Muslim players prostrating themselves before Allah; players from Germany and Curaçao praying together on the field after the former beat the latter 7-1; a prayer circle within the Dutch team — this is the most openly religious World Cup in memory. Religion may have a particular appeal for football players, but these scenes also reveal wider social changes.
“This says something about the return of religion to the public sphere,” says Mariecke van den Berg, professor of theology at Amsterdam’s Vrije Universiteit. “But this new religious landscape will look different.”
Historically, Catholicism has dominated the World Cup, with Catholic-majority countries winning 18 of the 22 tournaments. The former West Germany, divided roughly half and half between Protestants and Catholics, won three more. The only non-Catholic champion was England in 1966. This means that the most common religious gesture over the decades was players making the sign of the cross.
Some still do, like Croatian Petar Musa after scoring against England, or Argentina’s United States coach Mauricio Pochettino in a tense moment during the victory over Australia.
But evangelical Christianity came to prominence after the 2002 World Cup final, when some Brazilian players celebrated the victory by wearing T-shirts that said “Jesus ♥ You.” In 2022, Islam followed suit as Morocco reached the semi-finals. Players and coaching staff recited together the first chapter of the Quran before beating Spain on penalties, then knelt down to perform Sujood al-Shukr, a prostration of thanks to Allah. Many Muslim players, such as Egyptian Mo Salah, score their goals with Sujood.
Islamic expression could irritate the European far right. When German defender Antonio Rüdiger posted a selfie on a prayer rug pointing to the sky, he was wrongly accused of endorsing terrorism. Last week, far-right Dutch politician Geert Wilders wrote an expletive above a photo of Moroccan players praying after training. The snub has encouraged some Dutch players of Moroccan origin, such as the devout bearded winger Noussair Mazraoui, to choose his parents’ homeland over the Netherlands.
Most Europeans are more receptive to evangelical Christian players, who tend to be descendants of immigrants. Asked about the prayer between Germany and Curaçao, German Felix Nmecha said: “After the match, we are all Christians… We all believe that Jesus is glorified through the game.”
These gestures are not entirely spontaneous. Nmecha and Kenji Gorré, from Curaçao, belong to the Christian chain Ballers in God, on whose website Nmecha advertises “Jesus Loves You” shin guards: “Not only are they lightweight and the perfect fit for me, they are all about Jesus.”
Proselytism is common among evangelical players. Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson Becker helped baptize his former Brazilian Liverpool teammate Roberto Firmino.
Van den Berg says: “I think the most viable form of Christianity in Europe right now is evangelical Christianity, both for immigrant churches and for whiter churches. They manage to connect with youth culture, through short, emotionally driven sermons. And it has a clear story.
“He is often ethically conservative, which is more attractive than ethical progressiveness because it offers a very clear framework for his life — what is permissible and what is not.”
She believes religion “can have a positive effect on players.” Many players migrate young. Religious faith helps them deal with loneliness, pressure, and setbacks like sitting on the bench, and can alleviate their guilt about becoming rich while people they grew up with remain poor. “Pentecostal Christianity in Latin American countries is often based on prosperity theology, which sees wealth as a sign that God blesses you,” she says.
Prayer can also help players prepare for games. Dutch winger Crysencio Summerville says that before a match he calls his family, “and we pray together, and I focus.” Afterwards he prays to his late grandmother, asking her “to give me strength.”
Religion in football can generate political conflicts. Many evangelical Christians have right-wing views on issues such as the rights of LGBT+ people or women, says van den Berg. Nmecha’s political views have caused controversy in Germany. When he signed for Borussia Dortmund, some fans were against it, accusing him of transphobia and homophobia — which he denies. Dortmund implemented a stricter social media policy covering Nmecha after he posted a tribute to murdered American far-right commentator Charlie Kirk.
Religiosity has become so prevalent that on some teams a religious majority can exert pressure on non-believing teammates. The entire Brazil squad — including Catholics and evangelicals — prayed together at the 2014 World Cup. Now even Curaçao’s Dutch coach, Dick Advocaat, never before known for his religiosity, participates in his team’s collective prayer. In contrast, in the Dutch team, Summerville accepts that some players don’t pray: “Everyone has their own way.”
The abundance of Dutch-born Christian players at this World Cup surprised a largely secular Netherlands. Van den Berg says this is partly because European political debate generally focuses on Muslim immigrants, not Christian immigrants. The tournament’s religiosity, she says, signals “that Europe is not as secular as it thought.”
