Merry S A M T S I R CH
THE MOUS W ORLD-FA RT Y XMAS PA
SPECIAL!
WIN!
£10or0th0of+ w prizes!
INSIDE! ★QUIZZES & GAMES ★XMAS TV ★FESTIVE Q&As
See the back page for full safety information.
H C I S S E M
o y r e Ev WELCOME TO OUR very special Christmas party. We’ve got footy GOATS Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo pulling crackers, Harry Kane dishing up the turkey and the Big Man himself Erling Haaland on delivery duties. Happy Holidays!
DL A N O R IT ’S O!
H O H HO
025 2 S ’ O LE AMES Grub’s up!
2
51 G LS 45 GOA ST S 22 ASSI
Ho-ho-ho!
, S A M T S I HR
one!
FESTIVE FACE-OFF! Pick your Xmas faves from the options here!
MESSI
OR RONALDO
CR7’S 2 025 42 GA MES 37 GOALS 3 ASSIST S
SPROUTS
OR TURKEY
RUDOLPH
OR SNOWMAN
JINGLE BELLS
OR CH12RISTDAMYSASOF Stats correct as of 24 November 2025
MINCE CHRISTMAS OR PUDDING PIE
GOBBLE!
GOBBLE! CATCH THE TURKEY! This feather-brained fella is hiding somewhere in this issue – can you find him? Answer on p45
3
O FE TH
MAGAZINE
HIS 2025 IN AN EMOJI
Premier League Player of 2025
ERLING HAALAND MAN. CITY MORE THAN 50 goals for club and country this year – you’re looking at, unquestionably, one of the most prolific, unstoppable, unplayable strikers the game has ever seen. City may not have won a thing in 2025, but Haaland is our Player of the Year for his eye-popping strike rate! 2025 HIGHLIGHT Netting 14 goals in the first 11 games of this season!
4
World Player of 2025
HARRY KANE bayern munich
HIS 2025 IN AN EMOJI
KANE’S 2025 has been filled with goals, broken records AND silverware. He won the Bundesliga, the Golden Boot, was Bundesliga Player of the Season, became the fastest player to score 100 goals for a club playing in one of Europe's top five leagues and he fired England to next year's World Cup! 2025 HIGHLIGHT Winning the Bundesliga title AND the Golden Boot!
World Young Player of 2025 HIS 2025 IN AN EMOJI
lamine yamal barcelona IT’S AN absolute madness what this kid is doing at just 18. Barcelona’s new No.10 is rewriting the rules of the game and will go on to pick up Ballon d’Or after Ballon d’Or. 2025 saw him bag 21 goals and 22 assists and fire Barca to the La Liga title! 2025 HIGHLIGHT Helping Barca win a domestic treble!
Premier League Young Player of 2025
adam wharton crystal palace
HIS 2025 IN AN EMOJI
SOCKS DOWN, head up – this guy just ran the show in 2025. The 21-year-old ball-playing centre-mid pinged and sprayed his way into everyone’s team of the year – and inspired Palace to their first-ever FA Cup win at Wembley! 2025 HIGHLIGHT Playing a starring role in Crystal Palace’s FA Cup win!
WSL Player of 2025
HANNAH HAMPTON chelsea HER 2025 IN AN EMOJI 6
DOUBLE-H WROTE her name into the history books in 2025 – for both club and country. Thirteen clean sheets in 22 games helped unbeaten Chelsea claim the WSL title in style – she then went on to be the Lionesses penalty-saving hero at Euro 2025! 2025 HIGHLIGHT Winning the 2024-25 WSL Golden Glove for most clean sheets!
WSL Young Player of 2025
OOLIVIA SMITH ARSENAL WHAT A 12 months it’s been for the 21-year-old Canadian. Liv was named Liverpool Player of the Year and PFA Young Player of the Year, before making a record-breaking £1m move to Arsenal in the summer. This year was big – next year could be immense! 2025 HIGHLIGHT Becoming the first-ever £1 million women’s footballer!
HER 2025 IN AN EMOJI
CAST YOUR VOTES! Who is YOUR winner of these awards? Premier League Player of 2025 Premier League Young Player of 2025 World Player of 2025 World Young Player of 2025 WSL Player of 2025 WSL Young Player of 2025 7
T U O R SP
FINISH YOU S P RO U R T S! 1 po
int fully comfopr each questionle! ted
! S R E R SCO
Identify the festive forwards – then count the sprouts to find their 2025-26 LEAGUE GOAL TOTALS... so far!
