Football games on Boxing Day are known as St. Stephen's Day. This day marks the start of a congested fixture list over the Christmas and New Year period. It is a tradition as old as English football itself, dating back to the first top-flight season in 1888.
Why is there a change in Boxing Day?
There is a significant lack of Premier League games on Boxing Day, with only one match scheduled: Manchester United vs. Newcastle. There will be seven games on Saturday, and the round of fixtures will be finished with two more on Sunday. The Premier League said in October that the reason for a smaller Boxing Day schedule was due to the rising pressure that developed due to European club competitions, which are taking place in England's top flight.
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Why was the change adopted?
A new-look Champions League format was introduced last year. It meant a development of the European club football's top tournament from 32 teams to 36. There will be more games in a league format played through to January, and a playoff phase to be played in February. In addition to the second-tier Europa League and third-tier Conference League, the Premier League says it has been introduced with “several challenges” to fixture scheduling. It said the deduction in Boxing Day games had influenced an “important tradition in English football.” Last year, there were eight games on Boxing Day. With Boxing Day falling on a Friday and the Premier League providing time between games to allow sufficient rest for players over the festive period, games have been spread across Dec. 26-28.
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Interestingly, it has also given assurance that more games will be played on Boxing Day in 2026 because it falls on a Saturday.
