Things to look out for in the 2025/26 season

The 2025/26 season is very nearly upon us, so what are the new things to look out for in the upcoming campaign?

There are a number of rule changes and innovations to keep an eye out for, starting with Sunday’s 16:30 BST kick-off against Arsenal at Old Trafford.

Fans can also take advantage of a Pop-Up Pub at the ground for the opener and, of course, there are some fresh faces in the United squad after a busy summer of transfers, with the deadline not due until 1 September.

TIME-WASTING

A new eight-second rule has been introduced in an attempt to stop goalkeepers from hanging onto the ball for too long. The referee will determine when this starts and signal when it is close to being broken by counting down. The punishment is a corner to the opposition, with a yellow card to be shown if it occurs three times.

VAR

Semi-automated technology will be used for offside calls and there should only be intervention from Stockley Park for ‘clear and obvious errors’. The referees are also due to announce their decisions to those at the stadium.

RULE TWEAKS

There is a special focus on holding in the box with guidance to punish sustained on/or impactful holding. If a player is not looking at or challenging for the ball, this will be a factor. Handball is set to be awarded for deliberate movement of the arm away from the body, clear additional arm movement or the arm position making the body bigger which is unjustifiable.

Players suffering a head injury must leave the field and wait at least 30 seconds on the touchline after the game restarts, if fit enough to continue.

Only the captain should be allowed to approach the referee during the match, as was the case last term.

The penalty-taker will be permitted to retake the kick if they accidentally touch the ball twice but this rule only applies if the ball goes into the net.

TV COVERAGE

Look out for some fresh ideas, including RefCam, with footage available directly from the match official giving a close-up view of the action. This is due to be trialled across the opening weekend.

There is also set to be increased access for official broadcasters, including being allowed to film closer to goal celebrations and interview players on the touchline.

All matches that are not kicking off at 15:00 BST/GMT on a Saturday will be available to watch live in the UK, on Sky Sports or TNT Sports.

BBC’s iconic show Match of the Day will now be presented by Kelly Cates, Mark Chapman and Gabby Logan during the course of the season.

NEW CLUBS

We welcome Burnley, Leeds United and Sunderland back into the top flight. 

Everton also have a new home and will be staging their fixtures at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

So what about when it comes to United? Well, there will be a few changes you may already be aware of…

SUMMER SIGNINGS

Matheus Cunha, Diego Leon, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko have all arrived during the window, and will bolster the options available to head coach Ruben Amorim.

Of course, we have also said goodbye to some familiar faces. A complete guide for the transfer activity is available here.

We await the boss’s first line-up of the campaign, dropping at 15:15 BST on Sunday.

NEW KITS

You must have seen by now but we have three superb adidas strips to wear in 2025/26. The home jersey will be on show on Sunday, while the away kit has been on sale since last month. The black third-kit release was made to great fanfare this week. 

POP-UP PUB

Fans at the game this weekend can take advantage of a new facility at Old Trafford. Up to 1,000 fans can be hosted at any one time, in the W1 car park, and it reopens after the final whistle. Entry is free for all supporters in possession of a match ticket.

MATCH COVERAGE

We will attempt to bring you unrivalled coverage of all our fixtures over the course of the campaign, via MUTV, the United App and ManUtd.com, plus across our social channels.

Live radio commentary is available for every first-team match, in addition to insightful pre-match build-up and post-match and analysis.

In a slight tweak to our normal service, we will run Man of the Match polls for all senior fixtures, regardless of the result, allowing App users to select the Reds’ star performer on the day.

There will be a longer window to vote, enabling overseas followers who might watch the game in full at a later hour, and the results are to be published on the following morning.

Our popular United Predictions game will get under way for another term and remains free to enter!

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