UT 1 SPROOAL =1G
Player:
Player:
5 Premier League
2025-26 goals:
2025-26 goals:
Player:
4 La Liga
2025-26 goals:
1 Erling Haaland, 14 goals 2 Harry Kane, 14 goals 3 Kylian Mbappe, 13 goals 4 Robert Lewandowski, 8 goals 5 Bryan Mbeumo, 5 goals 6 Joao Pedro, 4 goals
ANSWERS!
8
Player:
2 Bundesliga
2025-26 goals:
YOUR OU UR
3 La Liga
2025-26 goals:
Player:
6 Premier League 2025-26 goals:
SPROUT Y YOUR FOOTY SCORE F BRAIN n /6
6 GENIUS 5 PROFESSIONAL 4 SEMI-PRO 3 AMATEUR 1-2 SUNDAY LEAGUE 0 OH NO, DISASTER
Stats correct as of 22 November 2025
Player:
1 Premier League
LAMINE
Cut out & keep your fave posters!
! L A M YULELAMINE YAMAL
W hat is Father Christmas’ pet dog called? Santa Paws!
O R A C FOOT Y , e e s l il w u o y s e g a p e s On thhe ! D T O M m o fr s g n o s e v ti Five fes , ls o h s a m X r u o y r fo It’s almost time ! ls lo o b im r C e s e th h it So get involved w
ISH YOU W AM R Y CHRIS WOOD!
(to the tune of We Wish You a Merry Christmas)
! C R N A DC L
(to the tune of Deck The Halls) Dec-lan Rice with the Prem trophy, Fa la la la la, la la la la, Liverpool are looking ropey, Fa la la la la, la la la la! He’ll have won the Prem by Christmas, Fa la la la la, la la la la, The end of 22 years of hopelessness, Fa la la la la, la la la la!
10
We wish you a Merry Chris Wood, We wish you a Merry Chris Wood, We wish you a Merry Chris Wood, And a Morgan Gibbs-White! With Dychey’s goatee, And James McAtee, We wish you a Merry Chris Wood, And a Morgan Gibbs-White!
ROLS
O, TOMMY T, O, TOMMY T! (To the tune of O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree) O, Tommy T, O, Tommy T, Who is your No.10? O, Tommy T, O, Tommy T, Who is your No.10? Is it Morgan, Phil or Cole? Or will it be Jude in the hole? O, Tommy T, O, Tommy T, Who is your No.10?
YAMAL I A
A GR
(To the tune of Away in a Manger)
Away in a manger, No crib for a bed, The little Lord Lamine, Lays down his sweet head! The old kings Ronaldo And Messi cry from afar, The little Lord Lamine, The world’s new superstar!
HE’S BRUNO!
(To the tune of Let It Snow) Oh, United, they can be dreadful, But this guy is so delightful, He’s a baller that you will know, He’s Bru-no, he’s Bru-no, he’s Bru-no! He’s got the armband because he’s captain, He’s famous for hitting it top bin, Old Trafford is the place to go, For Bru-no, for Bru-no, for Bru-no! 11
ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE
PREM PREZZIES!
IT’S CALENDAR O’CLOCK! One of our favourite parts of the Christmas countdown is getting an awesome Advent calendar. Some like chomping on chocolate, others prefer pretty pictures, but how about a Topps Premier League Trading Cards calendar? In each window, you’ll find FIVE exclusive cards from the Premier League collection!
Each window in the calendar contains FOUR Festive Parallels and ONE Festive Freeze card!
® & © 2025 THE TOPPS COMPANY, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © The Football Association Premier League Limited 2025.
ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE
This calendar also includes ONE new and exclusive Infinity Card – you won’t wanna miss it!
FESTIVE FAVOURITES!
HO HO HO, MERRRRY MATCH ATTAX! If you’re a massive fan of European footy’s biggest stars, Topps has got you covered. In this epic calendar, you’ll get your hands on a whopping 120 cards – that’s 96 Festive Parallels and 24 Festive Squadzone cards. There’s no better way to count down to Christmas!
