Take a deeper look at some of the best Christian football players, some of whom you may not be aware are followers of Jesus. Some of the Arsenal players on our list have openly expressed their faith, while others are currently unknown.
1. Gabriel Magalhaes
Brazilian professional football player Gabriel dos Santos Magalhães (born December 19, 1997), better known by his nickname Gabriel, is a center-back for both the Brazil national team and Premier League Club Arsenal. Known for his power, tenacity, tackling, and aerial danger, he is regarded as one of the world’s top center backs.
After graduating from Avaí’s youth program in 2016, Gabriel started his senior club career there. The following year, Avaí left for Lille, a French team, after being promoted to the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A. Before coming back to Lille, Gabriel was loaned to Troyes and Dinamo Zagreb. He paid £27 million to join Arsenal in 2020.
A Christian, Gabriel Magalhães is a professional football player from Brazil who plays for both Arsenal and the Brazil national team. His Instagram post affirms that he is a Christian, even if he hasn’t mentioned his denomination in public. He shared a photo of his family that included “Proverb 16:3” on December 31, 2024. “Happy New Year!”
2. Jurrien Timber
Dutch professional football player Jurriën David Norman Timber was born on June 17, 2001. He plays defense for both the Netherlands national team and Premier League Club Arsenal.
Timber transferred from Feyenoord to Ajax’s junior academy in 2014. He made his Ajax first team debut in March 2020 and went on to win one KNVB Cup and two Eredivisie titles. In 2022, he received the Marco van Basten Award. Timber paid a £34 million initial transfer fee to join Arsenal in July 2023.
Timber played 29 youth international games for the Netherlands. He played for the under-17 squad that took home the UEFA European Under-17 Championship in 2018. In June 2021, he made his senior international debut.
Timber’s life revolves around his faith. He draws strength and inspiration from his views as a devoted Christian, and he frequently shares Bible passages on social media to convey encouragement and happiness.
3. Oleksandr Zinchenko
Born on December 15, 1996, Oleksandr Volodymyrovych Zinchenko is a professional football player from Ukraine who plays midfield or left back for Arsenal of the Premier League and the Ukrainian national team.
Zinchenko joined Manchester City in 2016 for a reported £1.7 million after starting his career with Ufa in the Russian Premier League. Under Pep Guardiola, he became a left-back after beginning his career as an attacking midfielder. With the team, he won four Premier League championships, four EFL Cups, and one FA Cup. He paid £30 million to join Arsenal in July 2022.
Zinchenko has been a full Ukrainian international since 2015. In 2016, 2020, and 2024, he played for his nation at the UEFA European Championship.
Wikipedia states that Oleksandr Zinchenko is an Eastern Orthodox Christian.
4. Myles Lewis-Skelly
Born on September 26, 2006, Myles Anthony Lewis-Skelly is a professional football player from England who plays for Arsenal of the Premier League and the England national team as a left-back and midfielder.
Having joined Arsenal at the age of nine, Lewis-Skelly made his first appearance with the first team during the 2024–2025 season.
Lewis-Skelly made his debut, scored his first international goal against Albania, and won man of the match after being chosen for the senior squad in March 2025 for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification after playing for England at several youth levels.
His religion is not something he has made public, but he made a comment when he made his debut for England. “Thank God.”
5. Martin Ødegaard
Born on December 17, 1998, Martin Ødegaard is a Norwegian professional football player who plays midfield for Arsenal in the Premier League and captains the Norwegian national team. He is considered one of the world’s top midfielders and is well-known for his passing and vision.
At the age of 15, Ødegaard started his professional club career in 2014 with Strømsgodset, setting the Tippeligaen record for the youngest goalscorer. In 2015, he made a €4 million (Kr. 35 million) transfer to Real Madrid, where he set the club record for the youngest player.
Following inconsistent playing time, Ødegaard went on loan to La Liga team Real Sociedad and Eredivisie clubs Heerenveen and Vitesse from 2017 to 2019. In 2019, he won the Copa del Rey with Real Sociedad. In August 2021, he signed a permanent contract with Arsenal after spending six months on loan during the second half of the 20–21 campaign. The initial transfer fee was £30 million (€35 million). In July 2022, he was named captain of the team.
In 2014, Ødegaard earned his senior international debut for Norway at the age of 15. He also holds the records for being the youngest player to play in a UEFA European Championship qualifying match and the youngest senior Norway player. In March 2021, he became Norway’s full captain.
Odegaard, Martin, is a Christian. He has said that Christianity is essential to him and that he was reared in a Christian home.
6. Fabio Vieira
Portuguese professional football player Fábio Daniel Ferreira Vieira was born on May 30, 2000, and he plays attacking midfield for Arsenal in the Premier League.
He began his career with Porto, where he won two Primeira Liga titles and the 2021–22 Taça de Portugal, making 76 competitive games and scoring 10 goals. He joined Arsenal in July 2022 [2] and returned to Porto on loan two years later.
