Premier League set for Ramadan breaks - Here’s what it means for Liverpool

The Premier League and English Football League will once again pause matches during Ramadan, with officials instructed to allow a short break so fasting Muslim players and staff can take on food and drink after sunset.

These pauses, taken at a natural stoppage in play, were first introduced across English football in 2021 and have generally been welcomed by players, managers and supporters as a simple, practical show of respect for the holy month. The practice has since become a regular feature of evening kick‑offs, particularly as Ramadan has moved into the winter schedule and clashes more frequently with peak‑time fixtures.

For Liverpool, the continuation of Ramadan breaks is directly relevant to Mohamed Salah and Ibrahima Konate, who are expected to fast throughout the month.

Ramadan 2026 in the UK is projected to run from the evening of 17 February until around 19–20 March, meaning all Liverpool games played in that window could see a brief pause if requested. With sunset falling roughly between 17:30 and 18:00 during this period, late‑afternoon and early‑evening fixtures are the most likely to be affected, giving Salah and Konate a chance to break their fast mid‑match before playing on.

Below is a table of all the Reds fixtures projected to fall within the Ramadan period:

Date Kick-off (UK) Fixture Competition Sun 22 Feb 16:00 Nottingham Forest vs Liverpool Premier League Sat 28 Feb 17:00 Liverpool vs West Ham Premier League Mon 3 Mar 22:15 Wolves vs Liverpool Premier League Sun 15 Mar 18:30 Liverpool vs Tottenham Premier League

According to the BBC, in line with recent seasons, captains (so Virgil van Dijk in Liverpool’s case) and referees will work together to build in a short pause so that any Muslim players or officials can break their fast.

Before kick‑off, both teams and the officiating crew will agree if a stop is needed and roughly when it should happen. The game itself will not be halted during active passages of play; instead, the break will be taken at the first suitable restart, such as a goal-kick, free-kick or throw‑in.

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