Cynthia Ezegwu
The Premier League has announced that the traditional Boxing Day football schedule will feature only one fixture this year — Manchester United versus Newcastle United — due to changes in the football calendar arising from the expansion of European club competitions.
In a statement on Friday, the league confirmed that the 2025 Boxing Day, which falls on a Friday, will see a reduced number of matches compared to the full slate of fixtures typically held on December 26 each year.
“Boxing Day has long been a cornerstone of English football culture, but the expansion of European competitions and adjustments to the domestic calendar have made scheduling more challenging,” the Premier League said.
The league explained that the revised structure has condensed the Premier League into a 33-weekend competition, despite maintaining the full 380-match format.
“This ultimately left the Premier League as a 33-weekend competition – fewer than previous seasons, despite being a 380-match competition since 1995,” the statement added.
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Following the single Boxing Day game, seven fixtures will be played on Saturday, December 27, and two on Sunday, December 28, while matchweek 19 will kick off on Tuesday, December 30.
The Premier League assured fans that Boxing Day 2026 would return to a fuller schedule as the date falls on a Saturday next year.
The league also noted that special arrangements have been made to give clubs more rest between games during the festive period, ensuring that no team plays within 60 hours of another match.