T A E L B A L I A V A PS.COM, SMYTHS
TOP AND S E R O T S R E P U S TOYS RS! E L I A T E R D O O G ALL
THE CLUB CHRISTMAS CHAT!
SANTA SQUAD Q 14
MOT D MAGG
WORLD EXCLUSIVE
INTERVIEWS!
MOTD mag's Santa squad
Question 1 Which Christmas item would make the best ball?
Question 2 Which teammate would make the best Santa?
Question 3 Which teammate would make the best (naughty) elf?
Question 4 Which teammate is most likely to blast out the Christmas songs?
Question 5 Which teammate would always win at pulling a cracker?
ALESSIA RUSSO
ARSENAL & ENGLAND ALESSIA: “I think a bauble could make a good ball, but it would have to be one not made of glass of course!”
ALESSIA: “Definitely Beth Mead. She’s always jolly and would love to go round and speak to everyone. She’d play the role well!”
ALESSIA: “I’d say Beth Mead again! She loves pulling a prank or two and loves cracking a joke!”
ALESSIA: “That’s me! We were in the gym in November, and I already had the Christmas music going… I like to get in the Christmas spirit early!”
ALESSIA: “I’d say Lotte Wubben-Moy. No specific k reason other than I think she’d be really good at pulling a cracker!”
ROBERT SANCHEZ
CHELSEA & SPAIN
NICO O'REILLY
MAN. CITY & ENGLAND
LUCY BRONZE
CHELSEA & ENGLAND
ROBERT: “A Brussels sprout – that would be the easiest for me to save!”
NICO: “I'm going to say a bauble!”
LUCY: “I would say a satsuma. Brussels sprouts and a Christmas pudding would fall to bits and a bauble would probably smash!”
ROBERT: “Tosin (Adarabioyo). I feel like Santa needs to be someone responsible and mature, so… I’ll say him!”
NICO: “John Stones – he’s a nice guy!”
LUCY: “I think Maika (Hamano) would be the best Santa because she always has a big smile on her face and is happy!”
ROBERT: “Easy. It’s Enzo Fernandez!”
NICO: “Matheus Nunes – he’s a menace!”
LUCY: “Ha! I have a whole team of them! Sam, Erin, Keira and Jojo (Johanna Rytting Kaneryd) would make good naughty elves – they love making jokes and being sarcastic!”
ROBERT: “Marc Cucurella. He loves it!”
NICO: “That would be Jeremy Doku!”
LUCY: “Probably Millie Bright. She loves playing music to lift the team’s spirits in the dressing room – and she’s really into Christmas!”
ROBERT: “Me! Big hands!”
NICO: “I would have to say Ruben Dias!”
LUCY: “Obviously that’s me – because I’m strong!”
15
TOP 10
m o m t s e g g i B
. n e e b 's it ty o fo f o r a e y a t a h W ! Wow s k c o h s ig b , s k ic k le c y ic b We've seen e v fa n te r u o re a re e H . ls a n fi and brilliant . .. s th n o m 12 t s a p e th m o fr s e ri o mem
Y R A D N E G E L ! S E S S E N O I L 16
! 5 2 0 2 f o s t men
1
CHLOE KELLY was the Euro hero once again! CK’s thumping penalty saw England win a dramatic, nervy and tense penalty shootout against Spain in the Euro 2025 final – it sealed back-to-back Euro wins for Sarina Wiegman’s team!
2025! F O S T N E M O TOP 10 M
2
ND NO SCOTLA NO PARTY!
SCOTT McTOMINAY’S overhead kick set Scotland on their way to North America in one of the most dramatic nights in Scottish history. Their rollercoaster 4-2 win over Denmark, thanks to three incredible goals, saw the Tartan Army qualify for their first World Cup since 1998!
3 CHAMPIONS OF EUROPE! PSG FINALLY cracked the code. After years of near-misses and heartbreak, the French giants secured their first-ever Champions League title – thumping Inter Milan 5-0 in the final at Munich’s Allianz Arena. It was a display of utter domination!n!
18
4
ARSENAL'S N! EURO CROW
IT’S BEEN a long time coming – but wow, Arsenal Women certainly made it worth the wait. For the first time since 2007, the Gunners lifted the Women’s Champions League. Stina Blackstenius’ 74th minute winner gave them a surprise 1-0 win over Barcelona!
