Boxing Day has always meant one thing in English football: a full day of matches, families around the telly, pubs packed early, and the beautiful chaos of multiple games kicking off simultaneously. Not today.
December 26, 2025, has just one Premier League fixture: Manchester United vs Newcastle United at Old Trafford, 11 pm. That’s it.
The Premier League acknowledged the circumstances that have led to a reduced number of matches on Boxing Day this season. Impacting an important tradition in English football.
The brutal reality? Several challenges in fixture scheduling, including the expansion of European club competitions, left the Premier League with a compressed 33-weekend schedule, fewer than in previous seasons, despite maintaining the 380-match format since 1995.
The expanded Champions League consumed midweek slots. Boxing Day fell on a Friday this year, creating a scheduling nightmare. Packing all ten matches into today would leave the weekend empty, frustrating broadcasters who have invested billions on weekend football. The solution? One match tonight, seven tomorrow, and two on Sunday.
Modern football now prioritizes visibility over volume, spreading matches to maximize global audiences and advertising revenue.
Good news? Next season will see more Premier League matches on Boxing Day, as the date falls on a Saturday.
Tonight, United and Newcastle carry the weight of tradition alone. It’s still Boxing Day football.
