Only one Premier League game set for Boxing Day due to calendar pressure

With the expansion of Uefa’s European competitions and the FA Cup now occupying more weekends — a concession that followed the agreement to scrap replays — it leaves the Premier League needing Saturday, December 27 and Sunday, December 28 to fulfil its contractual obligations.

In 1993, Boxing Day fell on a Sunday and only three top-flight matches were held; there were two in 1981, the lowest number since the end of the war in 1945. But when December 26 last fell on a Friday, in 2014, all ten Premier League fixtures took place on that day.

Clubs and broadcasters normally expect to be notified of agreed fixture dates at least six weeks in advance, with matches up to December 20 confirmed thus far.

But this potentially divisive issue is still being debated, with the identity of the fixture that is to be played on Boxing Day this year yet to be determined.

With Boxing Day falling on a Saturday in 2026, the Premier League expects a return to normality. But this year is likely to be viewed as a typical weekend, with the majority of games on Saturday and Sunday and the last of the ten matches held on the Monday.

The EFL and the National League are staying with tradition, with all their games still scheduled for Boxing Day. There will then be a further round of EFL matches on Monday, December 29. The majority of Premier League teams will return to action for another set of fixtures from Tuesday, December 30.

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