Are you 24 or older?

Help us verify your age by providing an honest response. This site contains gambling advertising for 24+.

Age-restricted content

You’re not old enough to view betting content. You’ll be redirected to the homepage.

alt
LiveTickets
This page contains affiliate links. When you purchase through the links provided, we may earn a commission.
FPL new changes Getty/OfficialFPL
Nisanth V Easwar

Explained: The changes coming to Fantasy Premier League 2025-26

Premier League
Fantasy Football
Liverpool
Arsenal
Manchester United
Chelsea

Discover all the exciting new features and rule changes coming to Fantasy Premier League 2025/26, from bonus chips to defensive points and elite global leagues.

Advanced protection across 11 devices with high-speed VPN
ExpressVPN

Advanced

Those that sign up for ExpressVPN's most popular plan, the Advance plan, gain access to a high-speed VPN, which offers high-capacity 40Gbps servers in many high-demand locations, with VPN servers in 113 countries worldwide.

The VPN can be applied across 12 different devices simultaneously, and offers Advanced Protection that blocks ads, trackers and malicious and adult websites. A dedicated IP is available to be purchased as an add-on.

Additionally, ExpressVPN's Advanced plan includes the ExpressMailGuard, which offers a 100MB/month private email relay plus 50 shared aliases and a custom domain, and ExpressKeys, which gives users a password management facility for an unlimited number of passwords plus a 2FA authenticator.

There is a 30-day money-back guarantee for new users. The plan is available on a one-month rolling contract, although those that sign up for a 12-month plan (offering one year plus an extra three months) can save more than 60%, while those that sign up for a two-year plan (offering two years plus an extra four months) can save 73%. Both longer-term plans include a 3GB holiday.com eSIM that is valid for three days in 150+ destinations.

Over 28 monthsSave 73%
Protect 14 devices with the top ExpressVPN plan
ExpressVPN

Pro

Those that sign up for ExpressVPN's top-tier Express Pro plan gain access to a high-speed VPN, which offers high-capacity 40Gbps servers in many high-demand locations, with VPN servers in 113 countries worldwide.

The VPN can be applied across 14 different devices simultaneously, and offers Advanced Protection that blocks ads, trackers and malicious and adult websites. A dedicated IP is included with the Express Pro plan.

Additionally, ExpressVPN's Advanced plan includes the ExpressMailGuard, which offers an unlimited private email relay plus an unlimited number of shared aliases and 20 custom domains, ExpressKeys, which gives users a password management facility for an unlimited number of passwords plus a 2FA authenticator, and ExpressAI, an AI assistant that offers 500 credits a day, six AI models, a web search facility plus 2GB storage.

There is a 30-day money-back guarantee for new users. The plan is available on a one-month rolling contract, although those that sign up for a 12-month plan (offering one year plus an extra three months) can save around 60%, while those that sign up for a two-year plan (offering two years plus an extra four months) can save 67%. Both longer-term plans include a 3GB holiday.com eSIM that is valid for five days in 150+ destinations.

Over 28 monthsSave 67%
Protect 10 devices with high-speed VPN
ExpressVPN

Basic

Those that sign up for ExpressVPN's entry-level Basic plan gain access to a high-speed VPN, which offers high-capacity 40Gbps servers in many high-demand locations, with VPN servers in 113 countries worldwide.

The VPN can be applied across 10 different devices simultaneously, and offers Lite Protection that blocks ads and malicious and adult websites. A dedicated IP is available to be purchased as an add-on.

Additionally, ExpressVPN's Basic plan includes the ExpressMailGuard, which offers a 10MB/month private email relay plus 10 shared aliases.

There is a 30-day money-back guarantee for new users. The plan is available on a one-month rolling contract, although those that sign up for a 12-month plan (offering one year plus an extra three months) can save more than 60%, while those that sign up for a two-year plan (offering two years plus an extra four months) can save 80%.

Over 28 monthsSave 80%
Advanced protection across 11 devices with high-speed VPN
ExpressVPN

Advanced

Those that sign up for ExpressVPN's most popular plan, the Advance plan, gain access to a high-speed VPN, which offers high-capacity 40Gbps servers in many high-demand locations, with VPN servers in 113 countries worldwide.

The VPN can be applied across 12 different devices simultaneously, and offers Advanced Protection that blocks ads, trackers and malicious and adult websites. A dedicated IP is available to be purchased as an add-on.

Additionally, ExpressVPN's Advanced plan includes the ExpressMailGuard, which offers a 100MB/month private email relay plus 50 shared aliases and a custom domain, and ExpressKeys, which gives users a password management facility for an unlimited number of passwords plus a 2FA authenticator.

There is a 30-day money-back guarantee for new users. The plan is available on a one-month rolling contract, although those that sign up for a 12-month plan (offering one year plus an extra three months) can save more than 60%, while those that sign up for a two-year plan (offering two years plus an extra four months) can save 73%. Both longer-term plans include a 3GB holiday.com eSIM that is valid for three days in 150+ destinations.

Over 28 monthsSave 73%
Protect 14 devices with the top ExpressVPN plan
ExpressVPN

Pro

Those that sign up for ExpressVPN's top-tier Express Pro plan gain access to a high-speed VPN, which offers high-capacity 40Gbps servers in many high-demand locations, with VPN servers in 113 countries worldwide.

The VPN can be applied across 14 different devices simultaneously, and offers Advanced Protection that blocks ads, trackers and malicious and adult websites. A dedicated IP is included with the Express Pro plan.

