Why Is There Just One Boxing-Day Match In Premier League This Year? | Sports News

Manchester United’s Harry Maguire (AFP)

In an unprecedented turn away from tradition, the Premier League (PL) will see only one match on Boxing Day (December 26) this year — Manchester United hosting Newcastle United at Old Trafford. In a statement, the PL blamed it on the expansion of European competitions, assuring improvement next year.

The tradition dates back to the early years of the sport, where Boxing Day would see high-octane derbies, allowing fans minimal travel a day after Christmas. While matches on December 25 were phased out eventually over the years, Boxing Day fixtures have remained a key part of the PL.

This year, there will be seven games on Saturday, December 27 and two on Sunday, December 28.

However, before the traditionalists in the UK could have taken their anger out on the PL, it blamed UEFA, the body that hosts European competitions, the Champions League, Europa League, and the Conference League.

“The Premier League would like to acknowledge the circumstances that have led to a reduced number of matches on Boxing Day this season – impacting an important tradition in English football,” the PL said in a statement on Friday.

“There are now several challenges to Premier League fixture scheduling rooted in the expansion of European club competitions – which led to a revision of our domestic calendar ahead of last season, including changes to the FA Cup. This ultimately left the Premier League as a 33-weekend competition – fewer than previous seasons, despite being a 380-match competition since 1995. With fewer weekends to work with, the league is bound by how the calendar falls,” the statement added.

Indeed, UEFA’s European competitions now stretch across 10 midweek matchdays rather than six after a change in format. The international governing body, FIFA, has expressed concerns over player welfare amid rapidly increasing matches, asking that there should be a minimum rest period of 72 hours between matches.

“As with previous years – and in keeping with our commitment to clubs – special arrangements have been made to allow more time between games played across the festive period,” the Premier League said. “This will allow greater time for players to recover, with the rest periods between rounds 18, 19 and 20 being increased to ensure that no club plays within 60 hours of another match.”

“The League can give an assurance that next season there will be more Premier League matches on Boxing Day – as the date falls on a Saturday,” the statement said.

First Published:

November 01, 2025, 10:18 IST