All of the Key Dates You Need to Know Ahead of Liverpool’s 2025/26 Campaign | OneFootball

Liverpool’s Roadmap for the 2025/26 Campaign Confirmed

Key Premier League Dates to Mark

Liverpool’s pursuit of back-to-back Premier League titles will begin in earnest on the weekend of Saturday 16 August, as the club kicks off a nine-month campaign aiming to defend their crown. Supporters will not have to wait long to find out who their team opens against, with fixtures set to be revealed at 9am BST on Wednesday 18 June.

The domestic season concludes on Sunday 24 May, with all matches played simultaneously. Across the calendar, there will be 33 weekends of action, accompanied by five midweek rounds, ensuring a balanced rhythm to what promises to be a gripping campaign.

Notably, there will be no matches on Christmas Eve, a conscious effort by the Premier League to ease festive fatigue. As stated by the league:

“The schedule continues to allow more rest time for players over the festive match-round period, with no two rounds taking place within 60 hours of each other. This is in keeping with commitments made to clubs to address the congested Christmas and New Year schedule.”

Transfer Window Timings

Liverpool’s recruitment plans will be shaped by a unique set of transfer windows this year, impacted by the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup. The summer transfer window is currently open and will close on Tuesday 10 June at 7pm, before reopening on Monday 16 June and finally shutting on Monday 1 September at 7pm.

In terms of mid-season business, the winter window will open on 1 January and run until 2 February, offering Arne Slot the chance to fine-tune his squad mid-campaign.

Photo IMAGO

European Ambitions Laid Out

Liverpool’s return to the Champions League sees them placed in Pot 1 for the new-look league phase, a status earned through domestic dominance. The draw takes place on Thursday 28 August, revealing the eight teams the Reds will face, four at Anfield and four away, in what is now a single league table, not groups.

Matchdays are spread across the season to avoid fixture congestion:

Clubs finishing 9th–24th in the league table will enter two-legged play-offs (17/18 and 24/25 February), while those higher will progress to the last 16, scheduled for 10/11 and 17/18 March. The quarter-finals fall on 7/8 and 14/15 April, and the semi-finals on 28/29 April and 5/6 May. The final will be held at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest on Saturday 30 May.

Domestic Cups in Focus

Liverpool will meet Crystal Palace in the FA Community Shield, after Palace lifted the FA Cup. The date for that season-opener remains unconfirmed but offers a chance to start with silverware.

In the Emirates FA Cup, Slot’s men enter at the third-round stage, traditionally held in early January. As confirmed, all rounds will be played on weekends and there will be no replays from the first round onward, a change intended to reduce fixture overload.

Liverpool’s Carabao Cup campaign begins in round three, with the final set for Sunday 22 March. The competition’s earlier rounds are yet to be scheduled.

As the dust settles on a title-winning year, focus now turns to managing expectations, fixtures and ambition. With silverware across four competitions up for grabs, Liverpool’s calendar is already demanding, and potentially defining.