LOSC Lille Footballers Religion 2026/2027 Squad

The 2026–27 campaign is the 83rd season in the history of Lille OSC and the club’s 27th consecutive year in Ligue 1. In addition to the domestic league, the club is participating in the Coupe de France and the UEFA Champions League. Domestically, Lille has won a total of four league titles, six Coupes de France, and one Trophée des Champions since its foundation. In European football, Lille have participated in the UEFA Champions League ten times, reaching the knockout phase three times, while also competing in the Europa League on nine occasions and reaching the Conference League quarter-finals once.

In the current LOSC Lille squad, key figures like Alexsandro Ribeiro, Dilane Bakwa, and Olivier Giroud are well-known Christians. The team also features a prominent Muslim contingent, which includes players like Nabil Bentaleb, Başar Önal, and Osame Sahraoui.

Read below all the players in LOSC Lille and their religious beliefs. Please contact us if you see any mistakes or errors regarding a specific player’s religion.

Berke Özer Religion

Berke Özer is a Turkish professional footballer who is of Muslim background, though he keeps his personal religious beliefs private.

Özer plays as a goalkeeper for Lille and the Turkey national team. He joined Lille on 14 August 2025 from Eyüpspor on a four-year contract until 30 June 2029, for an initial transfer fee of €4.5 million that could rise by €500,000 with bonuses. On August 30, 2025, in the 3rd round of Ligue 1, he provided an assist in Lille’s 7-1 victory over Lorient.

Alexsandro Ribeiro Religion

Alexsandro is a Brazilian professional footballer who is a practicing Evangelical Christian. He and his wife were baptized at the Ágape Christian Community.

Alexsandro began his youth career with Flamengo’s under-17 team in 2016 before joining Resende FC in 2017. In July 2022, he moved to Lille from Chaves for a fee of €2 million. During the 2024/25 season, Alexsandro Ribeiro made 47 appearances across all competitions, contributing 1 goal and 2 assists.

On 8 September 2026, Alexsandro scored his first-ever career UEFA Champions League goal for Lille during their 3-2 defeat against Real Betis.

Benjamin André Religion

Benjamin André is a French professional footballer who has not publicly shared details about his specific religious beliefs.

André plays as a defensive midfielder for Lille, where he serves as captain. Previously, he played for Ajaccio and Rennes, winning the 2018–19 Coupe de France with the latter. In July 2019, André signed a four-year deal with Lille for a reported €8 million transfer fee and earned the captaincy in subsequent years. With Lille, he won the Ligue 1 title in the 2020–21 season and the Trophée des Champions in 2021.

On 2 March 2024, André played his 400th Ligue 1 game in a 0–1 away win against Reims. In July 2025, he extended his contract with Lille until 2028, solidifying his role as a veteran leader at age 35.

Dilane Bakwa Religion

Dilane Bakwa is a French professional footballer who is a devout Christian.

Bakwa plays as a winger for Lille, on loan from Premier League club Nottingham Forest. He began his career in the Bordeaux youth system and was promoted to the Bordeaux first team in July 2020. In August 2023, he transferred to RC Strasbourg Alsace for a fee of €10 million and subsequently scored his first goal in the 16th round against FC Lorient in December 2023. In September 2025, Bakwa joined Premier League club Nottingham Forest in a deal worth €35 million, including add-ons, and signed a five-year contract.

On 26 August 26, Bakwa returned to France, joining Lille on a season-long loan. On 28 August 2026, he scored his first goal for Lille on his club debut against Paris Saint-Germain.

Nathan Ngoy Religion

Nathan Ngoy is a Belgian professional footballer who has expressed Christian faith in his public social media posts.

Born in Brussels to parents with ties to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ngoy holds dual citizenship and began his youth career at local club FC Brussels before moving to the renowned academies of RSC Anderlecht in 2012 and Standard Liège in 2019. After progressing through Standard Liège’s academy, he signed his first professional contract with them in 2021.

On 24 July 2025, Ngoy joined Lille on a four-year contract. The following month, he made his debut for the club and provided an assist for Mukau’s goal. In January 2026, he scored his first goal for Lille in a 1-2 defeat to Olympique Lyonnais in the Coupe de France.

