25 December 2023 , 06:00
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Can't wait for Boxing Day for your football fix? Well there is still some action taking place on Christmas Day.
With the Premier League deciding to bring back a game on Christmas Eve, the pause of action in the English top flight is even shorter than usual. Wolves hosted Chelsea on December 24, and with the traditional action on the 26th, there is only one day without matches.
That wasn't always the case though, with matches taking place on the day itself from Victorian times all the way to the 1950s. The addition of floodlights to modern stadia meant that matches didn't have to be crammed in as tightly, allowing players to have a very rare day away from competitive action.
The pause goes along with the majority of top leagues around the world, with many in Europe in the midst of their winter breaks. Harry Kane, for example, will get his Christmas off altogether with Bayern Munich's Bundesliga season halting for three weeks until January 12.
But don't fear, there is still some football taking place while many of us tuck into our Christmas dinners. In total there are matches from 15 different competitions, with the most high-profile taking place in Turkey.
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Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is likely to be in action when Besiktas take on Hatayspor at 5pm. This year marks his first in Turkey following his decision to leave English football at the end of his Liverpool contract.
In previous years, the Saudi Pro League have played games on December 25, but the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Jordan Henderson and Karim Benzema have the day off this time around. The second division in Saudi is in action, along with some other divisions across several continents.
Here is the full list of games, unfortunately none of them will take place on British TV.