When Did EPL Start This Season? In short: the 2025-26 Premier League season kicked off on Saturday, 16 August 2025, with the opening match weekend officially beginning then.
HartGoal is here to dig into all the details you need around that date.
Season timeline and kickoff details
Here’s the full picture of how the season’s start was set up:
- The fixtures for the 2025-26 Premier League were released on 18 June 2025.
- The season start date was fixed as 15–16 August 2025 for most matches, with the very first game played on Friday, 15 August, and the full opening match weekend across Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 August.
- The campaign is set to end on Sunday, 24 May 2026.
Why those dates matter
Player rest & scheduling
After the 2024-25 season, the league allowed for maximum rest time before beginning again — giving clubs, players, and staff a breather before ramping up fitness and preparations.
Also, the scheduling aims to avoid some of the traditional fixture congestion during the festive period, and no Premier League fixtures are scheduled for 24 December 2025.
World Cup consideration
The 2025-26 season is designed to end well in advance of the 2026 FIFA World Cup so that players called up to national teams have sufficient preparation and rest time.
Highlights of the opening matches
Here are some of the biggest matchups and clubs to watch from opening weekend:
- Defending champions Liverpool hosted Bournemouth as part of the season opener.
- Other notable fixtures early include Manchester United vs Arsenal, Tottenham vs Burnley, Wolves vs Manchester City, and Chelsea vs Crystal Palace.
Also of note: newly promoted clubs — Leeds United, Burnley, and Sunderland — rejoined the top flight this season. That adds fresh narratives to the openingto the opening fixtures.
Interesting tweaks for 2025-26
HartGoal always likes the “fine print” — here are changes & features that set this season apart:
- The season has 33 weekend match-rounds and 5 midweek rounds.
- Full implementation of semi-automated offside technology is in place following its introduction earlier.
- The ball supplier changed: Puma took over.
What fans need to know
- Pay attention to fixture release days: the full schedule was published well ahead (June) so fans could plan travel, viewing, and fantasy league line-ups.
- Mark key dates in your calendar: opening weekend (mid-August), international breaks, and when the season ends.
- Keep an eye on matches involving promoted teams — often unpredictable and full of drama.
Conclusion
When did EPL start this season? It officially kicked off on 16 August 2025, with early fixtures beginning on 15 August. HartGoal hopes this clears up the timeline and gives you all the juicy context: key matches, promos, changes, and why the dates were set this way.
Stay tuned for match previews, player stats, and regular updates — and if you want, HartGoal can also pull together a schedule of must-watch games this season or track how the promoted clubs are doing. Let me know what you’d prefer!
