A-League 2025/26 Updates and Changes
What’s new in the A-league 2025/26? We can expect an exciting tournament, that’s for sure; teams across the board are debuting new coaches and players in the hope of shaking things up. But will it pay off?
Here are the main roster updates worth watching in 2025/26:
- In a serious blow, Western United will not play in the A-League 2025/26. The Australian Professional Leagues have put the club in “conditional hibernation”. This means they’ve been withdrawn from the tournament (although this is under appeal).
- The Newcastle Jets are getting new leadership, with former Socceroo Mark Milligan stepping in as head coach.
- Former Man United/Chelsea star Juan Mata has joined Melbourne Victory.
- Ben Garuccio, Abel Walatee, Victor Campuzano, Piero Quispe, and others join Sydney FC.
- Adelaide United’s Golden Boot-winner Archie Goodwin has left the club for the MLS.
- Macarthur FC, Melbourne City, and Brisbane Roar have all signed new talent.
- Douglas Costa has left Sydney FC.
These changes and others promise to bring a fresh pace to the A-League 2025/26. Will your team be on the up? There’s only one way to find out: watch A-League games live and on demand every week!
Update to the Caceres Clause
The “Caceres Clause” has been hotly debated for a while now. Many clubs and fans alike will be pleased to hear its phase-out has officially begun ahead of the 2025/26 season.
Before, the clause essentially meant that ownership groups weren’t allowed to acquire a player from an A-League club for an overseas club and then immediately transfer them back, on loan, to a rival A-League club under the same ownership. This precedent was set after the uproar caused by Anthony Caceres’ move from Central Coast Mariners to Manchester City and then back to Melbourne City (Man City’s sister club).
However, in 2025/26, clubs with common ownership will now be allowed to transfer players between them. There will be guardrails in place, including maximum numbers of transfers, to keep the playing field as level as possible, though.
More About A-League
The A-League is Australia’s premier football tournament. Every year, between October and May, 13 (or 12, in the case of 2025/26, with Western United’s withdrawal) of the country’s top clubs take to the pitch to battle it out to become the A-League Champions - the top title in Australian football.
The A-League was founded in 2004 to revive Australian football after the collapse of the previous system. It worked: A-League viewership has been going up year-on-year and shows no sign of slowing down!
You can find out what all the excitement’s about and watch A-League live through free-to-air TV or dedicated online streaming services.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. This season, Network Ten is showing two A-League games a week. You can catch these games at 5:00pm and 7:35pm (AEDT) on Saturdays on 10 Drama.
Absolutely! Paramount Plus is bringing football fans full coverage of every A-League 2025/26 game, so you can keep up with every second of action this season.
There are two ways to watch A-League football for free: you can watch two free games a week on free-to-air TV, or you can sign up to a Paramount Plus free trial for full, free coverage.
Melbourne City currently hold the Championship after their 2024/25 win. Auckland FC won the Premiership.
With lots of roster updates and changes, it’s hard to say. This season, it’s anyone’s game. However, Melbourne City and Auckland FC are at the top of the pile right now.
Paramount Plus offers every live game plus multi-device on-demand replays, so it’s by far the best place to watch the A-League this season!