In a special Christmas edition of Editors’ Picks, which is also the 100th, Flashscore gets you ready for the holiday season, with killer sporting events in the worlds of soccer, tennis, basketball, American football and darts!
Here’s what our editors will be watching at Christmas:
Thursday 25 December
The NBA on Christmas Day is always an opportunity not to be missed. With five big matches at the same time, you can park yourself on your sofa and enjoy the evening!
First, the Eastern Conference favorites, the New York Knicks, face the inconsistent Cleveland Cavaliers, before the defending champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, face Victor Wembanyama’s San Antonio Spurs, as the NBA’s best team seeks revenge after their NBA Cup semi-final defeat.
Steph Curry and the struggling Golden State Warriors will next face a team that has had a miserable season, the Dallas Mavericks, led by Rookie of the Year favorite Cooper Flagg.
Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves will be in action for the Los Angeles Lakers, who will face another team that is doing very well in the Western Conference, the Houston Rockets, who own players of the caliber of Alperen Sengun and Kevin Durant.
Finally, the NBA’s best player, Nikola Jokic, rounds out the day with the Denver Nuggets, who meet Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves, a team they have famously struggled against.
What a day!
Tolga Akdeniz
It’s Christmas Day in the NFL, and fans everywhere are preparing to watch three division games, one of them without Patrick Mahomes.
Without Mahomes and Gardner Minshew as starters, it’s up to Chris Oladokun to do something in his first NFL start.
But in the crisp winter air of Kansas City, the Broncos hope to make the AFC West Division their own.
And as the Commanders prepare for a trip to Cancun, they’re hoping to at least play spoilsport on a Cowboys Christmas afternoon.
In the noon game, fans prepare for a showdown in the NFC North, where the Lions need a win against the Vikings in a divisional rematch.
While playoff hopes remain alive for the Lions, it wouldn’t be fun without the Vikings trying. Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jahmyr Gibbs will star in Detroit, while Minnesota still wonders if JJ McCarthy will be okay.
The three games on Thursday are all about rivalry, so I can’t think of any way this Christmas could be boring.
Eric Himmelheber
Friday 26 December
As far as cricket is concerned, the annual Boxing Day Test at the colossal Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) is an iconic event. The same place, the same day, the same epic presences every year. What changes, of course, is Australia’s opponent. This time it is their oldest foe, England, for the fourth Ashes Test, which will last, if necessary, five days from Boxing Day.
In 1877, the first ever international Test match took place between Australia and England at the MCG! This fact alone explains the weight of this rivalry. The Ashes, as a concept, didn’t begin until 1882, but that makes it one of the longest running series in any sport globally.
Ok, this series is over in terms of results. Australia have reduced their visitors to sunburnt dust and hold an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series, but don’t let that put you off in terms of viewing. There is still a lot to enjoy in this match and it certainly cannot be said that a test between these two teams is completely “dead”.
For Pat Cummins’ Australian team, this Test and the next in Sydney will serve to win the series 5-0 and, in doing so, make a real statement, silence their detractors and establish their legacy.
For Ben Stokes and his bruised and battered “Bazballers”, it’s now a matter of regaining their pride and probably trying out some new faces. Heavy defeats in the Ashes series always spell change and the visitors could begin the process of renewal in Melbourne.
They may be out of the series, but even the harshest critics will admit that England are one of the most aggressive and entertaining teams in the world. If their talents finally combine, they could give their fans their first Test victory down under since 2011.
However, the hosts, who are aging and regularly breaking their records, will not be able to grant any favors. 100,000 people are expected to flock to the field on the first day and, as always, it will be enthralling!
Pat Dempsey
After a festive period full of Christmas dinners and socializing with relatives, there’s nothing better than escaping it all for a bit of football on Boxing Day. Last Christmas, there was a full program of Premier League matches on the 26th, giving all fans the chance to see their team play like in all the other leagues in the English football pyramid.
So, in 2025 there will only be one Premier League match on Boxing Day, which doesn’t start until the evening? Disappointing.
However, the only match ahead is very interesting and seems like a must win for both clubs. Manchester United played well against Aston Villa last weekend, but ultimately it was another defeat in a Premier League season full of defeats, and Ruben Amorim’s side are rapidly losing ground on the Premier League’s top four.
Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United played well in the first half against Chelsea at lunchtime on Saturday, but collapsed in the second half and had to settle for a 2-2 draw. After a slow start to the season, Newcastle needed to bounce back from their Tyne-Wear derby defeat and their failure to do so puts even more pressure on the need to get a result at Old Trafford.
Therefore, with Man United in seventh place and Newcastle in 11th, heading into their final match of 2025, one point is not enough for either team on Boxing Day.
Manchester United have been involved in exciting matches almost every week this season, and Friday night’s clash under the limelight promises to be no different. Lots of goals are expected: two teams that desperately need to win face each other in a thrilling match.
Harry Dunnett
Saturday 27 December
The first two weeks of the PDC World Darts Championship have been typically gripping, with dramatic moments, box office busts and surprise exits from big names.
The action will intensify again at the weekend at Alexandra Palace, when many of the sport’s best players continue their last 32 campaigns.
After a three-day break over the Christmas period, reigning champion Luke Littler faces experienced Austrian Mensur Suljovic, world number two Luke Humphries faces Gabriel Clemens and young star Gian van Veen clashes with Madars Razma.
Apart from the headline names, there are also many intriguing matches to look forward to, including world number 16 Damon Heta against former champion Rob Cross and the talented German Martin Schindler against Ryan Searle.
With eight matches taking place on both Saturday and Sunday, the darts tournament is sure to provide the perfect entertainment to fill the gap between Christmas and New Year, so make sure you tune in!
Danny Clark
With the African Cup of Nations moving to the holiday slot, football fans have a slice of the tournament to pair with their Christmas pudding.
The AFCON always offers excitement and twists, and in the second round of matches there is nothing better than Senegal’s clash in Group D with the workhorses of DR Congo on December 27.
The Lions of Terranga boast one of the best teams in Morocco. Sadio Mane will lead the line, while Ismaila Sarr and Nicolas Jackson will provide ample support.
But DR Congo will be their toughest test in the group stages. The Leopards come into the tournament in good form, winning eight of their last nine matches. The defeat? It was against Senegal during the World Cup qualifiers in September.
That match ended 3-2 for Senegal; something similar during AFCON would be very welcome.
Josh Donaldson
Sunday 28 December
In a modern battle of the sexes, 52 years after the first match bearing this title, Aryna Sabalenka will face Nick Kyrgios in Dubai. However, while Billie Jean King’s victory over Bobby Riggs represented an important moment for gender equality, it is difficult to see the benefits this addition will bring to the women’s game.
King’s victory earned the players a respect and recognition that was sorely lacking at the time, but in an era where this problem has diminished, many argue that the best way to deal with those in sport who do not warrant this respect is to ignore them, not give them a platform and a chance to prove – at least in their eyes – their point of view.
Kyrgios has faced numerous accusations of misogyny for controversial comments over the years and has said he won’t even have to try to beat Sabalenka. Furthermore, if she doesn’t make it, she has plenty of excuses to make, from lack of fitness to the fact that measures have been introduced to help her opponent, with the inability to serve for a second time and a smaller side of the court.
This begs the question: what can Sabalenka and the women’s sector of the sport gain from such a match?
However, it will be at least fascinating to see how the best female player in the world will compete against one of the best male servers ever and, for all its flaws, it will undeniably be an unprecedented competition.
Finley Crebolder
Atalanta, who are finding their way again, have a difficult test to pass to close the calendar year: the visit of championship leaders Inter on Sunday.
The Bergamo players have won six of the eight matches played under new coach Raffaele Palladino, including the last three. They also scored in every match under the guidance of the former Monza and Fiorentina boss. Three points away from a place in Europe, victory will be essential to maintain distance from those ahead of them.
Cristian Chivu’s Inter are at the top of the table, having won 11 games in the league. This despite having played one game less than most of his competitors. Even the goals were not a problem for the Nerazzurri. Their 34 are also the most in the league. The Nerazzurri are returning from a defeat in the Italian Super Cup on penalties against Bologna in the semi-final and hope to return to winning ways soon.
This head-to-head has been dominated by Inter in recent years. Atalanta have won the last eight direct clashes with the Nerazzurri, maintaining a clean record in the last four. Atalanta’s last victory dates back to seven years ago in the league, beating Internazionale 4-1. Since then Atalanta is 0-5-10. Since that match the record is 0-5-10.
Will La Dea be able to prevail in this match or will the Nerazzurri continue their dominance? Sunday evening’s clash in Bergamo will be an event not to be missed.
David Parkes
