The traditional Boxing Day, one of the most emblematic days in English football, will experience its smallest version in more than four decades this year. The Premier League confirmed that only one match will be played on December 26 – Manchester United vs. Newcastle United at Old Trafford – while the rest of the fixtures will be moved to the 27th and 28th. Get 20% off UEFA Champions League broadcasts in Spanish on DAZN. “The Premier League is aware of the circumstances that have led to the reduced number of Boxing Day fixtures this season, with its impact on an important tradition for English football,” the league said in a statement. “There are many challenges to the Premier League calendar that stem from the expansion of European club competitions,” it added, directly blaming UEFA for the adjustment. A Christmas with less football and more business. The change is partly due to contractual obligations with television networks. The agreement stipulates that 33 matchdays must be played on weekends and only five on weekdays, forcing the league to move matches to dates with higher viewership. Thus, the Christmas Day weekend will become a conventional weekend, leaving behind the massive spectacle of December 26. British media outlets such as The Times warned that it will be “the poorest Boxing Day since the Second World War.” In previous seasons, up to ten matches were played simultaneously on that day, while last year there were eight. To find something similar, one has to go back to 1982, when only two matches were played. The Premier League promised that in 2026 the tradition will return to normal, as December 26 will fall on a Saturday. "The league can assure you that next season there will be more matches on Boxing Day. We have maintained our commitment to the clubs and special arrangements have been made to allow more time between matches during the holidays," the organization explained. Meanwhile, The lower divisions of English football—from the Championship to the National League—will maintain the Christmas spirit, scheduling all their matches for December 26. For fans, it will be a way to keep alive a tradition that combines football, family, and solidarity,even though in the elite of the sport it seems to be increasingly giving way to commercial interests.