With the 2026 World Cup officially underway, Christians in Sport says football is providing a rare public space in which personal faith is on full display.
While politicians, business leaders and other public figures may try to minimise their faith, football players are often more open and there are many more of them who follow Jesus than is commonly realised.
Research from Christians in Sport finds that three quarters of football clubs in the top six tiers of English football have at least one open Christian on their first team.
In a piece written for the Evangelical Alliance, Graham Daniels, General Director of Christians in Sport noted that when its ministry first began in 1976 there were only a handful of professing Christians in professional football.
More than just existing, however, many Christians have an active faith life within their club environment. Half of the current Premier League clubs reported regular Christian gatherings, and 40 per cent that they regularly host events like Bible studies and prayer meetings. Over a third of such meetings are player-led.
However, the research stopped well short of suggesting that football clubs have become amongst the holiest places on earth.
Dressing room culture was highlighted as a particular difficulty for Christian players, with many also talking of the stress of constant media attention, fitness and performance worries and contracts.
At the more mundane level, football schedules sometimes make it difficult for players to attend church in the way that other believers might.
Speculating on why the presence of Christians in the national game had grown so much, the Evangelical Alliance noted that it was likely partly the result of the influx of foreign players, but also due to growing confidence among players to share their faith.
For many, their faith is part of what gives them the motivation to play. It guides their reactions to victory and defeat and leads their interactions with other players.
As with other believers, their faith in Christ is central to their identity.
Commenting on the findings, Dr Daniels said, "Professional football is often portrayed as a world shaped by money, fame and performance. What this research reveals is a different story.
"Across the professional game, Christian players are gathering to pray, study the Bible and support one another. Three-quarters of clubs have Christians in their first-team squads, and many are actively living out their faith within the pressures of elite sport.
"Perhaps the most striking finding is that, in an environment where identity is constantly tested by success, failure and public scrutiny, many players are looking beyond football itself for meaning, purpose and security.
"Christianity is not disappearing from the professional game; it is far more present than most people realise."
