“Boxing Day”
Premier League tradition is canceled this year
Updated 12/22/2025 – 9:37 p.mReading time: 2 min.
Boxing Day, Boxing Day, is usually an important match day in the Premier League. But this year things are different.
An English football tradition is coming to an end in the current season. Only one Premier League game will take place on so-called “Boxing Day” this year. Normally almost all Premier League teams are on the pitch on Boxing Day. This year things look different.
However, this change was not entirely voluntary. The Premier League said: “The Premier League would like to acknowledge the circumstances that have led to a reduced number of matches on Boxing Day – affecting an important tradition in English football.”
The adjustment became necessary due to the increased burden caused by the introduction of the league phases in the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League. The competitions now require more dates until the knockout phase. The league also referred to FIFA’s requirement that there be 72 hours between the playing of two games. “As in previous years – and in line with our commitment to clubs – special arrangements have been made to allow more time between games over the festive period,” the league said.
December 26th will therefore now be treated like a normal Friday – with only one game in the evening. The remaining games will be spread over Saturday and Sunday.
However, this should remain an exception. The Premier League has already announced that it wants to return to the usual Boxing Day in 2026. Then December 26th falls on a Saturday.
Historically, Boxing Day has a high significance in English football: the first game took place in 1888. Until 1965, games were even played at Christmas. The last time there was a comparable change was in 1982 – at that time there was no first division game on December 26th.