5 O SPURS' EUR SUCCESS!
FROM 17TH in the Premier League to Euro glory. Tottenham pulled off one of the wildest turnarounds we’ve seen – beating fellow Prem strugglers Man. United 1-0 in the Europa League final. It was Spurs' first European trophy for 41 years!
WEMBLEY SHOCKER! HISTORY was made at Wembley when Crystal Palace lifted their first-ever major trophy. The Eagles stunned Man. City 1-0 in the FA Cup final, thanks to Eberechi Eze’s first-half goal and Dean Henderson’s second-half penalty save. Amazing scenes!
6
2025! F O S T N E M O TOP 10 M
CHELSEA'SW! SIX IN A RO UNBEATEN. UNREAL. UNSTOPPABLE. Chelsea blasted through the WSL season without losing a single match – securing their sixth title in a row. Total dominance from the Blues – and all done in Sonia Bompastor’s first year in charge!
7
S RELENTLES REDS!
20
8
ANOTHER NEW boss cruising to the title. Arne Slot’s first season at Anfield saw Liverpool clinch a record-equalling 20th league title. No team could get near the Reds, who went on a 26-game unbeaten run on their way to glory!
9 KANE'S GOLDEN MOMENT!
PERFECT S! THREE LION QUALIFICATION doesn’t get cleaner than this. England powered to the 2026 World Cup with a 100% record and zero goals conceded. It was total control from Thomas Tuchel’s Three Lions. The biggest stage of all now awaits!
10
AFTER MORE than 480 goals, countless records and years of waiting… Harry Kane finally got his hands on silverware. The England captain fired Bayern Munich to the Bundesliga title. Trophy drought? Officially over!
My Top 2025 MO! What was your fave footy memory this year? It can be a goal you bagged, a game you watched or something else!
Draw favour your mome ite nt her e
My favourite footy mo of 2025 was...
EMOJI THE MO! Tick an emoji or draw your own! 21
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Use this Match of the Day magazine wrapping paper to wrap a small gift for someone special!
MATCH DAY AY OF T HE
M AG A ZINE
TO:
! s a m t s i r h C y r Mer
FROM:
MATCH DAAY DAY OF T HE
M AG A
ZINE
CANDY
E N A K
HE’S COOKIN’! Cut out & keep your fave posters!
HARRY KANE W hy did the Turkey get shown a red card on its debut? Serious Fowl play!
T HE MOT D
FOOTY PART Y ZONE!
WANT TO swerve the sprouts and stop Grandpa snoring? Get up from the sofa, grab your people and tackle these fun festive footy activities!
Pfft… who ate all the sprouts?
Stuffed with IM JUST CALL H UT ERLING SPRO! HAALAND
6
festive gam and activiti es es!
ACT IVITY
1 PASS THE PALMER!
WHAT YOU NEE D! • Card • Scissors • Glue • A timer or phone
HOW TO PREP 1 Cut out and stick this pic of Cole Palmer onto card. 2 Now cut out the ‘passing’ cards. Fold them up and put them all in a bag (or empty stocking).
HOW TO PLAY 1 Set an alarm or timer to one minute and turn it over face down so no-one can see the time. 2 Stand or sit in a circle. The youngest person starts. Take the Cole Palmer cut-out and a card from the bag. 3 Read the card out aloud and ‘pass the Palmer’ to that person 4+ who matches the description. RS 4 The person with the Cole Palmer cut-out takes another card PLAYE from the bag, reads the card and passes the Palmer on. 5 Continue the game at a fast pace until the alarm goes off. The person with Cole Palmer is the winner!
PASS THE PALMER TO…
28
…the person most likely to score a worldie
…the person who wouldn’t miss a penalty
…the person who wears the smallest boots
…the person who looks most like Cole Palmer
…the person who supports the worst team
…the person who has the smelliest socks
…the person who would be the best diver
…the person who came from the furthest to get here
…the person who would miss a sitter
…the person who can do the most keepy-uppies
…the person who eats all their sprouts
…the person who does the smelliest guffs
…the person who bought this MOTD magazine
…the person who tells the worst jokes
BE SAFE! Check with an adult before you use scissors!
