THE SUN Dream Team’s fantasy football game has returned for the 2026/27 season.
You can play for free via the Dream Team website right now (coming to the app soon!) with over £100,000 in prize money up for grabs over the course of the campaign.
PLAY DREAM TEAM VIA WEB NOW — COMING TO THE APP SOON!
Manage your team to glory like Mikel Arteta Credit: Alamy
Whether you’re new to the world of Dream Team or an experienced manager returning for the umpteenth time, here’s everything you need to know.
Prize Pool
There are multiple ways to win cash with Dream Team, including a massive top prize of £60,000 for the overall winner of our classic fantasy game.
- 1st: £60,000
- 2nd: £15,000
- 3rd: £5,000
- 4th: £3,000
- 5th: £2,000
- 6th – 10th: £1,000 each
To celebrate the start of the new season, we’re giving away £1,000 to the manager who earns the most points in Gameweek 1.
From Gameweek 2 until the end of the campaign, the weekly winner will receive £250.
All that works out at over £100,000 in total prize money across the season for our free-to-play fantasy game alone!
Team Selection
You will have an initial 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 so feel free to tinker to your heart’s content in the build-up to Gameweek 1.
No prizes for guessing the most expensive player in the game this time around — Erling Haaland will set you back £8.5m!
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.
You will have to select a captain for each Gameweek, nominating an individual to have their points doubled.
Your vice-captain will have their score doubled if your first-choice skipper doesn’t play for any reason.
Dream Team includes both domestic cups and the European competitions Credit: Getty
Scoring Points
Dream Team’s scoring system recognises individual performances in suitable detail to ensure players receive due reward for their positive actions on the pitch.
All Players
- Goal +6 points
- Assist (Fantasy Assist) +3 points
- Appearance (0-59 minutes) +1 point
- Appearance (60+ minutes) +1 point
- Shot on target +1 point
- Big chance created +1 point
- 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.
Haaland racked up 448 points via 38 goals last season Credit: Getty
Eligible Competitions
Premier League fixtures make up the bulk of the schedule but players also score points in the Carabao Cup, FA Cup, Conference League, Europa League and Champions League.
Once again, nine English teams are set to play in Europe this coming season – assuming Brighton win their Conference League play-off – so there will be plenty of points on offer.
In 2025/26, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace players provided healthy returns on their way to their respective continental triumphs.
English teams have dominated the Conference League since its inception Credit: Getty
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 in-form replacements.
You have the option to make two transfers per Gameweek or, if you’re happy with your XI as it is, you can roll transfers over to the following Gameweek.
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.
The maximum number of transfers you can accumulate is six but if you’re too passive then you risk being left behind.
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 8pm on Friday 21st August to coincide with kick-off between Arsenal and Coventry, the Premier League curtain-raiser.
Transfers are unlimited prior to Gameweek 1 so there’s no reason to delay — register and submit a first draft today!
Dominik Szoboszlai finished as Dream Team’s top midfielder in 2025/26 Credit: EPA
Making Substitutes
Our Substitute feature helps you swerve those frustrating situations when one of your key players is unexpectedly absent for an important fixture.
Available to use 10 times throughout the campaign, Substitute allows you to swap out a player who didn’t feature for their club for another player who is yet to play in the same Gameweek.
For example, if Elliot Anderson tweaks something in the warm-up and pulls out of Manchester City’s 3pm Saturday kick-off, you can activate Substitute once the fixture is complete and select a replacement for the the England midfielder from all the players yet to play, abiding by budget and formation restraints.
When the Gameweek concludes, Anderson regains 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.
Morgan Rogers earned 310 points in Aston Villa colours last season but will represent Chelsea in 2026/27 Credit: Getty
Boosters
You have three Boosters to play over the course of the season, each with a special effect to accelerate your progress (if deployed smartly).
- GOAL BONUS: Each goal scored is worth NINE points
- 12TH MAN: Select an additional player to score points for your team
- MAX CAPTAIN: Whichever player earns the most points will automatically be selected as captain (doubling their score)
Each Booster applies for the duration of a single Gameweek and can only be played individually (never in combination) once per season.
Please note, you are not eligible to win a weekly cash prize if you activate a Booster.
Gabriel was Dream Team’s top defender last season Credit: Getty
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.
What are you waiting for? Play via web now or see our for more information.
Open to residents of UK and Rep of Ireland, 18+ only..
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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