The 2026–27 season is the 77th season in the history of Olympique Lyonnais and their 38th consecutive season in the French top flight. In addition to the domestic league, the club is participating in this season’s editions of the Coupe de France, the UEFA Champions League, and the UEFA Europa League.
Olympique Lyonnais holds the French record for the most consecutive Ligue 1 titles, winning seven in a row from 2002 to 2008. Lyon has also won eight Trophées des Champions, five Coupes de France, and three Ligue 2 titles.
Aside from the club’s achievements, the Lyon first-team squad features a diverse mix of Christian and Muslim footballers who openly practice or share aspects of their faith. Because individual religious beliefs are private personal matters, not every player in the squad publicly states their affiliation. However, figures like Tyler Morton, Ernest Nuamah, and Loïs Openda are known to be practicing Christians, while Kaïl Boudache and Moussa Niakhaté are among the prominent Muslim players in the squad.
Read below all the players in Lyon and their religious beliefs. Please contact us if you see any mistakes or errors regarding a specific player’s religion.
Table of Contents
Dominik Greif Religion
Dominik Greif is a Slovak professional footballer who has not publicly shared details about his specific religious beliefs.
Greif began his youth career in the academy of ŠK Slovan Bratislava. He made his professional debut for the club in 2016, subsequently winning three consecutive Slovak Super Liga titles from 2018 to 2021, as well as four Slovak Cups. In July 2021, he joined newly promoted La Liga club Mallorca on a five-year contract. His performances in La Liga included 34 appearances, during which he recorded 8 clean sheets.
On 18 August 2025, Greif joined Olympique Lyonnais on a four-year contract for a transfer fee of €4 million plus €1.25 million in bonuses, signing until June 2029. Greif was brought in as a primary replacement after Brazilian goalkeeper Lucas Perri departed for Leeds United.
Rémy Descamps Religion
Rémy Descamps is a French professional footballer who has not publicly shared details about his specific religious beliefs.
Descamps joined the Paris Saint-Germain Youth Academy in 2013. He signed his first professional contract with PSG in 2015 but did not make a senior appearance for the club. In January 2018, Descamps was loaned to Ligue 2 side Tours and then to Clermont Foot 63 in the 2018–19 season. In August 2019, he transferred to Belgian club Sporting Charleroi for a reported €400,000. Descamps returned to France to sign for Ligue 1 club Nantes on a free transfer in July 2021. He played an important role in Nantes’ 2021–22 Coupe de France winning campaign, keeping 4 out of 5 clean sheets in the road to the final.
On 23 August 2024, Descamps signed a three-year contract with Olympique Lyonnais as a free agent. He made his debut for Lyon during the 2024–25 Ligue 1 season. He went on to start the first five Ligue 1 matches of the 2024–25 season, securing two clean sheets during that run.
Abner Vinícius Religion
Abner Vinícius is a Brazilian professional footballer who is a Christian. He publicly expresses a belief in God, though he has not specified a particular formal denomination.
Abner began his professional career with Associação Atlética Ponte Preta in 2019 before transferring to Athletico Paranaense for €2.4 million later that year. During his time at Athletico Paranaense from 2019 to 2023, he contributed to major successes, including winning the Copa Sudamericana in 2021. In January 2023, Abner joined La Liga side Real Betis for a reported €7 million transfer fee.
Abner joined Olympique Lyonnais on 5 July 2024. He signed a five-year contract, and the transfer fee paid to Real Betis was €8 million.
Mads Bidstrup Religion
Mads Bidstrup is a Danish professional footballer who has not shared any public information regarding his religious beliefs.
Bidstrup is a product of the Copenhagen academy and began his senior career in England with Brentford in 2020. In January 2022, he was loaned to FC Nordsjælland in the Danish Superliga, a move extended for the 2022/23 season. Bidstrup transferred to Austrian club Red Bull Salzburg in 2023, subsequently winning the Austrian Bundesliga title in the 2023–24 season.
In July 2026, Bidstrup transferred to Lyon and signed a five-year contract for a €10.5 million fee, rising to €13.5 million with add-ons.
Kaïl Boudache Religion
Kaïl Boudache is an Algerian professional footballer who is a practicing Muslim.
