The Sun Dream Team is back! Everything you need to know about our fantasy football game ahead of the 2025/26 season

The Sun

16-07-2025

THE SUN Dream Team's fantasy football is now available to play ahead of the 2025/26 season!
Aspiring managers can play for free via the Dream Team app or website with over £100,000 in prize money up for grabs.
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Whether you're new to the world of Dream Team or a returning gaffer coming back for another crack at the world's most compelling fantasy game, here's everything you need to know.
Prize Pool
There are multiple ways to win cash this season, including an increased top prize for the overall winner.
1st: £60,000
2nd: £15,000
3rd: £5,000
4th: £3,000
5th: £2,000
6th - 10th: £1,000 each
We're also giving away £250 after every Gameweek to the manager who earned the most points. This means you only have to get it right once to enhance your bank account.
Furthermore, we'll be giving away £5,000 in the second half of the campaign via our Second Chance League.
As if that wasn't enough, there will be a £5,000 prize draw among all entrants to Gameweek 1. Simply submit a team for the opening weekend and you could be celebrating the new season in fine style.
That's well over £100,000 in total prize money across the season for our free-to-play fantasy game alone!
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Team Selection
You will have a starting budget of £50million to select a team of eleven Premier League players, with seven formations to choose from:
5-4-1
5-3-2
4-5-1
4-4-2
4-3-3
3-5-2
3-4-3
Your formation will change dynamically as you experiment with your team in the lead up to Gameweek 1. For example, if you initially select 4-3-3 but later decide 3-4-3 would work better, simply remove a defender and choose a midfielder as a replacement.
The most expensive players in the game this season? Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland at £7.5m each!
Once the action starts, player prices will fluctuate depending on form. Work the Dream Team stock market to your advantage and your XI will be worth more than £50million in no time.
Don't forget to select a captain for each Gameweek, who will have their points doubled as a result.
Your vice-captain will have their score doubled if your first-choice skipper doesn't play for any reason.
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Scoring Points
Dream Team's scoring system is perhaps the best aspect of the game.
We recognise individual performances in suitable detail, without overcomplicating things, to ensure players receive due reward for their efforts.
All Players
Goal +6 points
Assist +3 points
Appearance (0-59 minutes) +1 point
Appearance (60+ minutes) +1 point
Shot on target +1 point
Big chance created +1 point
Successful tackles +1 point per two
Yellow card -1 point
Red card -3 points
Penalty miss -3 points
Own goal -2 points
Goalkeepers & Defenders Only
Clean sheet (minimum 60 minutes played) +5 points
Each goal conceded over one goal -1 point
Goalkeepers Only
Saves +1 point per two
Penalty save +3 points
Players are also able to earn bonus points, based on other actions such as blocks, successful dribbles, interceptions, etc - see the Game Rules for a full breakdown.
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Eligible Competitions
Dream Team seeks to entertain you all week long.
The Premier League provides the bread and butter but players will also score points in the Carabao Cup, FA Cup, Conference League, Europa League and Champions League (not including European qualifying rounds).
With NINE English teams set to play in Europe this coming season, there will be shed-loads of points on offer in midweek.
And you only have to look at the massive returns provided by the likes of Daniel Munoz, Eberechi Eze and Alexander Isak last season to see how valuable the domestic cups can be if targeted shrewdly.
Transfers
Once the season is underway, transfers become the most important aspect of the game as they allow you to swap under-performing players for superior replacements - at least that's the idea.
You will have the option to make two transfers per Gameweek.
Alternatively, if you're happy with your XI then you can roll transfers over to the following Gameweek.
Similarly, if you have two transfers available and decide to use just one, then the unused transfer will carry over to the next Gameweek, when you'll have three at your disposal.
Through rollovers, you can accumulate transfers until you reach the maximum of six.
Managing your transfer allowance will be a key strategic element throughout the season.
Please be aware that the deadline for each Gameweek falls 90 minutes before the first fixture kicks off - any transfers made after the cut-off time will not go through until the following Gameweek.
The exception to this is Gameweek 1 when you will be able to make changes right up until Liverpool v Bournemouth kick-off at 8pm on 15th August - this is to ensure as many gaffers as possible avoid getting caught out by the Friday night start.
Transfers are unlimited prior to Gameweek 1, allowing you to tinker to your heart's content.
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Substitute Feature
New for this season, we're introducing a Substitute feature to help you swerve those frustrating times when one of your key players is unexpectedly absent for an important fixture.
Available to use five times throughout the campaign, Substitute allows you to swap out a player who didn't feature for another player who is yet to play that Gameweek.
For example, if Bukayo Saka is unexpectedly absent from Arsenal's squad in the 12:30pm Saturday kick-off, you can activate Substitute once that fixture is complete and select a replacement for the Gunners' No7 from all the players yet to play, budget permitting.
When the Gameweek concludes, Saka will regain his place in your XI but you'll keep the points earned by his replacement.
Activating Substitute is the only way you'll be able to make changes after the Gameweek deadline that will take immediate effect.
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Boosters
You have three Boosters at your disposal, each with a special effect to aid your progress (if deployed smartly).
Each Booster applies for the duration of a single Gameweek and can only be played individually (never in combination) once per season.
You are not eligible to win a weekly cash prize if you activate a Booster.
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Mini Leagues
We encourage you to participate in private Mini Leagues against your friends, colleagues, family members… or whoever you can wrangle.
For many gaffers, competing against their mates for bragging rights is the very essence of Dream Team.
You are also able to join public Mini Leagues.
We'll be on hand with plenty of tips, tricks, stats and facts via articles, newsletters and push notifications throughout the season.