The best pre match breakfast is usually the one you have eaten many times before. Familiarity beats novelty, and comfort beats cleverness. There is no universal meal or magic timing that suits every player.
Key takeaways
Choose foods you eat regularly and know you tolerate. Leave enough time for the meal to settle before kick off. For very early kick offs, eat something smaller rather than nothing. Have a drink with breakfast, but do not force large volumes. Talk to a GP or registered dietitian about allergies, medical conditions or ongoing stomach problems.
Familiar beats optimal
Match morning is the wrong time to try a new cereal, a new bar or a big breakfast you would not normally eat. Players who change their routine on match day are the ones who end up uncomfortable during the warm up.
Ordinary breakfasts do the job. Porridge or cereal with milk, toast with a spread, eggs on toast, a bagel, yoghurt with fruit, or a smoothie are all reasonable. The NHS Eatwell Guide is a useful reference for what a balanced plate looks like generally.
Give yourself time, but do not obsess over the clock
You want the meal to have settled by the time you are warming up. For many players that means eating a couple of hours or so beforehand, but this varies a lot between individuals, and there is no evidence based universal figure that applies to everyone.
The practical version is to notice what has worked for you. If you tend to feel heavy, eat a bit earlier or a bit less. If you tend to run out of energy, eat a bit more or add a small top up closer to kick off. Test changes in training, not before a trial.
Early kick offs
A 9am or 10am kick off is the most common problem, because nobody wants to get up at 6am to eat a full breakfast. The usual compromise is a smaller, easier breakfast eaten when you get up, plus a small snack later if you feel you need it.
Something light and familiar is far better than skipping breakfast entirely. Playing on nothing at all often leads to feeling flat and lightheaded, particularly for growing players. If mornings are consistently difficult, look at the evening before rather than trying to cram food in at 7am. Our guide on what to eat the night before a trial applies to any big morning fixture.
Drinks with breakfast
Have a normal drink with breakfast, such as water, milk or juice. There is no need to drink a large volume in advance, and doing so usually just means an uncomfortable warm up. For hot days and long tournament mornings, our hydration guide for footballers and match day hydration guide cover it properly.
We do not recommend energy drinks or caffeine products for under 18s.
Nerves and appetite
Feeling too nervous to eat before a big match is very common, especially before trials. If solid food is hard, something liquid such as milk, a smoothie or a yoghurt drink is often easier to manage. Small amounts eaten calmly work better than a large plate forced down in a rush.
If nerves regularly stop a young player eating, or if eating before matches has become a source of real anxiety, that is worth raising with a parent or guardian and a GP rather than treating as a nutrition problem.
Allergies, diabetes and other conditions
Always check ingredients if you have a food allergy, particularly with cereals, bars and anything eaten at a venue. Carry prescribed emergency medication and make sure a coach knows where it is.
If you have diabetes, morning exercise affects blood glucose in a way that is specific to you, so follow the plan agreed with your diabetes team. The NHS guidance on exercise and sport with type 1 diabetes is linked below.
When to get professional advice
For players under 18, a parent or guardian should be involved in match day planning. Speak to a GP or ask for a referral to a registered dietitian if there is unexplained tiredness, unintentional weight loss, persistent stomach symptoms, a restricted diet, or difficulty around eating. We do not give individual gram or calorie targets, because those need a professional who knows the player.
Sources and further reading
- NHS: The Eatwell Guide
- NHS: Healthy eating for teens
- NHS: Food allergy
- NHS: Exercise and sport with type 1 diabetes
- NHS: Water, drinks and your health
This article is general information for players and parents. It is not medical or individual dietary advice.
Make your match days count
A good routine helps you perform like yourself more often. When you have a season worth showing, build a football CV so scouts can find it in one place.