This time of year is important for many football players, as quality performances in February and March can often make or break a team’s season both domestically and in continental competition.
Yet for personal reasons, it’s also important for many players around Europe and the globe who are observing a religiously and spiritually special period of the year.
Late winter and early spring for the Northern hemisphere is the time for Ramadan, when those of the Muslim faith take stock of their lives and search for meaning in specific ways.
As a result, the Premier League is making special accommodations for those who observe, allowing those individuals a bit of space to compete in matches while at the slight disadvantage presented by the holiday’s proceedings.
However, this is not a uniform situation across the biggest leagues in Europe.
MORE: Premier League matches planning slight pause to allow those observing Ramadan to break their fast
When is Ramadan?
For the 2026 calendar year, Ramadan will begin on February 17 and run through March 19.
Because the holy month follows the moon cycle, it has to be confirmed each year, with the crescent moon spotted on the evening of February 17, officially beginning the holiday.
La Liga matches will not pause to accommodate Ramadan observers
There are currently no plans for La Liga matches to pause at sunset for players observing Ramadan to break their fast.
“The observance of Ramadan is handled directly between each player and their respective club, in coordination with standard match operations,” a league spokesperson told The Sporting News.
This is different than other European leagues, including the Premier League and Bundesliga which are both seeing games briefly paused for Muslim players to break their fast. Both have been doing so for a number of years, with the Premier League starting this tradition in 2021, and the Bundesliga following suit in 2022.
The only matches that would be affected are those with very specific kickoff times that see games run through the official sunset time locally.
For example, on Sunday, February 22, only one of the four matches was played during sunset. Celta Vigo vs. Mallorca kicked off at 6:30 p.m., and that match was at halftime when sunset hit locally in Vigo at 7:16 p.m.
Barcelona hosted Levante with a local kickoff time of 4:15 p.m., and the game had ended by the time sunset hit in Barcelona at 6:33 p.m. local. Later, the sky had long since been dark by the time Villarreal vs. Valencia kicked off at 9 p.m. locally.
What is Ramadan?
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is considered the holiest month for Muslims around the world. It is a time of fasting, prayer, self-reflection, and community, observed by nearly two billion Muslims.
Ramadan lasts for 29 or 30 days, depending on the sighting of the crescent moon, which marks its beginning and end.
The holiday holds deep religious and spiritual significance in Islam because it is believed to be the month when the first verses of the Quran were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad by the angel Jibril (Gabriel).
Why do Muslims fast during Ramadan?
One of the main aspects of Ramadan is fasting, known as sawm in Arabic.
Fasting from dawn to sunset is obligatory for all physically able Muslims. This includes refraining from eating, drinking, smoking, and engaging in sinful behavior. The following groups are exempt from fasting: Children who have not yet reached puberty; elderly individuals; pregnant, nursing, or menstruating women; the acutely and chronically ill; and travelers on long journeys.
The predawn meal is referred to as sahur, and the nightly feast that breaks the fast is called iftar.
Fasting is meant to be about more than just avoiding food and drink. It is also a way to practice self-control, humility, and empathy for the less fortunate. The spiritual rewards, or thawab, of fasting, are believed to be multiplied during Ramadan, and Muslims are supposed to focus on spiritual growth during Ramadan.