ACT IVITY
2 PIN THE PONYTAIL!
You’ve played pin the tail on the donkey – now pin the hair on this hero!
2-4 PLAYERS
WHAT YOU NEE D!
BE SAFE! Check with an adult before you use scissors!
Don't forget to do the activities on the next page before cutting!
• Sticky tack • A scarf • Scissors HOW TO PREP 1 Cut out and stick this pic of super striker Erling Haaland on a wall. 2 Cut out the four ponytails. Add a blob of sticky tack to each one. HOW TO PLAY 1 Take one of the ponytails. 2 Place a scarf around your eyes as a blindfold. No peeking! 3 Now, try to stick the ponytail on Haaland’s hair. 4 The ponytail closest to the correct position is the winner!
Oi! Me hair!
ACT IVITY
3
SCARF SEARCH!
1 PLAYER
How many Champions League clubs can you circle in this scarf? Look out – the first and last letter overlap!
ANSWER: 6 clubs
2+ PLAYERS
I WENT TO THE 4 (TRANSFER) MARKET
ACT IVITY
WHAT YOU NEE D! • A bowl of sprouts
HOW TO PLAY 1 The first player takes the sprout and says: “I went to the transfer market and bought…” 2 Start with the letter A and say a player’s name: E.g. “I went to the transfer market and bought Alisson!” 3 Then, pass the sprout to another player. They repeat your sentence and add a player’s name beginning with B. “I went to the transfer market and bought Alisson and Bowen!” 4 Repeat this for the entire alphabet, each time adding a player's name to the previous sentence. 5 If that player can’t think of a footballer or can’t remember the sentence within 30 seconds, they keep the sprout. The player with the most sprouts loses.
A is for AGYEMANG!
Z is for ZUBIMENDI!
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ ACT IVITY
5
STOCKING SWIPE!
WHAT YOU NEE D! • Scissors • A timer • A stocking, hat or bowl
HOW TO PLAY 1 Cut out the footy-themed words, fold them and put them into a stocking. 2 Get into teams and take it in turns to pull out a word. Don’t show anyone. 3 Mime or draw the word – but don't say it. 4 If your team guesses correctly within 30 seconds – it’s a goal to you! 30
4-8 PLAYERS
Thomas Tuchel
Adam La Llama
A hat-trick
VAR
Fred the Red
Lamine Yamal
Saka's socks
Champions League trophy
Tiny shinpads
Alexander Isak
Top bins
Pep Guardiola
Chloe Kelly
Ice bath
A pie
Jack Grealish
A GOAT
To nutmeg
Bicycle kick
Sweet Caroline
A dive
ACT IVITY
NUTCRACKER KNOCK DOWN! 6N
WHAT YOU NEE D! • A nut, a Malteser, or a small marble • Scissors • Glue 2-4 • Card
PLAYERS
HOW TO MAKE THE GAME 1 Pull out this page and glue it to a thin piece of cardboard. 2 Carefully cut around the six nutcrackers (and the bases). 3 Fold along the solid black line to make a base. 4 Lean the nutcrackers back so they stand up straight!
HOW TO PLAY THE GAME 1 Position the nutcrackers in a 1-2-3 formation – with Nick Woltemade at the back. 2 Stand behind a line. Take your marble and try to knock down Nick. 3 Take turns with different formations.
BE SAFE! Check with an adult before you use scissors! 31
ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE
ICE COLD CREATION!
WRAP UP WARM because winter is here! Chelsea fans weren’t the only ones feeling the chill last week – this supersized ice sculpture was revealed outside Stamford Bridge ahead of the Blues’ star-studded showdown against Barcelona. The installation by Topps is to celebrate the coldest baller in Britain – Cole Palmer!
This is the Chelsea No.10’s ultra-rare Ice Cold card from the Match Attax UCC 2025/26 collection. It is found once in every 250 packs! Have you managed to find one yet?
IN SHOPS NOW!
ERLING
Cut out & keep your fave posters!
! D N A L O HO-HO-H ERLING HAALAND
W ho says oh-oh-oh? Santa walking backwards!
