Football Calendar 2025-26: Every Date You Need to Know

The 2025-26 football season will be remembered as the one shaped entirely by what comes next. Every fixture list, every winter break, every final whistle has been arranged around a singular event: the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America. For punters, supporters, and anyone planning their football year, understanding this compressed calendar is essential.

Why the 2025-26 Football Calendar Is Different

Football calendars are always busy, but 2025-26 is genuinely unprecedented. The expanded Club World Cup pushed AFCON to December-January, the World Cup demands all leagues finish by late May, and the new Champions League format adds fixtures to an already congested schedule.

For bettors, this matters. Fixture congestion creates opportunities. Teams playing Thursday-Sunday patterns rotate more heavily. Players accumulating minutes across multiple competitions show fatigue in measurable ways. Clubs fighting on multiple fronts make pragmatic decisions about where to prioritise.

This calendar is your planning tool. Bookmark it and return throughout the season as you map out your betting approach to different competitions and periods.

Premier League 2025-26: The Complete Schedule

The Premier League runs from 15 August 2025 to 24 May 2026, finishing three weeks before the World Cup begins. Liverpool enter as defending champions following their second Premier League title — and 20th English top-flight crown overall.

Season Structure

The season comprises 38 matchweeks spread across 33 weekends and 5 midweek rounds. This is the first full season with semi-automated offside technology in operation, and Puma have replaced Nike as the official ball supplier after a 25-year partnership.

Opening Weekend (15-18 August 2025)

Manchester United hosting Arsenal on the opening Sunday is a statement fixture. Arsenal have started away from home for the first time since 2022-23, when they won at Crystal Palace. The Gunners face a brutal opening month: United away, then Leeds (H), Liverpool (A), Forest (H), and Manchester City (H) before September ends.

Promoted Clubs

Leeds United, Burnley, and Sunderland have come up from the Championship. Sunderland’s return after eight years in the lower leagues brings the Tyne-Wear derby back to the Premier League for the first time since 2015-16. Their matches against Newcastle (13 December at home, 21 March away) will be among the most atmospheric fixtures of the season.

Burnley return after just one season away, while Leeds are back after two years. All three relegated clubs from 2024-25 — Leicester City, Ipswich Town, and Southampton — went down after single-season stays, marking only the third time in English top-flight history that all three promoted teams were immediately relegated.

Key Derby Dates

Manchester Derby:

• Man City vs Man United — 13 September 2025 (Etihad)
• Man United vs Man City — 17 January 2026 (Old Trafford)

North London Derby:

• Arsenal vs Tottenham — 22 November 2025 (Emirates)
• Tottenham vs Arsenal — 21 February 2026 (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium)

Merseyside Derby:

• Liverpool vs Everton — 20 September 2025 (Anfield)
• Everton vs Liverpool — 18 April 2026 (Hill Dickinson Stadium)

The second Merseyside derby will be historic: Everton’s first home match against Liverpool at their new Hill Dickinson Stadium after leaving Goodison Park.

Tyne-Wear Derby:

• Sunderland vs Newcastle — 13 December 2025 (Stadium of Light)
• Newcastle vs Sunderland — 21 March 2026 (St. James’ Park)

Title Race Fixtures

If last season’s pattern continues, these matches between the likely title contenders could prove decisive:

Liverpool vs Arsenal: 30 August 2025 (Anfield) and 7 January 2026 (Emirates)

Arsenal vs Manchester City: 20 September 2025 (Emirates) and 18 April 2026 (Etihad)

Manchester City vs Liverpool: 8 November 2025 (Etihad) and 7 February 2026 (Anfield)

Chelsea vs Liverpool: 4 October 2025 (Stamford Bridge) and 9 May 2026 (Anfield)

Liverpool vs Manchester United: 18 October 2025 (Anfield) and 2 May 2026 (Old Trafford)

Christmas and New Year Fixtures

The Premier League has confirmed no fixtures on 24 December 2025, continuing the commitment to player welfare over the festive period. No two rounds will take place within 60 hours of each other during Christmas and New Year.

Boxing Day alternative: Fixtures are scheduled for 27 December rather than the traditional Boxing Day. This has drawn criticism from supporters, though broadcasters may move selected matches to 26 December.

