There’s been a noticeable growth in Christian expression within football. Declarations of players’ faith in press conferences as well as in goal celebrations are becoming the norm, and this growth in expression is beginning to hold influence on the identity and interrelatedness of many football fans.
It would usually be on the overly triumphant occasion that we would see players’ proclamation of their faith — the Champions League finals and so on. Think Ricardo Kaka’s display of his famous “I Belong to Jesus” shirt after the 2007 Champions League final, or Neymar’s “100% Jesus” headband after winning the trophy with Barcelona in 2015.
However, as of late, there’s been a persistency to this expression, and it’s having an impact on Christian fans’ interaction with the beautiful game.
The ‘Bible Brothers’ is the name that’s been given to Arsenal’s Christian contingent, and when manager Mikel Arteta was asked about his players’ shared faiths, he noted its key role in being able to “connect” them. The ‘brothers’ include the likes of Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze, and Jurrien Timber, who’s popular with fans on social media for posting a Bible verse, often relating to his team’s circumstance, before each game week.
The weekly verses have become so popular that the Dutchman’s capable of generating a suspense and query among the fanbase when he’s slightly late to hit the post button, indicating the deeper point of connection his faith has generated with supporters outside of football.
BAME representation in the Premier League has been a major contributor to the recent surge Christian expression has found in English football, with Africa, Asia, and The Americas being represented by 1,037 players at the start of the 2025/26 Premier League season.
These players’ willingness to speak publicly about their religion may ultimately be a factor of their cultural and religious upbringing, given they come from communities where Christianity is treated as a public matter, and where there may be less of a requirement to restrict how open they are on it.
Social media has also aided a newfound relatability between players and fans, especially regarding faith. It provides a way for players to share their beliefs without being filtered or mediated, as well to independently distribute their own messages, promoting authenticity among the individual.
The ability to ‘know’ the athlete behind just the football allows fans to interlink their faith and love for football, and this is due to a reduction in fear that their reliance and optimism in their faith aren’t shared. This is significant among youth, considering the young demographic social media holds as well as the high extent to which football players are role models for the younger generation.
We find expression in this through the rise in content creators blending religious discussions with football talk. Creator Tosin Adesigbin (also known as AFCTosin), who has made numerous appearances on high-reach YouTube productions such as DR Sports & The Big 6ix, revealed that players’ vocality on their faith “does help and encourage more of it” in his own video content.
“I rate [players] based on their ability as footballers, but the faith aspect definitely makes them more likeable,” Tosin said. “I don’t think football is as impartial as it says it is. I’m just happy that footballers are being more open about it instead of being politically correct in the face of agendas”.
Tosin often shares insights from the Bible on TikTok and Instagram and does so on his football related accounts, discarding the need to disconnect his sporting and religious identity.
This openness in faith is funneling into mainstream media, with mainstream sports channels now being less reluctant to mention religion or provide players with a platform to do so and highlight its importance to their game. For instance, Sky Sports recently posted AFC Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo receiving prayer from his pastor before a Premier League fixture, something they’re unlikely to have done some years back — although the channel did dumb down the concept of prayer to “words of advice” in a post on X.
It can be contended that youth and individuals in general are beginning to gravitate towards narratives that are value-led, and because of brands’ recognition of this, they are subsequently incorporating these narratives into their product or service. New Balance’s ‘Faith. Football. Story.’ theme used throughout Bukayo Saka’s ‘7egacy’ boot launch is evidence of this, as is the use of biblical symbols and motifs on his boot to underpin his character, which many may find familiarity with.
“I wanted to create a boot that shares my story with the fans who inspire me every day. From faith to football, everything I care about is woven into this design,” Saka said about his signature boot.
Brands are ultimately beginning to support players of faith within and beyond Christianity, as shown by Nike’s release of the Pro Hijab 2.0 – a renewed version of their performance hijab made for Muslim female athletes, enabling Muslim women to find a comfortability whilst participating modestly in sport.
PUMA have shown a similar support, launching a modest activewear collection, emphasising production of clothing made from lightweight and breathable fabrics to ensure ease and maximum performance for female Muslim athletes. The company also produced a hijab for Moroccan footballer Nouhalia Benzina to wear at the 2023 Women’s World Cup, making her the first player to wear a hijab in the competition’s history, which would lead to the inclusion of the hijab in EA Sports’ video game FIFA 23 and therefore, a greater representation of Muslim women in football.
Going further into 2026, we’re likely to see an evolved and less traditional voicing of their faith, whether this be digitally or through urban creative culture, and in nonverbal ways such as through symbolism, style and design.