' S R E L L FO OT BA FESTIVE
em MOTD mag chatted to some Pr and WSL stars to find out howmthe!ey celebrate Christmas back ho
! S N O I T I T RA D WORLD EXCLUSIVE ! INT ERVIEW
MARC CUCU RELL Chelsea
BERNARDO SILVA Man. City
Xmas in...
PORTUGAL
What do you eat in Portugal at Christmas? Bernardo says: “Turkey or cod!”
Xmas in...
SPAIN Festive food Turron – it’s like nougat
Festive tradition in Catalonia Kids have a Christmas log that poops sweets
Festive footy Watch Marc for Chelsea v Aston Villa, 27 December
Festive greeting
What do you think of British festive traditions? Bernardo says: "I’ve never tried Christmas pudding but I do like Brussels sprouts. We always pull crackers but the jokes inside are usually bad, ha-ha!"
What was the best present you got as a young boy? Bernardo says: “The best presents will always be related to football, but getting a PlayStation was great!”
34
¡Fel iazd! Navid
A
Xmas in...
THE NETHERLANDS What do you eat at Christmas?
WORLD
Danielle says: “My family has a ‘gourmetten’ (lots of little dishes) so the whole house stinks of food!”
EXCLUSIVE ! INT ERVIEW
Do you receive presents? Danielle says: “Yes, but we get our gifts on 5 December from Sinterklaas. You find the gifts in the morning in a big bag. I remember getting a football wrapped in Sinterklass paper!”
Can you wish us ‘Merry Christmas’ in Dutch? Danielle says: “Vrolijk Kerstfeest!”
TOMAS SOUCEK
DANIELLE K VAN DE DneOssN es
West Ham
London City Lio
F L OR I A N WIRT Z
WORLD EXCLUSIVE
Liverpool
Xmas in...
! INT ERVIEW
GERMANY Festive food Stollen cake and cinnamon biscuits
Festive footy Watch Florian play for Liverpool v Wolves, 27 December
Festive tradition Krampus in the south of Germany. This half-goat, half-monster comes to scare naughty kids before Christmas
Xmas in...
CZECH REPUBLIC What do you eat at Christmas? Tomas says: “We eat carp and potato salad!”
Festive greeting
Tell us about a Czech tradition at Christmas…
Frohheten! Weihnac
Tomas says: “When kids are 15 years old, we flip a shoe out of an open door. If the shoe goes out of the door, the belief is that the person will leave the family home next year and become an adult!”
Do you get presents? Tomas says: “We get presents from Jezisek (Baby Jesus) on the evening of the 24 December – we find presents under the tree!”
Merry Christmas, Tomas!
Xmas in...
Tomas says: “Vesele Vanoce!”
ITALY
Festive food Fish, meat, pasta and panettone cake
Festive tradition A witch called La Befana who gives out presents – or coal or garlic if you’ve been bad
Festive footy Festive fo t Watch Sandro play for Newcastle v Chelsea, 20 December
Festive greeting
Buolne! Nata
SANDRO TONALI Newcastle
19
' S R E L L A B T FO O FESTIVE ! S N O I T I D A TR
Xmas in...
BRAZIL Festive food Brazilians enjoy a ‘super chicken’ called a Chester Festive footy Watch Matheus play for Man. United v Newcastle, 26 December
OLIV IA S M IT H Arsenal
Festive tradition Brazil celebrates Christmas Eve with fireworks. There is also a floating Christmas tree on the lagoon in Rio
WORLD EXCLUSIVE ! INT ERVIEW
Xmas in...
CANADA What do you eat at Christmas? Olivia says: “In Canada, we eat ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes, mixed veggies and empanadas (a kind of pasty or a pie).”
When and where do you find your presents? Olivia says: “Like in the UK, we find out presents under the tree. My best present ever was a hoverboard. I got it when I was about 13, but it was taken off me almost immediately because I kept hurting myself!”
36
MAT H CU NHEAU S Man. United
Festive greeting
Boass! Festa
WORLD
Xmas in...
JAPAN
EXCLUSIVE ! INT ERVIEW
What do you eat at Christmas? Kaoru says: “Chicken!"
Tell us about a Japanese tradition at Christmas…
Xmas in...
