The full fixture for the 20th anniversary season of the Isuzu UTE A-League has arrived and there is no shortage of talking points. Here’s everything you need to know.
The first few rounds are STACKED
Boy are we going to hit the ground running in 2024-25.
Never miss the Isuzu UTE A-League action by syncing fixtures to your calendar
If starting a new season wasn’t exciting enough, this year’s fixture release has delivered a delicious array of blockbuster clashes in the opening rounds that will set the tone for another exhilarating campaign.
The very first match of the season is a Grand Final rematch between Central Coast Mariners and Melbourne Victory on October 18 – and Round 1 also features a mouth-watering Sydney Derby between SydneyFC and Western Sydney Wanderers.
UNITE ROUND 2024-25: Visit our hub for all the details and to register your interest
Round 2 is headlined by a Melbourne Derby between City and Victory at AAMI Park.
Round 3 will see the first ever New Zealand derby with Wellington Phoenix hosting the A-Leagues’ newest side Auckland FC at Sky Stadium.
Then, Round 5 brings the Isuzu UTE A-League and Liberty A-League together for the second edition of Unite Round, to be hosted across Allianz Stadium and Leichhardt Oval on the weekend of November 22-24.
It’s going to be good.
A snapshot of some of the key statistics from the 2024/25 fixture:
- 176 matches (including finals).
- 12 Derbies (3x Sydney Derbies, 3x Melbourne Derbies, 3x New Zealand Derbies, 3x F3 Derbies).
- 25 matches in New Zealand, with the first NZ derby set for Saturday 2 November.
- 15 more Saturday matches based on club and fan feedback.
- 11 midweek fixtures during the January school holiday period.
Saturday double-headers live and free on Network 10
Paramount Australia remains the exclusive home of Australian football for the 2024/25 season. 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+.
BECOME A MEMBER OF YOUR A-LEAGUES CLUB TODAY
Building on the growth in TV viewership in 2023/24, this season will see the two Isuzu UTE A-League Men free-to-air matches moved to every Saturday on 10 Bold and 10 Play with back-to-back games kicking off from 5pm and 7:35pm AEST.
Taking on feedback from fans, clubs and partners, the Isuzu UTE A-League Men double-header is expected to drive viewership growth and momentum from the twilight slot into the evening match.
Every Saturday, viewers can enjoy a whole evening of live and free football on 10 Bold and 10 Play, and for every other match, Paramount+ will be the exclusive destination.
More detail on the broadcast schedule for the Liberty A-League Women will be shared in the coming weeks, along with latest information for New Zealand following the appointment of an official broadcast partner.
Byes are back in the Isuzu UTE A-League
The arrival of Auckland FC means this season will feature a total of 13 teams, meaning the introduction of a bye into the Isuzu UTE A-League draw for the first time since 2019-20.
Each side has three byes throughout the season, which have been strategically placed to assist clubs who are competing in AFC Competitions throughout the campaign, with the Central Coast Mariners representing Australia in the AFC Champions League Elite and Sydney FC set to take on the first edition of the revamped AFC Champions League 2.
Adelaide United have the bye for the opening round of the season, before kicking off their campaign by hosting the Mariners at Coopers Stadium in Round 2.
Say hello to mid-week rounds
This season the Isuzu UTE A-League will feature mid-week rounds, which will see action split over multiple weeks with matches played on a Tuesday or a Wednesday.
The first arrives at the turn of the year, with three clashes over New Year’s Eve – which will see Central Coast Mariners host Melbourne City to bring in 2025 – and New Year’s Day with Round 11 completed a week later.
Others follow during the busy holiday season, with Round 14 also split through January, before a clash between Melbourne City and Newcastle Jets on Wednesday, March 12.
READ MORE
FULL FIXTURES: Every match of the Isuzu UTE A-League 24-25 season here
DERBY DATES: The matches to circle in your calendar now
TRANSFER CENTRE: Your club’s ins/outs ahead of the upcoming season
Get ready for the Summer of football
This summer will be loaded with Isuzu UTE A-League action!
Between the start of December and the end of January, there will be 10 rounds played as the season kicks into overdrive.
Following the success of last season, the ‘Summer Period’ has been extended by a month in 2024/25 and will run from early December (Round 6) through to the end of March (Round 24).
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.
As part of the ‘Summer Period’, the league is re-introducing the summer of football campaign from December 27 to January 27 which will feature midweek fixtures across two Rounds during the January school holidays to deliver more football at family-friendly times.
The APL Heat Policy, recognised as a conservative policy by international standards, remains in place and is an important contributing factor in the scheduling process and throughout the season.
Introducing Auckland FC… and the first New Zealand derby!
Auckland FC’s first ever match in the Isuzu UTE A-League will arrive on October 19 when they host Brisbane Roar at their new home GO Media Stadium.
Led by Sydney FC great Steve Corica, the Black Knights’ inaugural squad is shaping up nicely, headlined by the arrival of Japan icon Hiroki Sakai, and they’ll be put to the test from the get go.
The introduction of a second side based in New Zealand means the creation of a new A-Leagues derby with Auckland ready to do battle with Wellington Phoenix.
The pair will meet for the first time in Round 3, doing battle at Wellington’s Sky Stadium on 2 November in what is sure to be a blockbuster occasion and one to circle in your calendar.
They will meet another two times throughout this season – on 7 December and 22 February in Auckland – as this new rivalry gets off to a hot start.
