Major Sports Events in December 2025

The month of December 2025 isn’t just about one day for many sport fans, it is shaping up to be a blockbuster month, with top-tier action across football, horse racing, cricket, darts, tennis, and American football (NFL). Below we will give you the run down on what is in the calendar. 

First we will look at Football with one of the biggest stories of the month being the Africa Cup of Nations, this gets under way on the 21st December 2025 in Morocco. This prestigious football tournament brings together 24 nations, competing across several Moroccan cities and promises high-stakes, continental drama. Last year’s tournament was won by Ivory Coast.

With it being the time of year when National Hunt fans are in their element, we have the Betfair Tingle Creek Festival which takes place at Sandown Park over 5th and 6th December. The festival features some of the sport’s finest animals the races include the Grade 1 Tingle Creek Chase and the Henry VIII Novices’ Chase which makes it one of the highlights of the winter jumps calendar. 

As Christmas approaches, the festive spirit continues on the racecourse. The Kempton Park Christmas Festival is on 26th and 27th December with the main feature being the King George VI Chase on Boxing Day. 

Other features include the Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon, Cheltenham December Meeting, Leopardstown Christmas Festival and Limerick Festival where some names will be hoping to showcase their talent with long term targets being the Cheltenham Festival in March 2026.

For Cricket fans the marquee event in December is the Ashes series between England and Australia. The 2nd Test runs from 4th to the 8th December in Brisbane, followed by the 3rd Test around 17th–21th December in Adelaide. These matches could be pivotal in determining the outcome of this historic and fiercely contested rivalry.

Darts fans will be glued to their screens as the 2025/26 PDC World Darts Championship begins on 11th December, this prestigious event takes place at Alexandra Palace in London. The tournament has expanded to include 128 players and boasts a record prize fund of £5 million, with £1 million awarded to the winner making this edition particularly noteworthy. 

Also in early December the 2025 WDF Lakeside World Darts Championship is held, this runs until 7 December at Lakeside Country Club in Surrey. 

For tennis enthusiasts there is no Grand Slam but December brings the 2025 Next Gen ATP Finals, scheduled from 17th–21th December at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This event features the top eight ATP singles players aged 20 and under, showcasing rising talent coming into the tours for years to come. 

Lastly to look at is American Football, the NFL Regular Season continues with key games to look out for are:

Dallas Cowboys vs Detroit Lions on the 4th December

Atlanta Falcons vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the 11th December

Los Angeles Rams vs Seattle Seahawks on the 18th December

Buffalo Bills vs Cleveland Browns on the 21st December.

Then on the 25th (Christmas Day) we have a special triple header for you with Dallas Cowboys vs Commanders, Detroit Lions vs Minnesota Vikings and Broncos vs New York Chiefs. The first two games will be streaming on Netflix. 

This month promises to be jam packed with entertainment so fasten your seat belts for a feast of entertaining action. All your latest betting opportunities you can find at Daily Star UK!