GHANA Festive food Okra stew, porridge and a bouncy dough called Fufu
Festive footy Watch Brentford v Bournemouth, 27 December
Festive tradition On Christmas Eve, there is drumming all through the night. Papa Bronya (Father Christmas) wears red sandals and gifts tasty treats to all of the children Festive greeting
Kaoru says: "Families eat their favourite foods – cakes or chicken, whatever you like!"
Do you get Christmas presents? Kaoru says: “Yes! We do get presents – my favourite was either football boots or a game called Winning 11 (known as PES in the UK)!"
How do you say Merry Christmas back home? Kaoru says: "It’s the same in Japan – Merry Christmas!"
A! AFISHAP KAORU MITOM A Brighton
ANT SEMEONINE YO Bourn emouth
Xmas in...
AUSTRALIA What do you eat at Christmas? Ellie says: “We’ll eat cold seafood, pavlova, fresh fruit, and whatever ends up on the barbecue. It’s way too hot in Australia for heavy roasts!”
WORLD EXCLUSIVE ! INT ERVIEW
Tell us about an Australian tradition at Christmas… E says: “We spend Christmas on the Ellie beach – that usually shocks people in the UK. be Sunscreen, swimmers and a game of beach cricket is normal for us!”
When and where do you find your presents? Ellie says: “We get pressies on Christmas morning! They’re waiting under the tree. Once, when I was about eight years old, I got a massive water slide – I used it for all of the Christmas holidays!”
ELLIE ER T CA R P E N Chelsea
37
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0
BUKAYO SAKA
D N I H E B S “HE’ YOU!”
“OH NO, HE ISN’ T!”
W hat do you get if you cross Santa with a duck? A Christmas quacker!
COLE PALMER
PANTO PALS! A
Cut out & keep your fave posters!
XMASS ON THE BBC! C Unwrap these five festive TV belters this Christmas!
SHAUN THE SHEEP FLEECE NAVIDAD
T ICK W HAT Y O U ’L L T U NIN BE G I N T O!
Christmas Day BBC One & iPlayer Everyone’s favourite woolly friend is back this Christmas for more chaotic fun. Cosy up with Shaun and the gang on the big day!
PUSS IN BOOTS THE LAST WISH Boxing Day BBC One & iPlayer Our feisty feline hero is running out of lives. Strap yourself in for an epic adventure, featuring wolves, bears and, of course, a ginger cat!
SPIDER-MAN ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE Christmas Eve BBC One & iPlayer
Grab the snacks and swing yourself down onto the sofa for this action-packed blockbuster. We don’t think it’s got Spidey-Santa, but it’s got pretty much everyone else!
BBC SPORTS PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR
Christmas Day BBC One & iPlayer This classic story about two scarecrows who need each other is the latest Julia Donaldson tale coming this Christmas. Feet up and fancy paper hats on for this enchanting story!
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Get ready for a night of star-studded sporting icons hoping to get their hands on some festive silverware. Will a Lioness pick up the trophy?
Check out bbc.co.uk/iplayer/guide for up-to-date TV schedules
Broadcast dates are subject to change.
THE SCARECROWS’ WEDDING
Thursday 18 December BBC One & iPlayer
KELLY
Cut out & keep your fave posters!
SNOW Y
CHLOE KELLY
Did you hear about the girl who was scared of Santa? She was Claus-trophobic!
! N WI
PRIZE WORTH
£549.99
!
T E S L L A B OT O F E L B A A T ON L H T A C E BY D BEST. CHRISTMAS. EVER! We’ve teamed up with Decathlon to offer ONE MOTD mag reader the chance to become the go-to host of games night with this immense indoor wooden table football set. The table comes complete with metal players and six cork balls to play with. It’ll send you spinning and scoring into the new year, so get entering!
SCAN TO ENTER
Q
For your chance to win, answer this question: Where do Premier League high-flyers Sunderland play their home matches? A Stadium of Might B Stadium of Light C Stadium of Night
HOW TO ENTER SCAN the QR code, answer the question A, B or C and enter your details when prompted. CLOSING DATE AND TIME: 6 January 2026, 23.59. Open to UK residents only. Entrants under 18 require parent/guardian permission. See page 45 for full terms and conditions.
! N WI ING N I A R T A MEG BUNDLE!