Boudache is a product of the youth academies of the French clubs Olympique Alès and Nice. He made his senior and professional debut with Nice as a substitute in a 3–1 UEFA Europa League win over Go Ahead Eagles on 22 January 2026.
In June 2026, Boudache signed for Lyon on a free transfer from Nice, signing a five-year contract until 2031.
Zachary Athekame Religion
Zachary Athekame is a Swiss professional footballer who has not publicly shared details about his specific religious beliefs.
Athekame was born in Geneva, Switzerland, to a Nigerian father and a Swiss mother. He plays as a right-back and right wing-back for Lyon, on loan from Serie A club AC Milan. Athekame began his professional career at Neuchâtel Xamax before joining Young Boys in 2023. He was subsequently loaned back to Neuchâtel Xamax for the second half of the 2023–24 season. In August 2025, Athekame signed a five-year contract with Italian club AC Milan.
On 14 August 2026, Athekame joined Lyon on loan for the 2026–27 season. It is a “dry loan” until 30 June 2027, meaning there is no option or obligation for Lyon to buy the player permanently at the end of the season. He scored his first goal for Lyon in a 3-1 victory against AJ Auxerre on 4 September 2026.
Tyler Morton Religion
Tyler Morton is an English professional footballer who is a devout Christian.
Morton joined the Liverpool academy at the age of seven. He signed his first professional contract with Liverpool in July 2021 and made his senior debut later that year as a substitute in a Carabao Cup. In August 2022, Morton joined Blackburn Rovers on a season-long loan, followed by a loan to Hull City in 2023–24.
In August 2025, Morton joined Lyon on a five-year contract in a deal worth up to €15 million, with Liverpool retaining a 20% sell-on clause. On September 28, 2025, he scored his first goal for Lyon during a 1–0 away victory against Lille OSC.
Ernest Nuamah Religion
Ernest Nuamah is a Ghanaian professional footballer who is a Christian.
Ernest Nuamah Appiah was born on 1 November 2003 in Kumasi, Ghana. He started his career with Right to Dream Academy, a football academy based in Eastern Region, Ghana. In January 2022, Nuamah joined Danish Superliga side FC Nordsjælland and went on to score 15 goals and provide 4 assists in 34 appearances during the 2022–23 season.
In August 2023, Nuamah joined Belgian side RWDM Brussels for a fee of €25 million but was immediately loaned to Lyon until June 2024 with an obligation to buy. The move became permanent on 7 July 2024 when Lyon acquired him outright from RWDM for €28.5 million on a four-year contract until 30 June 2028.
Felix Bacher Religion
Felix Bacher is an Austrian professional footballer who has not publicly shared details about his specific religious beliefs.
Bacher started his career at Wacker Innsbruck before joining SC Freiburg II in 2020. He returned to Austria a year later to join WSG Tirol. In July 2024, Bacher joined Portuguese Primeira Liga club Estoril on a two-year contract.
On 2 August 2026, Bacher signed for Lyon on a contract until 2031 for a reported transfer fee of €4.3 million. His previous Portuguese club, Estoril, retained a 12.5% sell-on fee for any future transfer profit. On September 4, 2026, he scored his first goal for Lyon with a header in the 28th minute during a 3–1 victory over AJ Auxerre.
Noah Nartey Religion
Noah Nartey is a Danish professional footballer who is a practicing Christian.
Nartey was born in Denmark and is of Ghanaian descent through his father and Danish descent through his mother. He plays as a midfielder for Lyon and previously played for Brøndby in Denmark.
On 19 January 2026, Nartey signed a four-and-a-half-year contract with Lyon, committing him to the club until June 2030. The transfer was completed for a reported fee of €7.5 million, with performance-related bonuses potentially increasing the total value to €10 million. On February 1, 2026, he scored on his Ligue 1 debut for Lyon to secure a 1–0 victory over LOSC Lille.
Loïs Openda Religion
Loïs Openda is a Belgian professional footballer who is a devout Christian. He lists himself as a “Child of God” with a cross symbol on his official Instagram profile.
Openda plays as a striker for Lyon, on loan from Serie A club Juventus, and the Belgium national team. He previously played for football clubs Club Brugge, Vitesse, Lens, and RB Leipzig. On 28 July 2026, Openda joined Olympique Lyonnais on loan until the end of the season, with Lyon paying a €3.5 million loan fee. He scored his first goal for the club, opening the scoring in a 1–1 away draw against Fenerbahçe SK.