Key festive fixtures:

• 27 December: Liverpool vs Wolves, Chelsea vs Aston Villa, Arsenal vs Brighton
• 30 December (midweek): Full round including Chelsea vs Bournemouth, Forest vs Everton
• 1 January: No fixtures
• 3 January: Full round resumes

Final Day: 24 May 2026

All ten matches kick off simultaneously at 16:00 BST. If Liverpool defend their title, they will celebrate at home against Brentford. Arsenal’s potential title-winning venue would be Selhurst Park (Crystal Palace away). Manchester City finish at home to Aston Villa.

English Clubs in European Competition

Six Premier League clubs qualified for the Champions League: Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea, Newcastle, and Tottenham (as Europa League winners). This is the maximum English allocation.

Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest compete in the Europa League. Forest return to European competition for the first time in 30 years, though they have already sacked two managers this season (Nuno Espírito Santo and Ange Postecoglou, with Sean Dyche now in charge).

Crystal Palace were demoted to the Conference League due to multi-club ownership rules after initially qualifying for the Europa League via their FA Cup triumph.

La Liga 2025-26

La Liga runs from 15 August 2025 to 24 May 2026. Barcelona are defending champions with their 28th title.

El Clásico Dates

The two biggest club fixtures in world football:

First El Clásico: Real Madrid vs Barcelona — Matchday 10, weekend of 26 October 2025 (Santiago Bernabéu)

Second El Clásico: Barcelona vs Real Madrid — Matchday 35, weekend of 10 May 2026 (Camp Nou)

Madrid Derby Dates

First Madrid Derby: Atlético Madrid vs Real Madrid — Matchday 7, weekend of 28 September 2025 (Riyadh Air Metropolitano)

Second Madrid Derby: Real Madrid vs Atlético Madrid — Matchday 29, weekend of 22 March 2026 (Santiago Bernabéu)

Promoted and Relegated Clubs

Levante, Elche, and Real Oviedo came up from Segunda División. Oviedo’s promotion is remarkable — their first top-flight season in 24 years. Valladolid, Las Palmas, and Leganés were relegated.

International Game Controversy

La Liga initially planned to stage Villarreal vs Barcelona in Miami on 20 December 2025 — what would have been the first La Liga match outside Spain. After protests from clubs, players, and fans, the match was moved back to Villarreal on 21 October.

Bundesliga 2025-26

The Bundesliga runs from 22 August 2025 to 16 May 2026, the earliest finish among major leagues. Bayern Munich are defending champions.

Key Dates

Season start: 22 August 2025

Winter break: After Matchday 15 (19-21 December 2025), resuming 9 January 2026

Final day: 16 May 2026

DFB-Pokal Final: 23 May 2026 (Olympiastadion, Berlin)

German Supercup: 16 August 2025

Promoted Clubs

Hamburg return to the Bundesliga after seven years in the second tier — a painful exile for Germany’s most successful club in European competition. Köln are back after just one season away. Holstein Kiel and Bochum were relegated.

Winter Break Advantage

The Bundesliga’s winter break gives German clubs a significant recovery advantage in European competition. Teams resuming Champions League action in January-February will have had a full rest period, unlike their English counterparts playing through December.

Serie A 2025-26

Serie A runs from 23 August 2025 to 24 May 2026. Napoli are defending champions with their fourth Scudetto.

Key Dates

Season start: 23-24 August 2025

Midweek rounds: 29 October 2025, 6 January 2026

International breaks: 7 September, 12 October, 16 November 2025; 29 March 2026

Final day: 24 May 2026

Coppa Italia Final: 13 May 2026

Winter Olympics Impact

The San Siro will host the Opening Ceremony of the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics on 6 February 2026. This affects fixture scheduling for both Milan and Inter around this period, with mandatory home/away alternation rules requiring adjustments.

Promoted Clubs

Sassuolo, Pisa, and Cremonese came up from Serie B. Pisa’s return is historic — their first top-flight season in 34 years. Venezia, Empoli, and Monza were relegated.

Overseas Match Cancelled

A match between AC Milan and Como was scheduled for 8 February 2026 at Optus Stadium in Perth, Australia — what would have been the first Serie A match outside Italy. However, this has been cancelled.

Ligue 1 2025-26

Ligue 1 starts earliest among the major leagues on 8-10 August 2025 and concludes on 17 May 2026. Paris Saint-Germain remain dominant domestically despite increased competition from Marseille, Monaco, and Lyon.

UEFA Champions League 2025-26

The Champions League continues with the reformed 36-team league phase format. The competition runs from July 2025 (qualifying) through to the final on 30 May 2026 in Budapest.