2026 COULD BE YOUR YEAR! Have you ever dreamed of going pro? Well we’ve got you covered. Thanks to our pals at PrecisionPLAY, we’re offering ONE very lucky MOTD mag reader the chance to take their game to the next level with this PrecisionPLAY tekky training bundle. You’ll have everything you need to become the best baller in the business!
PRIZE WOR£T6H00!
OV E R
BUNDLE INCLUDES: Garden Goal (8’ x 6’) Ramp Rebounder Light-up ball Pop-up Target Goal LED Flying Disc Force Football x3 Light Up Pop-up Goal Stop Net Mannequin Set of 3 Solo Kick Skills Trainer
SCAN TO ENTER
Q
For yourr cha chance to win, answ answer we this question: Whichh of these Arsenal stars is a defender? A Gabriel Magalhaes B Gabriel Martinelli C Gabriel Jesus
HOW TO ENTER SCAN the QR code, answer the question A, B or C and enter your details when prompted. CCLOSING DATE AND TIME: 6 January 2026, 23.59. Open to UK residents only. Entrants under 18 require parent/guardian permission. See page 45 for full terms and conditions. CL
E L G N I J
BELL-INGHAM! Cut out & keep your fave posters!
JUDE BELLINGHAM W hy did the snowman win goal of the season? He scored an icicle kick!
ON SA
TUESDAY 3L0E DECEMBER
CONTACTMOTD MAG
IN YOUR NEXT ISSUE! N
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HAPPY ! R A E Y W NE
WHY 20 2026 26 IS GOING TO BE ICONIC! INCLUDES IN NCLUDES BLE G OB B L E ! B Catch the Turkey answer: Page 21, top right
A-Z OF 2026 TRANSFER MAYHEM 2026 PREDICTIONS PLUS LOADS MORE!
GO
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CRAFT A... DEC-ORAT ION! Get me top of the tree!
FORGET TINSEL – deck out your room and hang up a hero! WHAT YOU NEE D! • Ruler • Glue stick • Scissors • 15-30cm of string/ribbon • Sticky tape • Card or paper
BE CAREFUL!
SCISSORS ARE SHARP
W HAT TO DO! your scissors. 1 Take Choose a player.
Carefully, f cut out his head, the boots, the arms and the accessories.
Check with an adult before you start!
one of 3 Take your strips
and glue the two ends together to make a loop. cut out the green 2 Carefully and red strips on page 47.
You need ten strips in total for the body. Using one of the original strips as a template, trace it onto coloured card and cut it out. You will need to do this six times.
another 4 Take strip and pass
it through h the first loop. Glue the ends and stick together. Repeat to form a chain. this is the body. glue the head to 5 Now the top of your chain
and the boots to the bottom. Add arms and an accessory.
take your 6 Finally, ribbon. Glue the
ends, then carefully loop it through the top chain and press the ends together. Now hang up your hero – your DEC-oration is ready!
46
THE BODY need to cut out six more the exact same size! Use these four strips to get started. You'll
THE HEAD Choose a head for your decoration! DECLAN RICE
HARRY KANE
THE ARMS Your hero needs some arms and hands!
COLE PALMER
THE ACCESSORIES Add these Christmassy bits to the hands!
THE LEGS Don’t forget your festive feet!
EMAIL YOUR ART! Send us pics of your DEC-orations! inbox@motdmag.com
47
CHRISTMAS
Party Issue! ! E D I S N I S W HAT '
TOP 1O MOMENTS OF 2025!
Wh are our o winne big rs 2025? of
MOTD MAG AWARDS 2025!
Play these h games witver your fam o Xmas!
Relive the ts gh best highlilast from the year!
FAMILY FOOTY FUN!
Sing up if you love Xmas!
CHRISTMAS CAROLS (WITH A FOOTY TWIST!)
PLUS... posters, quizzes & lols!
W INWO!RTH OF PRIZES! £1000+
Topps Europe Limited, MK8 0AW. Cards may vary from those shown. For Immediate Media Company Limited, London, W6 7BT and Mespil House, Dublin, DO4 T4A6. Warning! Not suitable for children under 36 months due to small parts. CHOKING HAZARD. Please retain this information for future reference. Please recycle any excess packaging where the correct facilities exist. In exceptional circumstances, the advertised gift may be replaced with an alternative gift of equal quality.
Issue 741 £6.99 3 – 29 Dec 2025