Additionally, ExpressVPN's Advanced plan includes the ExpressMailGuard, which offers an unlimited private email relay plus an unlimited number of shared aliases and 20 custom domains, ExpressKeys, which gives users a password management facility for an unlimited number of passwords plus a 2FA authenticator, and ExpressAI, an AI assistant that offers 500 credits a day, six AI models, a web search facility plus 2GB storage.

There is a 30-day money-back guarantee for new users. The plan is available on a one-month rolling contract, although those that sign up for a 12-month plan (offering one year plus an extra three months) can save around 60%, while those that sign up for a two-year plan (offering two years plus an extra four months) can save 67%. Both longer-term plans include a 3GB holiday.com eSIM that is valid for five days in 150+ destinations.

Over 28 monthsSave 67%
Protect 10 devices with high-speed VPN
ExpressVPN

Basic

Those that sign up for ExpressVPN's entry-level Basic plan gain access to a high-speed VPN, which offers high-capacity 40Gbps servers in many high-demand locations, with VPN servers in 113 countries worldwide.

The VPN can be applied across 10 different devices simultaneously, and offers Lite Protection that blocks ads and malicious and adult websites. A dedicated IP is available to be purchased as an add-on.

Additionally, ExpressVPN's Basic plan includes the ExpressMailGuard, which offers a 10MB/month private email relay plus 10 shared aliases.

There is a 30-day money-back guarantee for new users. The plan is available on a one-month rolling contract, although those that sign up for a 12-month plan (offering one year plus an extra three months) can save more than 60%, while those that sign up for a two-year plan (offering two years plus an extra four months) can save 80%.

Over 28 monthsSave 80%
Advanced protection across 11 devices with high-speed VPN
ExpressVPN

Advanced

Those that sign up for ExpressVPN's most popular plan, the Advance plan, gain access to a high-speed VPN, which offers high-capacity 40Gbps servers in many high-demand locations, with VPN servers in 113 countries worldwide.

The VPN can be applied across 12 different devices simultaneously, and offers Advanced Protection that blocks ads, trackers and malicious and adult websites. A dedicated IP is available to be purchased as an add-on.

Additionally, ExpressVPN's Advanced plan includes the ExpressMailGuard, which offers a 100MB/month private email relay plus 50 shared aliases and a custom domain, and ExpressKeys, which gives users a password management facility for an unlimited number of passwords plus a 2FA authenticator.

There is a 30-day money-back guarantee for new users. The plan is available on a one-month rolling contract, although those that sign up for a 12-month plan (offering one year plus an extra three months) can save more than 60%, while those that sign up for a two-year plan (offering two years plus an extra four months) can save 73%. Both longer-term plans include a 3GB holiday.com eSIM that is valid for three days in 150+ destinations.

Over 28 monthsSave 73%

The 2025/26 Fantasy Premier League (FPL) season is bringing a fresh wave of innovation, designed to reward more nuanced performances, enhance strategic play, and provide greater engagement across the board.

From recognising defensive contributions to introducing elite global leagues and a second set of chips, FPL managers have a lot to take in before Gameweek 1. Here’s a breakdown of all the major updates coming your way this season.

Points for defensive contributions

Defensive players finally get their due in FPL. New for 2025/26, players will now earn fantasy points for standout defensive efforts.

Defenders will earn two points if they make 10 combined clearances, blocks, interceptions, and tackles in a single game.

Midfielders and Forwards must reach 12 defensive actions, which also include ball recoveries, to earn the same reward.

This change especially benefits centre-backs and defensive midfielders, making them more viable Fantasy assets than ever before.

Two Sets of Chips

Strategy just got deeper. For the first time in FPL history, managers will receive two full sets of chips in a season:

  • Wildcard
  • Free Hit
  • Triple Captain
  • Bench Boost

Each set is usable in its respective half of the campaign, giving managers a total of eight chips over the season. However, chips from the first half must be used before Gameweek 19. They will not roll over into the second half.

There’s no Assistant Manager chip this season, so chip usage becomes even more crucial to FPL success.

New leagues for top managers

Two new exclusive leagues are launching this year:

  • Top 1% in Global League
  • Top 10% in Global League

These are invite-only competitions for high-performing managers from last season. It adds an elite layer of competition and gives top-tier players something more to aim for beyond mini-leagues and overall ranks.

New rule for assists

FPL is simplifying how fantasy assists are awarded. While the core idea remains - crediting the final pass before a goal - the new rules are more transparent and remove much of the subjectivity.

That’s a significant tweak that could alter point distribution over a campaign.

Extra transfers due to AFCON

The 2025/26 season coincides with the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), and FPL is preparing managers with a helpful adjustment: In Gameweek 16, your free transfers will be topped up to a maximum of five, helping you manage players who may depart early for international duty.

This smart change acknowledges real-world scheduling impacts and helps avoid unnecessary hits for affected squads.

Custom team badges

A fun new feature for creative managers: with the Premier League's partnership with Adobe, FPL players can now design their own custom team badges using Adobe Express and Firefly AI tools.

It’s a purely cosmetic update, but one that adds personality and flair to your team identity.

More chances to earn Bonus Points

Bonus points remain critical in separating similarly performing players during tight matchups. For 2025/26, the system has been refined to reward:

  • Goalkeeper saves
  • Goalline clearances
  • Penalty goals
  • Successful tackles

This could increase the frequency and variety of bonus point winners, shifting how managers view certain undervalued players.

Fantasy Premier League 2025-26 isn’t just about selecting the best 15 players - it’s about adapting to deeper data, new structures, and smarter decisions. With added depth in scoring, strategy, and competition, this season could be one of the most exciting yet.

Whether you're aiming for mini-league glory or elite global recognition, the tools are in your hands - so build smart, play bold, and let the new era of FPL begin.

More on FPL

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Follow GOAL on Google