Vieira played youth football for Portugal. He was chosen as the tournament’s top player after finishing second with the under-21 squad in the 2021 European Championship.
The religion of Fabio Vieira is unknown to the general public. Although Fabio Vieira De Franca’s book “Notes of Success” is about Christianity, it has nothing to do with the football player. The player is a professional football player from Portugal named Fábio Daniel Ferreira Vieira. There are no available sources that discuss his personal religious beliefs.
7. Declan Rice
English professional football player Declan Rice was born on January 14, 1999. He plays defensive midfield for both the England national team and Premier League Club Arsenal. Known for his endurance, ability to carry the ball, and ability to tackle, he is considered one of the world’s top midfielders.
After being released by Chelsea’s academy, Rice started his professional career at West Ham United and became a vital member of the first squad by 2017. He was voted the club’s Player of the Season in 2022 after taking over as captain from Mark Noble. The following year, he guided the team to a UEFA Europa Conference League championship.
Rice became the second most expensive English player in history when he was signed by Arsenal in July 2023 for a club record cost of £100 million after making 245 appearances for West Ham.
Prior to 2019, Rice played for the Republic of Ireland internationally at both the youth and senior levels, making him eligible to play for either the Republic of Ireland or England. Later, he switched his nationality and declared himself open to England’s selection. Rice made his England debut in 2019. He has since played for the nation at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2020, and Euro 2024, where he finished second in both European Championship competitions.
He was brought up in a Catholic home and has Irish ancestry.
8. Bukayo Saka
Ayoyinka Bukayo English professional football player Temidayo Saka was born on September 5, 2001. He plays as a right winger for both the England national team and Premier League team Arsenal. He is considered to be one of the greatest players in the world and is well-known for his inventiveness, dribbling, and work ethic.
Saka has been at Arsenal for his whole first-team career. He has won two FA Community Shields and one FA Cup, and he has steadily grown to become one of the team’s most important players. He was selected Arsenal’s Player of the Season after the 2020–21 and 2021–22 seasons.
Before making his senior squad debut in October 2020, Saka played for England at several youth levels. He was a member of England’s teams for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2020 and 2024, when England placed second in both competitions.
It is said that Bukayo Saka is a devout Christian. He has stated that he spends every night reading the Bible.
“This is my bible. It was a gift from my dad.
It’s really special to me, I try to read it every night before I go to bed.
I’ve learned a lot from it and still reading it all the time, so it’s important for me.”
“Religion is a big part of my life. I’m a strong believer in God.
Reading this bible all the time helps me to learn more and more about God.
I normally memorise the messages and what it means and try and take it into my life.”
9. Gabriel Jesus
Brazilian professional football player Gabriel Fernando de Jesus was born on April 3, 1997. He plays forward for both the Brazil national team and Premier League team Arsenal.
Jesus started his senior club career at Palmeiras, where he won the Copa do Brasil and was chosen as the 2015 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A’s Best Newcomer. He helped Palmeiras win their first national league championship in 22 years in 2016 by winning the Bola de Ouro. Jesus won four Premier League titles, three EFL Cups, and an FA Cup after joining English team Manchester City in January 2017 for a £27 million deal. He paid £45 million to join Arsenal in July 2022.
Jesus made his senior debut for Brazil in September 2016 following 21 caps and seven goals at the youth level, which included making it to the FIFA U-20 World Cup final in 2015 and taking home an Olympic gold medal in the 2016 Summer Olympics. In addition to playing in the Copa América in 2019 and 2021, where he won the former competition, he was a member of the teams that competed in the FIFA World Cup in 2018 and 2022.
He apparently decided to wear the number 33 in remembrance of the age at which Jesus Christ was crucified, and he hails from a religious household.
10. Reiss Nelson
English professional football player Reiss Luke Nelson was born on December 10, 1999, and he plays winger for Arsenal in the Premier League.
Nelson, who was born in London, enrolled in Arsenal’s academy at the age of nine and worked his way up to the first squad, frequently playing above his age group. Before going on loan to pursue first-team football, he earned his Arsenal debut in the 2017 FA Community Shield. Nelson returned to Arsenal after earning experience at TSG Hoffenheim in Germany during the 2018–19 campaign, although Mikel Arteta, the new manager, utilized him infrequently because of injuries.
After that, he went on loan to Feyenoord in the Netherlands, where he improved their season and saw more first-team experience. Since then, Nelson has been on loan at Fulham for the 2024–2025 campaign.
Since making his debut for the under-16 team in November 2014, Nelson has played for England in every youth international squad. He has participated in multiple youth UEFA European Championships, and because of his efforts in England’s quarterfinal finish, he was chosen for the 2016 under-17 edition’s Team of the Tournament.
Reiss Nelson identifies as a Christian. He has openly shared his religion on social media, citing Philippians 4:13—”I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”—in one piece. In the Premier League, he is also a member of a group of Black British Christians, according to The New York Times.
