English football’s cherished Boxing Day tradition will see a significant reduction in fixtures this year, with the Premier League confirming that only one top-flight match will be played on December 26. The sole fixture scheduled for Boxing Day is Manchester United’s home clash with Newcastle United, set to kick off at 8:00 PM GMT. This marks a notable deviation from previous years, where a full slate of games was common on this festive date.

The Premier League has attributed this change primarily to the “expansion of European club competitions.” This expansion necessitated a revision of the domestic calendar, even impacting the FA Cup schedule, and has ultimately reduced the Premier League to a 33-weekend competition, fewer than in past seasons, despite maintaining a 380-match format since 1995. With fewer available weekends, the league stated it is constrained by the calendar’s configuration, directly leading to the reduced number of matches on this important traditional day.

While acknowledging the impact on a long-standing tradition, the Premier League has provided an assurance that a more familiar Boxing Day schedule is anticipated for next year, as December 26, 2026, will fall on a Saturday. This contrasts with this year’s Friday placement; the last time Boxing Day occurred on a Friday, in 2014, a full set of top-flight fixtures was indeed played. Furthermore, the league highlighted special arrangements made for the festive period to ensure player welfare, increasing rest periods between rounds 18, 19, and 20 to guarantee no club plays within 60 hours of another match.

The decision and its timing have drawn criticism, particularly from the Football Supporters’ Association (FSA), the largest representative body for fans in England and Wales. The FSA voiced its disapproval regarding the late announcement of the festive schedule, which came a fortnight after its expected date. They specifically criticized the selection of Manchester United’s game against Newcastle United for an 8 PM Boxing Day kick-off, branding it “thoughtless” due to the extensive travel implications for Newcastle fans—the longest trip of that matchweek.

While Boxing Day itself features only one game, the festive football continues immediately thereafter, with seven additional Premier League matches scheduled for December 27. Among these, Manchester City’s visit to Nottingham Forest and Chelsea’s encounter with Aston Villa have been selected for live television coverage in the UK. All games played outside the traditional Saturday 3 PM blackout slot are being broadcast live in the UK this season, although only one broadcast slot is reserved for a Friday, impacting the Boxing Day schedule.