Clinton Mata Religion
Clinton Mata is an Angolan professional footballer who is a practicing Christian.
Mata began his professional career with Eupen before moving to Belgian Pro League club Charleroi in 2014. In August 2017, Mata joined Genk on a one-year deal, where he helped the team finish second in the 2017–18 Pro League. Mata then joined the defending Belgian champions, Club Brugge, in July 2018 for €1.75 million. At Brugge, he won three consecutive Jupiler Pro League titles and two Belgian Super Cups and reached the quarter-finals of the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League.
In July 2023, Mata signed for Lyon for a reported €5 million on a three-year contract, later extended until June 2028. In his debut season, he featured in 41 matches across all competitions and played a key role as Lyon reached the 2023–24 Coupe de France final, which they lost 1–2 to Paris Saint-Germain.
Pavel Šulc Religion
Pavel Šulc is a Czech professional footballer who has not publicly shared details about his specific religious beliefs.
Pavel Šulc began his professional career with Viktoria Plzeň, where he helped the club reach the UEFA Europa Conference League quarter-finals for the first time. In January 2019, Šulc was loaned to Czech National Football League side FC Vysočina Jihlava, followed by top-flight loan spells with SFC Opava and SK Dynamo České Budějovice, before eventually joining FK Jablonec on a season-long loan in 2022.
On 4 August 2025, Šulc signed a four-year contract with Lyon in France. His former club, Viktoria Plzeň, retains a 15% stake on any potential capital gains from a future sale.
Moussa Niakhaté Religion
Moussa Niakhaté is a Senegalese professional footballer who is a devout Muslim. During his time in the Bundesliga with Mainz 05, a match against Augsburg was temporarily paused so he could break his Ramadan fast after sunset.
Niakhaté began his youth career at Lille’s academy from 2004 to 2011, before moving to ES Wasquehal and US Boulogne, and made his professional debut with Valenciennes in October 2014 at age 18. In June 2017, he joined Metz on a four-year deal. He then transferred to Bundesliga side Mainz 05 in 2018 and then to the Premier League by signing with Nottingham Forest.
In July 2024, Niakhaté completed a permanent transfer to Lyon for a fee of €31.9 million, signing a four-year contract until 2028. He became the second most expensive player in the club’s history, behind Orel Mangala.
Corentin Tolisso Religion
Corentin Tolisso is a French professional footballer who has not publicly disclosed his specific religious beliefs.
A graduate of the Lyon academy, Tolisso made his professional debut for the club in 2013, playing 160 matches and scoring 29 goals. In July 2017, he transferred to Bayern Munich for a club-record €41.5 million fee, becoming the most expensive French player sold to a Bundesliga side at the time. During his five-year stint at Bayern, Tolisso won five Bundesliga titles, two DFB-Pokals, the 2020 UEFA Champions League, the 2020 UEFA Super Cup, and the 2020 FIFA Club World Cup, among other honors.
In July 2022, Lyon confirmed Tolisso’s return to the club on a five-year deal until 2027. He was named as the club’s captain ahead of the 2025–26 season following the departure of Alexandre Lacazette. On 27 November 2025, he scored his first senior career hat-trick in a 6–0 away win over Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Europa League.
Internationally, Tolisso won the 2018 FIFA World Cup with the France national team.
Nicolás Tagliafico Religion
Nicolás Tagliafico is an Argentine professional footballer who practices the Christian faith.
Tagliafico started his career at Banfield in Argentina before moving to Independiente, where he won the 2017 Copa Sudamericana. In January 2018, he joined Ajax for a reported €4 million. Subsequently, he won the Eredivisie title three times and the Dutch Cup twice with the club and also reached the UEFA Champions League semi-final.
In July 2022, Tagliafico moved to Lyon on a four-year contract, which was extended in August 2025 until June 2027. In his debut season of 2022–23, he made 34 appearances in Ligue 1, contributing to Lyon’s seventh-place finish in the league.
Internationally, Tagliafico won the 2021 and 2024 Copa América titles, the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and the CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup with Argentina.