Nabil Bentaleb Religion

Nabil Bentaleb is an Algerian professional footballer who is a practicing Muslim.

Nabil Bentaleb was born on 24 November 1994 in Lille, in northern France, to parents who had immigrated from Algeria. He joined the Tottenham Hotspur youth academy at the age of seven and was promoted to the first team in the 2013-14 season. In 2016, he was loaned to Bundesliga club FC Schalke 04 and again to Newcastle United for the remainder of the 2019–20 Premier League season.

After joining Angers SCO in Ligue 1 in 2022, he transferred to hometown club Lille for a fee of €4.5 million in August 2023 on a contract until 2026. In his first season at the French club, Bentaleb amassed 26 appearances as Lille finished fourth. However, his progress was interrupted on June 18, 2024, when he suffered a cardiac arrest during an off-season 8-a-side football game, resulting in a seven-month absence from the sport. He made his return to football on 16 February 2025, coming on as a 76th-minute substitute against Rennes.

On 30 July 2026, Bentaleb signed a new contract with Lille until 2028.

Olivier Giroud Religion

Olivier Giroud is a French professional footballer who is a devout Christian. He identifies as an evangelical Christian.

Giroud plays as a striker for Lille. Across his career time, he has played for football clubs including Grenoble (2005–2008), Tours (2008–2010), Montpellier (2010–2012), Arsenal (2012–2018), Chelsea (2018–2021), AC Milan (2021–2024), and Los Angeles FC (2024–2025). Among his career achievements, Giroud secured Ligue 1 with Montpellier in 2012, three FA Cups with Arsenal, the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Champions League with Chelsea, and a Serie A title with AC Milan, amassing over 350 career goals across top European leagues.

After a one-year stint in the United States, playing for the Major League Soccer side of Los Angeles FC, he made his return to France and Ligue 1, joining Lille on a one-year contract. The move followed a mutual termination of his Los Angeles FC contract, allowing the 38-year-old forward to join on a free transfer.

On 23 February 2026, Giroud scored from a penalty, helping Lille to a 1-0 victory over Angers SCO. At 39 years and 145 days old, he became the seventh-oldest goalscorer in Ligue 1 since 1950.

Romain Perraud Religion

Romain Perraud is a French professional footballer who has not publicly shared details about his specific religious beliefs.

Perraud is a product of the Nice youth academy. His professional career has seen him play for the Nice B team, Paris FC (on loan), and Stade Brestois 29, among other clubs. In July 2021, Perraud moved to English club Southampton for a club-record €12 million fee, making 49 appearances in the Premier League with 2 goals and 3 assists before being loaned back to Nice for the 2023–24 season. In June 2024, he transferred to Real Betis in La Liga for €3.5 million.

On 8 August 2025, Perraud moved to Lille from Real Betis on a three-year contract until June 2028, marking his return to Ligue 1 after a season in La Liga. On August 30, he scored one goal and provided one assist, helping Lille thrash FC Lorient 7-1.

Ethan Mbappé Religion

Ethan Mbappé is a French professional footballer who is generally identified as Christian, coming from a multi-faith family background.

Ethan Mbappé was born on December 29, 2006, in Montreuil, France, to a Cameroonian father and Algerian mother. In 2015, Ethan Mbappé joined the youth academy of AS Bondy. In 2017, he followed his older brother Kylian Mbappé into the Paris Saint-Germain youth system and made his senior debut in a friendly match against Paris FC at just 15 years old.

In July 2024, following the expiration of his PSG contract, Mbappé signed a three-year professional deal with Lille. On August 17, he made his Ligue 1 debut for Lille, coming on as a substitute in the final moments of an away victory against Stade de Reims. On 14 September 2025, he scored his first Ligue 1 goal, a 98th-minute winner in a 2–1 win over Toulouse.

Hákon Haraldsson Religion

Hákon Haraldsson is an Icelandic professional footballer who has not publicly shared details about his specific religious beliefs.

Haraldsson plays as an attacking midfielder or winger for Lille and the Iceland national team. He is a youth academy graduate of the Icelandic club ÍA. In June 2019, Hákon joined the youth academy of Danish club Copenhagen and later signed for Lille in July 2023 for €15 million on a five-year contract running until 30 June 2028.

