The 2026 A-League Men finals series was the 21st annual edition of A-League finals series, the playoffs tournament staged to determine the champions of the 2025–26 A-League Men season. The series was played over four weeks culminating in the 2026 A-League Men Grand Final.
Qualification The top two teams; Newcastle Jets and Adelaide United, qualify directly for the semi-finals. The teams placed third through to sixth play in the elimination-finals, with the third and fourth placed teams; Auckland FC and Melbourne Victory , hosting the matches. All teams qualified in round 25 with Newcastle claiming the premiership. This would be the Jets first finals appearance since the 2018 A-League finals Series. The rest of the teams would finalise their places in round 26 of the regular season. Among the teams who made it too the finals series Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC would both qualify for their 15th Finals series appearance.
Venues Newcastle Jets and Adelaide United are both guaranteed a top two finish, and have each secured a home semi-final. Auckland FC and Melbourne Victory both hosted an elimination-final. AucklandAdelaideAustralia:
New Zealand:SydneyGo Media StadiumCoopers StadiumAllianz StadiumCapacity: 25,000Capacity: 16,500Capacity: 45,500MelbourneNewcastleAAMI ParkMcDonald Jones StadiumCapacity: 30,050Capacity: 33,000
Bracket The system used for the 2025 A-League Men finals series is the modified top-six play-offs by the A-Leagues. The top two teams entered the two-legged semi-finals receiving the bye for the elimination-finals in which the teams from third placed to sixth place enter the elimination-finals with "third against sixth" and "fourth against fifth". Losers for the elimination-finals were eliminated, and winners qualified for the two-legged semi-finals.
First placed team in the semi-finals played the lowest ranked elimination-final winning team and second placed team in the semi-finals played the highest ranked elimination-final winner. Home-state advantage went to the team with the higher ladder position.
Elimination finals
First elimination final: Auckland FC vs Melbourne City The first game of the A-League finals series delivered a thriller under the lights at Go Media Stadium, with both winners of silverware last season playing for a spot in next week’s semi-finals. Despite dominating possession in the opening half, it was Melbourne City that looked like the more threatening side with their chances in front of goal. With the seconds ticking away in the first half, Auckland opened the scoring with a sensational header from Guillermo May. City would continue into the second half attacking and attempting to score an equaliser. With just seconds remaining in regulation, Medin Memeti netted one of the most memorable goals in A-Leagues Finals history. the game would go to extra time and then penalties. In an exiting penalty shootout Nathaniel Atkinson would miss the deciding penalty to qualify Auckland for the semi final against Adelaide United.
Man of the Match:
Aziz Behich (Melbourne City)
Assistant referees:
Emma Kocbek
Kearney Robinson
Fourth official:
Tim Danaskos
Video assistant referee:
Daniel Elder
Assistant video assistant referees:
Casey ReibeltMatch rules
90 minutes. 30 minutes of extra time if necessary. Penalty shoot-out if scores still level. Seven named substitutes. Maximum of five substitutions, with a sixth allowed in extra time.
Second elimination final: Melbourne Victory vs Sydney FC This match would be the first time Victory would meet Sydney since Patrick Kisnorbo took the job of Sydney FC coach in March of 2026. This was controversial for Victory Fans as he had previously coached Victory before shockingly departing the club early on 17 December 2024. In the pre-game the camera would pan to show Kisnorbo with a large negative response from the Victory fans. To begin the game Victory would start the game strong but Sydney's defence would hold strong. The half would end scoreless with most chances created by Victory while Sydney's goalkeeper Harrison Devenish-Meares kept a strong performance in goals. This pattern would continue into the second half. Then the referee, after giving a penalty to Victory, as Santos and Paul Okon-Engstler collided, was sent to the pitch-side monitor and decided to overturn his original decision. Three minutes after being substituted on Patrick Wood would capitalise on a mistake by Franco Lino in the 80th minute to put Sydney ahead and would eventually be the difference to win Sydney the game and qualify for the semi final against Newcastle Jets.
Man of the Match:
Harrison Devenish-Meares (Sydney FC)
Assistant referees:
Andrew Meimarakis
Luke Gennimatas
Fourth official:
Ben Abraham
Video assistant referee:
Shaun Evans
Assistant video assistant referees:
Sam KellyMatch rules
90 minutes. 30 minutes of extra time if necessary. Penalty shoot-out if scores still level. Seven named substitutes. Maximum of five substitutions, with a sixth allowed in extra time.
Semi-finals
Summary
Matches
First semi-final: Newcastle Jets vs Sydney FC
First leg
Man of the Match:
Wataru Kamijo (Sydney FC)
Assistant referees: Ashley Beecham
Daniel Ilievski
Fourth official:
Tim Danaskos
Video assistant referee:
Alex King
Assistant video assistant referees:
Casey Reibelt Match rules
90 minutes. 30 minutes of extra time if necessary. Penalty shoot-out if scores still level. Seven named substitutes. Maximum of five substitutions, with a sixth allowed in extra time.
Second leg
Sydney FC won 2–2 on aggregate via a 4-2 penalty shootout.
Match rules 90 minutes. 30 minutes of extra time if necessary. Penalty shoot-out if scores still level. Seven named substitutes. Maximum of five substitutions, with a sixth allowed in extra time.
Second semi-final: Adelaide United vs Auckland FC
First leg
Man of the Match:
Harry Crawford (Adelaide United)
Assistant referees:
Anton Shchetinin
Astro Sakalis
Fourth official:
Shaun Evans
Video assistant referee:
Kearney Robinson
Assistant video assistant referees:
Sam KellyMatch rules
90 minutes. 30 minutes of extra time if necessary. Penalty shoot-out if scores still level. Seven named substitutes. Maximum of five substitutions, with a sixth allowed in extra time.
Second leg
Auckland FC won 4–1 on aggregate.
Man of the Match:
Sam Cosgrove (Auckland FC)
Assistant referees:
Fourth official:
Video assistant referee:
Assistant video assistant referees:Match rules
90 minutes. 30 minutes of extra time if necessary. Penalty shoot-out if scores still level. Seven named substitutes. Maximum of five substitutions, with a sixth allowed in extra time.
Grand Final
Notes
References