This French Goalkeeper Faked An Injury To Pause The Match For His Muslim Teammates To Break Their Fast
As medical staff ran onto the pitch to treat Lopes, five of his Muslim teammates sprinted to the sideline to eat dates and drink water.
A French goalkeeper has gone viral after appearing to fake an injury during a match so his Muslim teammates could break their Ramadan fast.
Ramadan, which runs from Feb. 187 to March 19 this year, is the holiest month in Islam, during which Muslims fast from dawn to sunset, every day for about a month.
For professional footballers, fasting during Ramadan is especially grueling.
Most major European football leagues have recognized this.
The Premier League introduced a policy in 2021 that allows referees to briefly pause play at sunset during Ramadan so fasting players can eat and drink.
Germany's Bundesliga followed suit the next year.
However, the French Football Federation (FFF) prohibits official match stoppages for religious reasons, a rule that reflects France's broader national approach to religion in public life.
France enforces some of the strictest secularism laws in Europe, including banning religious face coverings in public spaces.
That left French players with no official way to break their fast during matches.
So on Sunday, Feb. 22, during a Ligue 1 match between Nantes and Le Havre, Nantes goalkeeper Anthony Lopes took matters into his own hands.
In the 74th minute, Lopes — a 35-year-old Portuguese player who is not Muslim — collapsed to the ground near the halfway line, clutching his left hamstring, despite no contact from any opposing player.
As medical staff ran onto the pitch to treat him, five of his Muslim teammates sprinted to the sideline to eat dates and drink water.
Under football rules, goalkeepers — unlike outfield players — are allowed to receive treatment on the pitch, which brings the game to a complete stop.
Lopes used this to his advantage, getting back to his feet especially slowly to give his teammates more time.
Once they were done, he stood up with no visible signs of injury and play resumed.
Nantes won the match 2-0.
The moment went viral, with many calling it a show of solidarity and sportsmanship and renewed pressure on the FFF to bring its rules in line with other major European leagues.
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