With the format of the competition remaining a Swiss-style group stage – followed by a knockout tournament at the end of the initial season – Darren Powell and his side will once again play 20 out of the 26 Category 1 Academy sides initially.
Should they finish in the top 16, the young Eagles will then take part in play-offs to determine the overall Premier League 2 champions this season.
Last season, Palace U21s finished the regular season in impressive fashion, winning five of their last seven league-phase matches. They went on to resoundingly defeat Brighton & Hove Albion and Chelsea to reach the play-off semi-finals, before suffering a narrow defeat to Southampton.
The Eagles will provisionally kick off their season at the Lamex Stadium where they will face Tottenham Hotspur on Friday, 22nd August (19:00 BST), before also facing West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns a week later (Friday, 29th August, 19:00).
Our first home league match of the campaign is currently scheduled for Monday, 22nd September (19:00), with Powell’s side hosting Leeds United. The final match of the Under-21s’ regular season mirrors that of Palace’s senior side, being at home to Arsenal, on Monday, 13th April 2026 (19:00).
Palace U21s will once again be participating in the EFL Trophy this season, facing the first-team sides of AFC Wimbledon, Bromley and Stevenage across September and October. They will also be participating in the Premier League International Cup, with fixture details for that competition to be confirmed in due course.
Details regarding fixture tickets and streaming and more will also be confirmed in due course.
The full 2025/26 fixture list is detailed below.
Ahead of the new season, we're making some exciting changes to Palace TV+; this will include giving you early access to the very best Palace TV features throughout the season, and – as well as selected Men's pre-season matches – we are planning to show even more live Academy broadcasts. Click HERE for more information on Palace TV+.
Please note that all initial fixture dates, times and locations are subject to change.