Overview
- Manchester United host Newcastle United at Old Trafford in the lone Boxing Day fixture in 2025.
- The Premier League cites fixture congestion tied to UEFA competition expansion, FIFA’s 72-hour rest guidance, and a binding FA requirement for 33 weekend matchdays.
- Most of the round’s other games are moved to the weekend, with seven matches set for December 27.
- The move breaks a long-standing tradition that typically sees a full slate on December 26, with the last comparable scarcity occurring in 1982.
- The league frames this year’s schedule as an exception and signals a likely return to a fuller Boxing Day program in 2026.