League Phase Format

Each of the 36 teams plays 8 matches against 8 different opponents (4 home, 4 away). All teams are ranked in a single league table using the Swiss system. The top 8 advance directly to the Round of 16, positions 9-24 enter knockout play-offs, and positions 25-36 are eliminated.

League Phase Schedule

Knockout Phase Schedule

The final in Budapest will be the first Champions League final hosted in Hungary.

English Representatives

• Liverpool (Premier League champions)
• Arsenal
• Manchester City
• Chelsea
• Newcastle United
• Tottenham Hotspur (Europa League winners)

UEFA Europa League 2025-26

The Europa League follows the same reformed format with a 36-team league phase.

Key Dates

League phase: 24 September 2025 to 29 January 2026 (8 matchdays)

Knockout play-offs: 19 & 26 February 2026

Round of 16: 12 & 19 March 2026

Quarter-finals: 9 & 16 April 2026

Semi-finals: 30 April & 7 May 2026

Final: 20 May 2026 (Beşiktaş Park, Istanbul)

English Representatives

• Aston Villa
• Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest’s European return after 30 years has been turbulent. Despite winning the Europa League with Tottenham last season, Ange Postecoglou was sacked after just 39 days at Forest following eight winless matches.

UEFA Conference League 2025-26

The Conference League is Europe’s third-tier competition, now in its fifth edition.

Key Dates

League phase: 2 October to 18 December 2025 (6 matchdays — note: only 6 matchdays, not 8)

Knockout play-offs: 19 & 26 February 2026

Round of 16: 12 & 19 March 2026

Quarter-finals: 9 & 16 April 2026

Semi-finals: 30 April & 7 May 2026

Final: 27 May 2026 (Red Bull Arena, Leipzig)

English Representative

Crystal Palace compete in the Conference League after being demoted from the Europa League due to multi-club ownership rules involving Olympique Lyonnais.

FA Cup 2025-26

The FA Cup is the world’s oldest football competition, now in its 145th edition. Crystal Palace are defending champions following their historic first trophy.

Round Dates

No Replays

For the second consecutive season, there are no replays in any round. All ties are decided on the day with extra time and penalties if required. This is part of a six-year agreement between the FA and Premier League to reduce fixture congestion.

Giant-Killing Watch

As of January 2026, sixth-tier Macclesfield (National League North) are the lowest-ranked team remaining after a stunning third-round upset victory over defending champions Crystal Palace. The FA Cup magic continues.

Africa Cup of Nations 2025 (AFCON)

AFCON is currently underway in Morocco, running from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026. This is the first time the tournament has been played over Christmas and New Year, pushed from its usual summer slot by the expanded Club World Cup.

Tournament Status (as of 13 January 2026)

The quarter-finals have been completed:

• Senegal beat Mali 1-0
• Morocco beat Cameroon 2-0
• Nigeria beat Algeria 2-0
• Egypt beat Ivory Coast 3-2

Semi-finals (14-15 January 2026):

• Senegal vs Egypt (14 January)
• Morocco vs Nigeria (15 January)

Third-place match: 18 January 2026

Final: 18 January 2026 (Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat)

Premier League Impact

AFCON has significant Premier League implications. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool/Egypt), Amad Diallo (Manchester United/Ivory Coast — eliminated), Ismaila Sarr and Idrissa Gueye (multiple clubs/Senegal), and others have missed or will miss multiple league fixtures. Players reaching the final could miss up to six Premier League games.

Hosts Morocco

Morocco, who reached the World Cup semi-finals in 2022, are heavy favourites and have looked impressive throughout. This tournament also serves as a test event for Morocco’s co-hosting of the 2030 World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal.

FIFA World Cup 2026

The 2026 World Cup will be the largest in history: 48 teams, 104 matches, 16 host cities across three nations, and 39 days of competition. This is the first World Cup hosted by three countries.

