--- title: Faith on the pitch date: 2026-06-09T12:19:00+01:00 author: Nicola Morrison canonical_url: "https://www.eauk.org/news-and-views/faith-on-the-pitch" section: Articles --- Share [](https://www.facebook.com/dialog/share?app_id=1769260916495219&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.eauk.org%2Fnews-and-views%2Ffaith-on-the-pitch) [](https://x.com/intent/tweet?text=Faith%20on%20the%20pitch&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.eauk.org%2Fnews-and-views%2Ffaith-on-the-pitch) [](https://www.facebook.com/dialog/send?app_id=1769260916495219&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.eauk.org%2Fnews-and-views%2Ffaith-on-the-pitch&link=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.eauk.org%2Fnews-and-views%2Ffaith-on-the-pitch&display=popup) [](mailto:?subject=Shared%20from%20Evangelical%20Alliance&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.eauk.org%2Fnews-and-views%2Ffaith-on-the-pitch) #### As the football world turns its attention to the World Cup, millions of people will watch elite athletes perform on the biggest stage in sport. Some viewers will notice the occasional public expression of Christian faith: a prayer before kick-off, a gesture of thanks after a goal, a reference to God in a post-match interview. But there is a much bigger story unfolding beneath the surface. Over the past year, Christians in Sport has been conducting research into the presence of Christianity across the top six tiers of men’s professional football in England and Wales. The project was commissioned partly as we approach our 50th anniversary. Partly because of a growing curiosity about what Christian faith actually looks like within the modern game. For many years, we have heard stories from players, chaplains and club staff: a young professional trying to follow Jesus in a challenging dressing-room environment; a Bible study beginning with two players and gradually growing; a Christian footballer struggling to find church because of the demands of the fixture schedule. We wanted to move beyond anecdotes and better understand the wider picture. Sponsored[](#) [ ![](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%271%27%20height%3D%271%27%20style%3D%27background%3Atransparent%27%2F%3E) ](https://www.toybox.org.uk/birthcertificate) What emerged was both encouraging and challenging: **1. Christian faith is far more widespread than many people realise** The headline finding was that **three in four clubs surveyed reported Christian players in their first-team squads**. For those who assume Christianity has largely disappeared from public life, football offers a surprising counter-example. Christian players can be found throughout the football pyramid, from the Premier League to the National League South. This is a huge contrast to times of the past. When the ministry began in 1976, there were believed to be only a handful of known Christian players across the professional game. Today, Christian footballers are present in most clubs. **2. Christians are not just surviving – they are gathering** One of the most encouraging discoveries was the extent of Christian fellowship taking place within clubs. **Four in ten clubs reported regular Christian activities such as Bible studies and prayer meetings**. In the Premier League, the figure rises to half of all clubs surveyed. Behind those statistics are real people. One Championship club reported up to fourteen people attending regular Bible studies. A club in National League South reported 12 attending. More than a third of these gatherings are led by players themselves. At a time when many Christians feel increasingly isolated in their workplaces, there is something deeply encouraging about believers opening the scriptures together in football clubs up and down the country. **3. Following Jesus in football remains costly** The research also revealed significant challenges. Again and again, **players spoke about the tension between dressing-room culture and Christian convictions**. They described the pressure of wanting to belong while remaining faithful to Christ. Others highlighted the relentless scrutiny that comes with professional sport. Performance, contracts, injuries, selection and criticism can all become powerful influences on identity and self-worth. One player described feeling like an outsider because conversations and behaviours within the dressing room often conflicted with their beliefs. Another spoke about the difficulty of finding Christian fellowship because football schedules make church involvement complicated. These are reminders that Christian footballers need more than admiration from afar. They need prayer, friendship, discipleship and support. ![Kaka Christian footballer AC Milan Alamy](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%271%27%20height%3D%271%27%20style%3D%27background%3Atransparent%27%2F%3E) ![Kaka Christian footballer AC Milan Alamy](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%271%27%20height%3D%271%27%20style%3D%27background%3Atransparent%27%2F%3E) **4. Confidence appears to be growing** The research cannot tell us exactly why Christianity appears more visible within football than in previous generations. The internationalisation of the game is certainly part of the explanation. There also seems to be a growing confidence among Christian players to speak openly about their faith. More and more, they see faith not as separate from football, but as something that shapes how they play, lead, deal with success and respond to disappointment. That confidence matters because footballers are role models for millions of people. Their witness is often seen long before it is heard. **5. There is still much more to do** Perhaps the strongest message from the research is that Christian footballers do not want to walk alone. Many respondents expressed a desire for more fellowship, more biblical teaching, more mentoring and more connection with other believers in football. They value chaplains, local churches and ministries that help them remain rooted in Christ. For the wider church, that should be both an encouragement and a challenge. Football is often viewed simply as entertainment. Yet for many players, it is also a mission field. Behind the television cameras are men trying to follow Jesus in demanding and sometimes lonely circumstances. > ...Christian footballers do not want to walk alone.” As the World Cup unfolds, Christians will rightly celebrate moments when players speak openly about their faith. But perhaps our greater responsibility is to pray for those believers long after the tournament ends. Pray that they would remain rooted in Christ. Pray that they would find strong local churches. Pray that they would have the courage to live and speak for Jesus. And pray that the growing number of Christian communities within football clubs would continue to flourish. The research suggests that God is already at work in professional football in ways many of us rarely see. The opportunity now is for the wider church to recognise it, encourage it and join in prayerful support. To learn more about Christians in Sport and access resources for sportspeople, churches and sports ministries, visit [chris​tiansin​sport​.org​.uk](https://www.christiansinsport.org.uk/). --- ### About Graham Daniels ![]()Graham Daniels is the general director of Christians in Sport. He is also a director of Cambridge United FC, a club he played professional football for in the 90s, and he is an associate staff member at St Andrews the Great in Cambridge. [See more from Graham Daniels](/author/graham-daniels)