Premier League to break Boxing Day tradition with just ONE game played | Football | Sport
Premier League football fans will need to adjust their plans for Boxing Day this year as only one game will take place in the top flight. It has traditionally been a highlight of the season, with Premier League games often taking up a significant portion of the day on December 26.
This year, however, the league has had to change course to meet its contractual obligations. They are obligated to schedule 33 rounds of weekend fixtures and five midweek, and, as a result, Premier League officials have had to deviate from the usual packed Boxing Day schedule, initially reported by The Times (via the Mirror).
With an increasing number of weekends already accounted for throughout the year, and the FA Cup taking up more time after eliminating replays, the Premier League has found it necessary to utilise December 27 and 28 to fulfil its commitments.
Matches such as West Ham United vs. Fulham, Crystal Palace vs. Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United vs. Newcastle United , Nottingham Forest vs. Manchester City, Sunderland vs. Leeds United, Brentford vs. Bournemouth, Chelsea vs. Aston Villa, Arsenal vs. Brighton & Hove Albion, Burnley vs. Everton, and Liverpool vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers are all vying for the available slot.
This year will see the fewest top-flight games played on December 26 since World War II. In 2024, eight matches took place on Boxing Day, and the last time it fell on a Friday, 11 years ago in 2014, all ten Premier League matches were played on the day itself.
Their schedule for this year’s fixtures is still under wraps, but clubs and broadcasters typically receive at least six weeks’ notice of confirmed fixture dates. No match has been selected for Boxing Day yet.
English Football League and National League teams, however, will have a full slate of games. Teams will enjoy a weekend break before another round of matches on Monday, December 29.
That differs from the Premier League, where games will resume on December 30 after their weekend matches. Normalcy will return next year, when Boxing Day falls on a weekend.
