2025/26 was another campaign of individual and collective progression for a Melbourne Victory A-League Men’s team boasting a Victorian core.
The Club’s 21st season competing at the highest level of Australian club football produced a fourth-place finish, amassing 40 points, and a 15th Finals series appearance for the Boys in Blue, led by Head Coach, Arthur Diles.
October
Launched off the runway of a comprehensive pre-season program, featuring a marquee fixture against Wrexham AFC and training camps in Western Australia and regional Victoria, the new term opened with a big-ticket duel versus Auckland FC.
Facing a familiar albeit new foe, the 2024/25 Semi-Final rematch was the headline act of the curtain-raiser weekend, and despite ending goalless, it forecast a positive journey ahead, no less than when 19-year-old midfielder Xavier Stella – excellent on debut – was replaced by World Cup winner, Juan Mata.
The following Friday, excitement was quelled away to the eventual Premiers, with a 5-2 reverse suffered at the hands of the Newcastle Jets. Round 1 player of the match, Denis Genreau, was, though, a bright point for the visitors. His midfield industry in the Hunter Valley was rewarded with a first goal for the Club.
With a response and a result required, Victory got out in front away to Perth Glory and stayed there. Matthew Grimaldi provided a goal in either half, cueing up Keegan Jelacic’s second strike in as many matches and a starting debut goal for Mata, who arrived on time to sweep home.
Jelacic's strike in all of its glory 👏
— Melbourne Victory (@gomvfc) October 31, 2025
Glory 0 – 1 Victory | #PERvMVC pic.twitter.com/9qz8dg7SyJ
November
The penultimate month of 2025, broken up by the year’s final men’s international window, yielded no points from three matches. More than 18,000 hardy souls attended the first Melbourne Derby of the season, but spirits were dampened by both the wet weather and conceding after 83 seconds.
A fortnight later, in a saturated Sydney, Victory went down 3-0 in the Big Blue despite a strong first-half showing that featured chances for Genreau and Jason Davidson.
Then, on a sticky SunCorp Stadium surface, Brisbane Roar’s early goal decided a tempestuous encounter.
December
Stifling heat kept both teams scoreless in Campbelltown, but it was the visitors, who had a Santos goal disallowed on review, pushing for a winner against Macarthur. The point and clean sheet put a stop to an uncomfortable run and teed up a triumphant festive period, when Victory would turn it on with a searing month of football back at AAMI Park.
Nikos Vergos printed his name on the scoresheet in either half to make it twin wins for Men’s and Women’s teams over Adelaide United at AAMI Park, and success in grudge matches continued seven days later.
The best efforts of both goalkeepers, including razor-sharp reactions from Jack Duncan, had the Christmas Derby on course for a stalemate. But footballing fairytales remain alive and kicking, and boyhood fan Matthew Grimaldi flashed in his first goal for Victory with the winner off the bench.
Wellington Phoenix were the next to feel the impact of Victory’s firepower. Vergos netted his first career hat-trick, Santos slotted in, and Jelacic, as the hosts went coast to coast late on, rounded the goalkeeper to complete a five-star showing.
January
Ascended into the top six, the Boys in Blue showed their staying power when their mettle was tested by Perth, coming from behind to win a fourth consecutive match. Off-season signing Louis D’Arrigo cracked in a leveller at the end of first-half injury-time, before Mata laid on goals for Nishan Velupillay and Santos.
The run was full-stopped by a stubborn Western Sydney Wanderers, and successive losses were brought up in controversial circumstances to conclude a highly-charged Original Rivalry in South Australia. Grimaldi’s ‘winning’ goal was disallowed behindhand before the Reds snatched all three points at the death.
Revitalised by the returns of Joshua Rawlins and Jordi Valadon from U23 Asian Cup duty, Victory dished out a public holiday pasting to Sydney FC. After not one, not two, but three goals were chalked off, they scored four times without reply in the second half. Specials from Santos, who hit a brace, and Jelacic, were followed by an impressive Lachlan Jackson header.
February
Defeat in a weather-delayed visit to a 10-man Central Coast Mariners stalled the Boys in Blue, but an elusive win outside of Victoria was achieved the following round against Wellington. Sebastian Esposito’s maiden professional goal got the visitors up and running, and was added to by a composed Velupillay effort and D’Arrigo’s downward header a minute after his introduction.
A point was claimed versus Brisbane, with January recruit Japanese striker Charles Nduka opening his account in Australia courtesy of a neat, lifted finish.
Three more were added to the tally as Melbourne Derby bragging rights remained in Victory’s hands on a night that belonged to Juan Mata. The Spaniard’s double was highlighted by a 40-yard lob of Patrick Beach, but he was not done there, and set Santos away to complete a 3-1 win.
From out of nowhere, El Mago strikes to open the scoring ✨
— Melbourne Victory (@gomvfc) February 21, 2026
City 0 – 1 Victory | #MelbDerby pic.twitter.com/yK5ReEVrNl
Despite Jelacic’s calm and collected conversion from Mata’s latest goal involvement, the Original Rivalry spoils were shared to wrap up the month.
March
Another lead was lost, but the unbeaten streak continued in New South Wales. Mata’s inch-perfect free kick, sealed with a kiss off the post, combined with a swivelling Nduka, supplied by Jordi Valadon, had them set, only for a rapid-fire Sky Blues comeback to share the points.
Winning ways returned in a multiple of two before March’s international break, with back-to-back 4-1 victories delivered. First, Macarthur gave Diles’ team an own goal headstart that they gleefully built on, with Genreau, Esposito and Nduka getting in on the act.
It was then the Mariners rolled over at AAMI Park. Velupillay celebrated his Socceroos call-up by equalising from a Roderick Miranda cross, Mata scored the go-ahead goal, his fifth of the campaign, and then delivered his 13th assist for Vergos. Davidson, netting for the first time in his second spell, added gloss to the scoreline.
April
A stretch of seven matches without defeat concluded with an Easter Sunday aberration against Wellington, which also marked Mata’s final start of the regular season, as he suffered a painful elbow fracture.
In a contest with New Zealand’s other A-League representative, Victory twice led. Franco Lino’s pinpoint finish, the youth product’s first goal in senior football, and Velupillay’s effortless effort could not be held onto, however, and Auckland’s late show meant it was honours even.
Another 2-2 draw, this time with the Jets, proved enough once the weekend was done to lock in Finals football again, and Nduka’s two-goal salvo was the latest handy contribution from the Japanese striker.
Jostling for position, Victory got out in front thanks to their Saturday night success in Western Sydney. Crucial saves from netminder Jack Warshawky provided a platform from which to attack, and forwards Santos, on his 50th outing, and Vergos took up the opportunity to seal a 0-2 road win, signed off by Brendan Hamill’s return from an ACL injury.
May
A fourth-place finish fixed a home Elimination Final and way beyond the hour mark, only one team looked like progressing from the Big Blue showdown. But under the Melbourne moon, the tide turned. One mistake left the door ajar, and Sydney barged through it to end Victory’s Championship ambition.