Tiago Santos Religion

Tiago Santos is a Portuguese professional footballer who has not publicly shared details about his specific religious beliefs.

Tiago Carvalho Santos was born on 23 July 2002 in Lisbon, Portugal, to an Angolan father. A product of the Sporting CP youth academy, Santos played for various Portuguese youth teams before signing his first professional contract with Estoril in 2022.

In July 2023, Santos transferred to Lille for a reported €6.5 million, signing a contract until 2029. He scored his first professional goal in a 2–0 Ligue 1 win over Olympique Lyonnais on 26 November 2023 and contributed to Lille’s qualification for the 2024–25 UEFA Champions League. In September 2025, he assisted Olivier Giroud’s goal in the UEFA Europa League, helping his team defeat Brann.

Ngal’ayel Mukau Religion

Ngal’ayel Mukau is a DR Congolese professional footballer who is deeply religious and a practicing Christian.

Mukau is a youth product of Mechelen and Zulte Waregem. In July 2022, he signed his first professional contract with Mechelen for 2+1 seasons. After one year with Mechelen, on 11 July 2024, Mukau signed for Lille on a four-year contract for a transfer fee of €5 million. On 27 November, he scored his first professional goals with a brace in a 2–1 win at Bologna in the 2024–25 UEFA Champions League league phase. In the 2025–26 season, Mukau made 42 appearances for Lille and scored 2 goals.

Başar Önal Religion

Başar Önal is a Turkish professional footballer who is a practicing Muslim.

Önal plays as a left winger or left midfielder for Lille. He previously played for De Graafschap and NEC Nijmegen. On 8 July 2026, Önal moved to Lille in France on a four-season deal for a reported fee of €12.5 million plus add-ons. He became the seventh Turkish player in the club’s history and the second in the current squad, alongside goalkeeper Berke Ozer.

Gaëtan Perrin Religion

Gaëtan Perrin is a French professional footballer who has not publicly shared details about his specific religious beliefs.

Perrin plays as a right midfielder for Lille. Previously, he played for football clubs Lyon, Orléans, Auxerre, and Krasnodar. On 2 February 2026, Perrin signed a two-and-a-half-season contract with Lille. The reported transfer fee was 5 million euros. On February 15, he scored a goal to help Lille draw 1-1 with Stade Brestois 29.

Osame Sahraoui Religion

Osame Sahraoui is a Moroccan professional footballer who is a practicing Muslim.

Sahraoui’s youth career began with Hauketo IF until 2014, followed by a move to Vålerenga Fotball’s academy, where he developed from 2014 to 2019. He made his senior debut for Vålerenga in the Norwegian Eliteserien during the 2020 season. In January 2023, Sahraoui signed a three-and-a-half-year contract with Eredivisie club SC Heerenveen, and in the 2023–24 Eredivisie season he made 32 appearances, contributing 8 goals and 4 assists.

In August 2024, Lille announced the signing of Sahraoui on a five-year contract for a reported fee of €8 million. On September 28, he assisted Jonathan David twice, first with a cross and then with a chip, helping Lille secure a 3-0 victory over Le Havre AC.

Ayase Ueda Religion

Ayase Ueda is a Japanese professional footballer who has not publicly shared details about his specific religious beliefs.

Ayase Ueda was born on 28 August 1998 in Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, and plays as a striker for Ligue 1 club Lille and the Japan national team. A graduate of Hosei University, he helped the university team win the Prime Minister’s Cup for the first time in 35 years during his freshman year. In February 2019, he was loaned to Kashima Antlers, joining them on a permanent transfer following the conclusion of his loan that July. In July 2022, Ueda signed a four-year contract with Cercle Brugge, where he went on to win the Belgian Pro League Silver Boot during the 2022–23 campaign. He joined Feyenoord in August 2023 on a contract running until 2028, contributing to their KNVB Cup victory in the 2023–24 season and a Johan Cruyff Shield win in 2025.

In August 2026, Ueda signed a four-year contract with Ligue 1 club Lille, for a reported fee of €15 million. He made his debut on 3 September in a league match against Toulouse, where he scored the only goal of the game after coming on as a second-half substitute.