No Man's Land

1914

A messenger come over from the German lines and said that if we did not fire Xmas day, they (the Germans) wouldn't so in the morning (Xmas day). A German looked over the trench – no shots – our men did the same, and then a few of our men went out and brought the dead in (69) and buried them and the next thing happened a football kicked out of our Trenches and Germans and English played football.

Night came and still no shots. Boxing day the same, and has remained so up to now.

Staff Sergeant Clement Barker (1st Battalion Grenadier Guards)

Though there was no official truce in 1914 as many as 100,000 soldiers were involved in ceasefires along the 40 km length of the Western Front. Their commanders were not pleased, and troops were warned that any fraternization with the enemy would be severely punished, possibly by execution.
The official log of the 1/6th Cheshire Regiment mentions football being played, as do a number of contemporary soldiers' letters.From these sources it would appear that something resembling a  match (or at least a dinner-break kick about)  really did happen in the No Man’s Land  near Armentières, France, and that the Germans won 3-2.
Not all soldiers were well disposed to the idea:

The Seaforths (a Scottish regiment) … would have none of it and when the Germans in front of them tried to fraternise and leave their trenches, the Seaforths warned them that they would shoot.This is an extraordinary state of things and I don’t altogether approve of it. Still, it gives me and my observation post a quiet time.

 Major John Hawksley (Royal Field Artillery)

1915

It wasn't a game as such, more a kick-around and a free-for-all. There could have been 50 on each side for all I know. I played because I really liked football. I don't know how long it lasted, probably half an hour.

Private Bertie Felstead (Royal Welch Fusiliers)