 December, GO Media Stadium at 3:00pm AEDT

Saturday 21 February, Sky Stadium at 3:00pm AEDT

Big Blue - Melbourne Victory vs Sydney FC

Saturday 22 November, TBC at 7:35pm AEDT

Monday 26 January, AAMI Park at 5:30pm AEDT

Saturday 7 March, Allianz Stadium at 7:35pm AEDT

Original Rivalry - Adelaide United vs Melbourne Victory

Saturday 13 December, AAMI Park at 7:35pm AEDT

Saturday 17 January, Coopers Stadium at 7:35pm AEDT

Friday 27 February, AAMI Park at 7:35pm AEDT

Isuzu UTE A-League Men 25/26 - other notable fixtures

Macarthur FC vs Adelaide United - Monday 27 October, Campbelltown Stadium at 7:00pm AEDT

Macarthur FC vs Western Sydney Wanderers - Saturday 1 November, Campbelltown Stadium at 7:35pm AEDT

Perth Glory vs Central Coast Mariners - Friday 7 November, HBF Park at 9:45pm AEDT

Brisbane Roar vs Melbourne Victory - Friday 28 November, Suncorp Stadium at 7:35pm AEDT

Newcastle Jets vs Macarthur FC - Friday 26 December, McDonald Jones Stadium at 7:35pm AEDT (Boxing Day)

Central Coast Mariners vs Brisbane Roar - Saturday 31 December, polytec Stadium at 7:00pm AEDT (New Year’s Eve match)

Auckland FC vs Newcastle Jets - Thursday 1 January, GO Media Stadium at 3:00pm AEDT (New Year’s Day match)

Wellington Phoenix vs Melbourne Victory - Friday 6 February, Sky Stadium at 5:00pm AEDT (Waitangi Day)

Brisbane Roar vs Western Sydney Wanderers - Friday 13 March, Suncorp Stadium at 7:00pm AEDT

Perth Glory vs Brisbane Roar - Saturday 25 April, HBF Park at 9:45pm AEST

© Scoop Media