Which Premier League Game Will Be Played on Boxing Day?

The English football calendar's most beloved tradition, the Boxing Day feast of fixtures, is set to undergo a significant change for the 2025-26 season. Fans eagerly anticipating a full slate of Premier League Boxing Day game matches will be surprised to learn that only one top-flight fixture is expected to take place on December 26th this year, breaking a decades-long tradition.

Due to an extended UEFA Champions League week and a dedication to maintaining a platform for the FA Cup, the Premier League is facing a scheduling dilemma as Boxing Day falls on a Friday. As part of its obligation to broadcasters, the league must provide 33 weekends of games, and if at least half of the games are shifted to Boxing Day as is customary, it will be difficult to find another weekend to play games.

Premier League 2025-26 Boxing Day Fixture

The full slate of Matchweek 18 fixtures for the 2025-26 season is scheduled to be played on December 27, but there are media reports that the Football Association will schedule a game on the 26th of December to continue their tradition.

The games scheduled for 27th December are as follows:

Apart from these games, there's also a fixture surrounding Sunderland, where they face Leeds United.

The league must use the Saturday (December 27th) and Sunday (December 28th) slots in order to meet its contractual responsibilities to broadcasters to deliver 33 weekend match rounds and a more crowded schedule from increased European events. This essentially implies that the Premier League Christmas fixture on Friday will only have one broadcast window left.

Why Boxing Day Games are Significant in English Football?

In order to take advantage of public holidays, English football has historically been played on both Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Everton played three celebratory games in two days in 1888. But by 1957, Christmas Day fixtures were no more. In 1871, Boxing Day became the only occasion when it was declared a bank holiday (with Saint Stephen's Day).

In order to optimize stadium attendance and provide employees and supporters a day off for travel-friendly games, clubs carefully planned local derbies on Boxing Day. The Premier League Boxing Day Game became a cultural icon because of this long-standing custom.

The tradition dates back over a century, offering a post-Christmas spectacle that is ingrained in the British sporting culture. Although the reduction to one Premier League Boxing Day game for 2025-26 is controversial, the commitment from the EFL Boxing Day games ensures that the tradition of football on December 26th lives on. This year’s lone Premier League match, whenever it is confirmed, will certainly carry the weight of tradition as the only top-flight offering. The full schedule of EFL Boxing Day games will be a welcome sight for those missing the usual Premier League fixture line-up.