West Ham United U21s will kick off their 2025/26 Premier League 2 campaign by hosting reigning Premier League International Cup champions Nottingham Forest at Rush Green Stadium at 7pm on Monday 18 August.
Just four days later, Mark Robson’s young Hammers travel north to face reigning PL2 champions Manchester City at Joie Stadium on Friday 22 August, also kicking off at 7pm.
The reformatted PL2 structure, introduced in 2023, sees the young Hammers play 20 league fixtures across the 29-team league, ten home games and ten away. Previously a 26-team division, Premier League 2 has this season been expanded to 29 competing clubs with the addition of Birmingham City, Burnley and Ipswich Town, who were awarded Category One academy status in 2025.
As in the previous two campaigns, the top 16 teams at the end of the regular season in March will progress to the play-offs, which will also serve as qualification for the 2026/27 Premier League International Cup.
New for this season, the eight clubs finishing between 17th and 24th will enter a cross-category play-off competition alongside the top eight teams from the Professional Development League (Category Two). This competition will also feature a knockout format, starting with a round of 16.
Of the 20 league fixtures, five will be against London rivals. These begin with a trip to Meadow Park (home of Boreham Wood) to face Arsenal on Saturday 4 October. The Hammers will also take on Tottenham Hotspur (9 January at the Lamex Stadium), Chelsea (16 January at Rush Green Stadium), Fulham (16 February at Motspur Park), and Crystal Palace (23 February at Rush Green Stadium).
All of the U21s' PL2 home games are due to take place at Rush Green Stadium. Tickets for all fixtures can be purchased at the turnstiles, priced at £5 for Adults and £1 for U18s. Season Ticket Holders can attend for free by showing their Season Ticket at the entrance.
Having finished second and fourth in the last two PL2 seasons respectively, reaching the quarter-finals of the play-offs on both occasions, the young Hammers will be aiming for another high finish in 2025/26.
2025/26 U21s Premier League 2 fixtures
*Please note that all fixture dates, times and venues are subject to change
August 2025
Monday 18 August – Nottingham Forest (H) 7pm
Friday 22 August – Manchester City (A) 7pm
Friday 29 August – Sunderland (A) 7pm
September 2025
Friday 19 September – Birmingham City (H) 7pm
Friday 26 September – Brighton & Hove Albion (H) 7pm
October 2025
Saturday 4 October – Arsenal (A) 1pm
Friday 24 October – Aston Villa (H) 7pm
Friday 31 October – Wolverhampton Wanderers (A) 7pm
November 2025
Friday 7 November – Liverpool (H) 7pm
January 2026
Friday 9 January – Tottenham Hotspur (A) 7pm
Friday 16 January – Chelsea (H) 7pm
Friday 23 January – Norwich City (H) 7pm
February 2026
Monday 2 February – Middlesbrough (A) 7pm
Friday 6 February – Fulham (A) 7pm
Monday 16 February – Leicester City (H) 7pm
Monday 23 February – Crystal Palace (H) 7pm
Saturday 28 February – Leeds United (A) 12.30pm
March 2026
Friday 6 March – Derby County (A) 7pm
Friday 13 March – Reading (H) 7pm
Monday 23 March – Blackburn Rovers (A) 7pm
