Yes—there was one Premier League fixture scheduled for Boxing Day 2025: Manchester United vs. Newcastle United at Old Trafford. It was set for Friday, December 26, with an 8 p.m. GMT kickoff.
That date has now passed, so the answer is historical rather than a guide to an upcoming match. Here’s what the 2025 schedule included, why the usual full slate of holiday games was reduced, and how the remaining fixtures were arranged. You’ll also find practical advice for checking the official fixture record and understanding which matches count as Premier League games.
will there be premier league football on boxing day 2025
Yes. The 2025-26 Premier League schedule included one match on Friday, December 26, 2025: Manchester United vs. Newcastle United at Old Trafford. The listed kickoff was 8 p.m. GMT. The other Premier League games in that round were scheduled for later in the holiday weekend, rather than on Boxing Day itself.
Because December 26, 2025, has passed, this is now a record of what was scheduled, not a prediction. The direct answer remains useful if you are checking an old fixture list, looking up a broadcast schedule, or comparing the 2025 holiday calendar with a different season.
In short, Premier League football did feature on Boxing Day in 2025, but the day did not have the customary large set of league matches. There was one top-flight game on the date, with Manchester United hosting Newcastle.
The Boxing Day 2025 Premier League fixture
| Match | Date | Venue | Scheduled kickoff | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester United vs. Newcastle United | Friday, December 26, 2025 | Old Trafford, Manchester | 8 p.m. GMT | Best for anyone checking the day’s sole Premier League fixture |
The fixture paired two established Premier League clubs and was scheduled as an evening game. The 8 p.m. time was given in GMT, the local winter time used in the United Kingdom. Viewers elsewhere needed to convert that time to their own time zone.
Manchester United were the home side, so the match was set to take place at Old Trafford. Newcastle United were the visitors. The fixture listing identifies the league match and its scheduled date; it should not be confused with a cup tie or a friendly between the same clubs.
Was it the only Premier League game that day?
Yes. The Boxing Day list for the Premier League had one fixture: Manchester United against Newcastle United. A full round of league matches was not played on December 26. The rest of the round was spread across the surrounding days.
That distinction matters because people often use “Boxing Day football” to mean any English football played on December 26. That broader phrase can include matches in other divisions or competitions. For the Premier League specifically, the schedule had one game on the date.
Why was there only one match on Boxing Day?
Boxing Day falls on December 26, but the Premier League does not promise a fixed number of games on that date every season. The fixture calendar changes from year to year. In 2025, the calendar placed Boxing Day on a Friday, and the holiday round was arranged across the surrounding weekend instead of being concentrated on the day itself.
League scheduling has to fit domestic games around several constraints. Clubs need time between matches, especially during a busy winter period. The schedule must also accommodate other competitions, including European club tournaments, domestic cups, broadcast selections, and travel arrangements.
These factors help explain why a familiar holiday tradition can look different in a particular season. They should not be read as evidence that Boxing Day football has ended or that the league intends to use the same pattern every year. A single season’s fixture plan is not a permanent rule.
There is also a difference between the holiday round and the Boxing Day schedule. The holiday round means the set of league fixtures played around the holiday period. The Boxing Day schedule means games actually played on December 26. In 2025, the round continued over the weekend, even though only one game fell on Boxing Day.
How the 2025 holiday round was arranged
The league’s holiday fixtures were distributed over more than one day. Manchester United vs. Newcastle was placed on Friday, December 26, while the other matches in the round were scheduled for the following days. This allowed fans to watch a Boxing Day game without having the entire round played at once.
Spreading matches across a weekend is common in modern football scheduling. It can make room for television coverage and give teams a more workable sequence of matches. It also means the phrase “Boxing Day fixtures” can be misleading if a fixture list groups games under a holiday round that extends beyond December 26.
If you are looking at a calendar, check the individual match date, not just the round number or the heading above a group of fixtures. A round can include games on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. Only a match whose listed date is December 26 counts as a Boxing Day Premier League fixture.
Where could viewers watch the match?
The match was listed as a televised Premier League fixture in the United Kingdom, with Sky Sports carrying the broadcast. The exact channel or streaming option can depend on the broadcaster’s schedule and the viewer’s subscription. Since the game has already taken place, current listings may no longer display it as a live event.
For an archived record, use the Premier League’s official match centre or a reputable results service. Those records can confirm the date, kickoff, teams, competition, venue, and match status. A broadcaster’s live schedule is most useful before kickoff; afterward, a match centre or archive is usually the clearer source for fixture details.
International broadcast rights differ by country. A UK television listing does not tell you which service carried the game in the United States, Canada, Australia, or another market. If you are checking an old broadcast, search the official rights holder for your country and the date of the fixture, rather than assuming the UK channel applied everywhere.