Tournament Dates

Opening match: Thursday 11 June 2026 — Mexico vs South Africa at Estadio Azteca, Mexico City

Group stage: 11-27 June 2026

Round of 32: 28 June – 3 July 2026

Round of 16: 4-7 July 2026

Quarter-finals: 9 & 11 July 2026

Semi-finals: 14 & 15 July 2026

Third-place match: 18 July 2026

Final: Sunday 19 July 2026 — MetLife Stadium, New Jersey

Host Cities

United States (11 cities, 78 matches including all knockout rounds from quarter-finals):

Mexico (3 cities, 13 matches):

• Mexico City — Estadio Azteca (opening match)
• Guadalajara — Estadio Akron
• Monterrey — Estadio BBVA

Canada (2 cities, 13 matches):

• Toronto — BMO Field
• Vancouver — BC Place

Tournament Format

The expanded format introduces significant changes:

• 12 groups of 4 teams (up from 8 groups)
• Top 2 from each group advance automatically (24 teams)
• 8 best third-placed teams also advance
• New Round of 32 knockout stage
• 104 total matches (up from 64)

Groups (Selected)

Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland

Group D: United States, Paraguay, Australia, UEFA playoff winner

Group E: Germany, Curaçao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador

Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia, UEFA playoff winner

Group I: France, Senegal, Norway, Intercontinental playoff winner

Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan

Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama

Key Group Stage Fixtures

England:

• England vs Croatia — 17 June (Dallas)
• England vs Ghana — 23 June (Boston)
• Panama vs England — 27 June (New Jersey)

Argentina (defending champions):

• Argentina vs Algeria — 16 June (Kansas City)
• Argentina vs Austria — 22 June (Dallas)
• Jordan vs Argentina — 27 June (Dallas)

Brazil:

• Brazil vs Morocco — 13 June (New Jersey)
• Brazil vs Haiti — 19 June (Philadelphia)
• Scotland vs Brazil — 24 June (Miami)

Debutants

Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan will all make their World Cup debuts.

Half-Time Show

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has confirmed the World Cup final will feature a half-time show, inspired by the NFL Super Bowl. Coldplay will be involved in producing the event at MetLife Stadium.

International Breaks 2025-26

FIFA international windows affect domestic league scheduling throughout the season:

From 2026 onwards: FIFA is introducing an extended international window from 21 September to 6 October, replacing the separate September and October breaks. This allows national teams to play up to four matches instead of two.

Transfer Windows 2025-26

Summer 2025 (Completed)

Premier League: Opened 16 June 2025, closed 1 September 2025 (19:00 BST)

Winter 2026

Other Notable Events

FA Community Shield

Date: 10 August 2025

Venue: Wembley Stadium

Teams: Liverpool (Premier League champions) vs Crystal Palace (FA Cup winners)

Crystal Palace’s first Community Shield appearance following their historic FA Cup triumph.

UEFA Super Cup

Played in August 2025 between the Champions League and Europa League winners.

FIFA Club World Cup 2025 (Completed)

The expanded 32-team Club World Cup took place in the United States from 15 June to 13 July 2025. Manchester City and Chelsea represented the Premier League. This tournament’s scheduling was the primary reason AFCON moved to December-January.

UEFA Women’s Euro 2025

Dates: 2-27 July 2025

Host: Switzerland

Copa América Femenina 2025 (Completed)

Dates: 11 July – 2 August 2025

Host: Ecuador

Result: Brazil defeated Colombia on penalties in the final (4-4 after extra time)

Calendar Planning for Bettors

Understanding the football calendar creates betting opportunities that casual punters miss.

Fixture Congestion Periods

Teams playing midweek European matches followed by weekend league games often rotate squads. Look for:

• Champions League Matchdays 4-6 (November-December) coinciding with packed festive schedules
• Europa League/Conference League Thursday-Sunday patterns all season
• FA Cup third and fourth rounds (January-February) adding fixtures for clubs in Europe
• AFCON absences (December-January) affecting specific clubs disproportionately

Post-International Break Patterns

The first match after international breaks often produces unpredictable results. Players return at different times with varying fitness levels and some carrying knocks from national team duty. The September break (after Matchday 3) and November break (after Matchday 11) are particularly disruptive.

End-of-Season Dynamics

The compressed schedule means the final weeks will see extreme fixture pile-ups for clubs in multiple competitions. Teams eliminated from Europe will have rest advantages. Those fighting on three or four fronts will face difficult decisions about squad rotation.

World Cup Year Effect

Players on World Cup selection margins may be managed carefully by clubs to avoid injury, while others will push through fatigue to impress national team managers. Watch for rotation of fringe international players in the final weeks of the season.

Frequently Asked Questions

Stay Updated

Football calendars change constantly due to television scheduling, weather postponements, and competition progress. Bookmark this page and check back throughout the season for updates.

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