Oct 31, V7N-Football Australia (FA) has confirmed that a new 16-team national second-tier soccer competition will launch in October 2025, providing a competitive platform for clubs across Australia but without promotion and relegation links to the top-tier A-League. This announcement expands FA’s initial vision of a 10-12 team league, with recent additions bringing representation from Adelaide, Hobart, and southern Queensland.
 
FA’s CEO, James Johnson, described the league as a "landmark moment" that will elevate iconic clubs and engage fans nationwide. Despite growing calls from soccer enthusiasts for a promotion-relegation system to intensify interest, FA’s statement did not address potential changes to the A-League’s closed format. A-League club owners have traditionally been cautious of promotion-relegation, given their financial commitments to sustain their clubs.
 
The second-tier league will operate annually from October, initially featuring nine matchday rounds, group-stage matches, and a final match to determine the champion by early December. FA also announced that the league’s official name, branding, and trophy design will be revealed in the coming months.
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While Australia's national teams are beloved by fans, the domestic leagues continue to compete for attention with the country’s more popular sports, such as Australian Rules football and rugby league.