Unite Round concept ditched following end of contract between APL and NSW Government

The new A-League men’s and women’s seasons won’t include a fixture feature of the past two campaigns.

The A-League’s Unite Round concept has been scrapped for the 2025-26 season.

It’s understood that the Australian Professional Leagues’ contract with the NSW government for Unite Round has not been renewed.

The deal, which was worth $12m, initially was for Sydney to have hosting rights to the A-League men’s and women’s grand finals for three years.

However, outrage over that decision led to a change after just one season of both grand finals being played in Sydney.

The deal was revamped for its remaining two years, with NSW instead being awarded rights to the newly conceived Unite Round, a concept similar to the NRL’s Magic Round and the AFL’s Gather Round

An entire round of men’s and women’s A-League matches were played in Sydney, with the venues used across the two stagings of Unite Round being Allianz Stadium, CommBank Stadium, Leichhardt Oval and Jubilee Stadium.

However, when the draw for the new A-League’s men’s and women’s seasons is released in the coming weeks, it won’t include Unite Round.

Unite Round won’t be part of the new A-League men’s and women’s seasons. Picture: Brett Hemmings/Getty Images

The men’s season – which will kick off on October 17 following Football Australia’s confirmation of the 2025-26 domestic match calendar on Friday – will again consist of 29 rounds, with each team to play 26 regular season games.

The six-team finals series will run under the same format; however, the grand final has been scheduled for the weekend of May 23-24 – a week earlier than last season – due to players needing to be released from clubs for FIFA World Cup duty the following month.

Venues for some matches still need to confirmed due to issues with staging games at Allianz Stadium and Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium.

The A-League women’s season will start October 31, with the grand final to be played on the weekend of May 16-17.

FA is yet to confirm a date for this year’s Australia Cup final, while the newly formed Australian Championship, a second-tier competition involving 16 NPL clubs from around the country, will start on October 10 and end with the final on the weekend of December 7-8.

“The introduction of the Australian Championship will deliver more football, better football, and create new national opportunities for clubs and players – enhancing the football experience for all,” FA interim chief executive officer Heather Garriock said.

“The 2025-26 domestic match calendar is a product of genuine collaboration across the football ecosystem – from the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) and APL to our member federations and NPL clubs – and reflects our shared commitment to unity, alignment and excellence.”

Originally published as Unite Round concept ditched following end of contract between APL and NSW Government