How to verify a past Premier League fixture
Old schedules can be copied across websites, and some pages retain an early kickoff time or an outdated date. If you need a reliable answer—perhaps for a quiz, article, or viewing archive—check the match record rather than relying on a search snippet alone.
- Find the official fixture or match centre. Search for the teams and the 2025-26 Premier League season. This helps separate the league match from cup games involving either club.
- Confirm the date and competition. Make sure the record says Friday, December 26, 2025, and identifies the Premier League. A holiday-week match on another date is not a Boxing Day fixture.
- Check the displayed time zone. The scheduled time was 8 p.m. GMT. Some sites automatically show local time, which can make the same kickoff appear on a different clock time or even a different calendar date.
- Use the match status for historical context. A fixture page may show whether the game was played, postponed, or rescheduled. A pre-match article only tells you what was planned when it was published.
- Check broadcast details separately. The official fixture record is best for match information; the broadcaster’s archive or program listing is better for confirming where a replay or highlights were available.
This process avoids a common mix-up: treating a scheduled fixture as proof of the final event. Weather, safety issues, or other exceptional circumstances can sometimes lead to a postponement. The fixture record shows whether the listed plan remained in place.
Does Boxing Day always have Premier League games?
No. The Premier League does not guarantee that a match will be played on December 26 in every season. Boxing Day games are a longstanding part of English football’s holiday tradition, but the exact schedule depends on the calendar and the league’s fixture arrangements.
Some seasons have several top-flight matches on December 26. Others have fewer, and the date can fall within a wider holiday round that continues on nearby days. In 2025, the answer was one Premier League match. That figure should not be used to predict the schedule for another year.
It is also possible for a match to be moved after the initial fixture list is published. Television selections, cup commitments, European matches, and other operational needs can change dates or kickoff times. For a future Boxing Day, use the latest official schedule rather than assuming a prior season’s pattern will repeat.
Premier League games are not the same as all English football
The Premier League is England’s top division, but it is only one part of the country’s football calendar. Clubs in the English Football League and other competitions may also play during the Christmas period. So a claim that there was one Premier League game on Boxing Day does not mean there was only one football match in England that day.
Competition labels are especially important when reading headlines. A television guide might list several games from different divisions, while a Premier League fixture page lists only top-flight matches. If your question is specifically about Premier League football, check that the competition name is stated alongside the teams.
The same care applies to teams that appear in multiple competitions. Manchester United and Newcastle can play league matches, domestic cup ties, or European fixtures in different parts of a season. The opponent names alone do not identify the competition; the match record does.
Quick answers about Boxing Day 2025
Was there Premier League football on December 26?
Yes. Manchester United hosted Newcastle United in the one Premier League match scheduled for Friday, December 26, 2025.
What time was kickoff?
The scheduled kickoff was 8 p.m. GMT. Check the time zone displayed by an archive or results site before comparing it with a local broadcast listing.
Were all the Premier League matches played on Boxing Day?
No. Only one match was scheduled for December 26. The rest of the holiday round was placed on other days around that date.
Did the date change from Boxing Day?
The match was scheduled for December 26, which is Boxing Day in the United Kingdom. The holiday round included other dates, but that does not change the date of this particular fixture.
Will the same schedule happen every year?
No. The number of Boxing Day Premier League matches varies. Each season’s schedule needs to be checked on its own, and published fixtures can sometimes be adjusted later.
What to check before planning around a holiday fixture
If you are planning travel or setting aside time to watch a future Boxing Day match, treat the initial fixture announcement as a starting point. Confirm the kickoff closer to the date, because television selections and other scheduling changes can affect the plan. This is particularly important if you are traveling to a stadium or coordinating with people in another time zone.
For a match that has already passed, use an archived fixture record instead of a current live schedule. Current pages may show upcoming games only, while old articles can preserve a time that was later changed. A dated match centre provides the clearest way to establish what was scheduled and what happened to the fixture.
One practical point is easy to miss: “holiday weekend” and “Boxing Day” are not interchangeable. When checking a specific date, look at the calendar date listed for each match. That small step prevents nearby Saturday or Sunday fixtures from being incorrectly counted as games played on December 26.
Yes, will there be premier league football on boxing day 2025 has a clear historical answer: one Premier League match was scheduled for Friday, December 26—Manchester United vs. Newcastle United, with an 8 p.m. GMT kickoff. The rest of that holiday round fell on other dates.
For a past fixture, check the official match record; for a future Boxing Day, verify the latest schedule before making plans. The number of games on December 26 can change from season to season.