Liverpool will find out its first opponent for the 2025/26 title defense as the Premier League releases its fixtures for next season this week.
The Reds are of course the reigning champions, having claimed a record-equaling 20th title after a sensational first season under Arne Slot. Since lifting the trophy last month, the club has kept itself busy in the transfer market, with Jeremie Frimpong already on board, while Florian Wirtz is set to arrive on Friday, with Milos Kerkez looking set to follow soon after.
Liverpool is already earmarking itself as the team to beat next season, but the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal will be aiming to make up the ground they lost in what could be a tight title race.
With just under two months to go until the new campaign starts, anticipation is already growing for next season, with the Premier League releasing the schedule for all 380 games in the 2025/26 tomorrow - here’s all you need to know ahead of the big day.
When are the fixtures released?
The Premier League releases its fixtures on Wednesday, June 18, at 9 am UK time.
For fans in the United States, that unfortunately means you'll either have to get up very early to see the fixtures straight away, or just stay up late. The fixtures will be released at 4 am Eastern Time and 1 am (midnight) Pacific Time.
When does the 2025/26 season start?
We're still around two months away from the start of the new season, with the opening game of the 2025/26 campaign scheduled to get underway on Saturday, August 16.
According to the Premier League, that date "allows for the maximum player rest time available – 83 clear days – from the end of the 2024/25 season." Of course, that isn't the case for Manchester City or Chelsea, with both clubs involved in the Club World Cup in the US this summer.
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The final round of games will take place on Sunday, May 24 in 2026, when Liverpool will hope to be ending the season having successfully defended its title.
Can the fixture dates be changed?
Yes, and they definitely will be once the UK broadcasters have made their picks for TV games.
In fact, that scheduled start date of August 16 could end up being brought forward a day, with one game usually selected to be played on the Friday beforehand to kick off the season - the 2024/25 season began with Manchester United facing Fulham at home, for example.
How are the fixtures decided?
Premier League officials state that compiling the fixture list takes up to six months. The task is undertaken by French IT firm Atos, located just outside Paris.
Numerous factors must be considered before the fixture list can be finalized. A wealth of information influencing the sequence of matches is fed into their system, which then generates the match list.
For instance, it must factor in dates of international matches as well as those of Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League clashes. It also has to take into account the scheduling of matches in the lower leagues - you can find out more about how the fixture list is compiled here.