Harry Kane, Luis Díaz, and Joshua Kimmich stood out among the Bayern squad, widely believed to follow Christianity. On the other side, Bayern’s roster also includes Muslim players such as Jamal Musiala and Ismael Saibari, who have been open about their faith in past interviews. As with most modern squads, a number of players haven’t addressed their religious beliefs publicly, leaving fans to guess rather than know for certain.
Let’s take a closer look at the Bayern Munich 2026 squad and their religious beliefs. Find out below which footballers are Christian, which are Muslim, and which have not publicly disclosed their faith.
Table of Contents
Manuel Neuer Religion
Manuel Peter Neuer is a German professional footballer who is a practicing Roman Catholic. He regularly supports Catholic social projects in his hometown of Gelsenkirchen, including initiatives against child poverty and work with the Amigonian Friars. Manuel Neuer was born on 27 March 1986 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, and he joined his hometown club Schalke 04’s youth academy when he was very young. He went on to become one of the defining goalkeepers of modern football, first at Schalke, then at Bayern Munich, and with Germany internationally.
Neuer made his Bundesliga debut for Schalke on 19 August 2006 and soon became their first-choice goalkeeper. He helped Schalke win the DFB-Pokal in 2011 and was one of the standout keepers in Germany before leaving for Bayern Munich. In 2011, Neuer signed a five-year contract with Bayern Munich for a €22 million transfer fee. After spending 15 years with the club, on May 15, 2026, he signed a one-year contract extension, keeping him at the club until June 30, 2027.
Neuer’s personal achievements include finishing third in the 2014 FIFA Ballon d’Or, winning the Best FIFA Goalkeeper award in 2020, being voted the IFFHS World’s Best Goalkeeper a joint-record five times, and earning the UEFA European Goalkeeper of the Year a record five times. He was twice named German Footballer of the Year and was selected to the FIFA World Cup Dream Team, the UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season, and the ESM Team of the Year. At the club level, he won the DFB-Pokal with his boyhood club FC Schalke 04 before embarking on an era-defining run with FC Bayern Munich. With Bayern, he captured 13 Bundesliga titles, seven DFB-Pokals, two UEFA Champions League trophies, two UEFA Super Cups, two FIFA Club World Cups, and eight German Super Cups, solidifying his record as the only goalkeeper in football history to win two European continental trebles.
Sven Ulreich Religion
Sven Ulreich is a German professional footballer whose specific religious beliefs are not publicly known. Ulreich was born on 3 August 1988 in Schorndorf, West Germany, and he currently serves as the third-choice goalkeeper for Bayern Munich. Ulreich began playing organized youth football at the age of five with local side TSV Lichtenwald. He later moved to TSV Schornbach, where he spent four seasons before moving to VfB Stuttgart in 2007. He spent two years playing for the youth team before making his senior debut. For the 2015–16 season, Ulreich moved to Bayern Munich, where he first signed a three-year contract. He accepted a clear role as the second-choice goalkeeper behind Manuel Neuer. In October 2020, Ulreich was transferred to 2. Bundesliga club Hamburger SV. He spent one season before returning to Munich on a free transfer to resume his duty as Neuer’s backup.
Through his two stints, Ulreich has achieved over 100 competitive appearances for the club, winning 22 official trophies.
Jonas Urbig Religion
Jonas Kurt Urbig is a German professional footballer whose specific religious beliefs are not publicly known. Jonas Urbig was born on 8 August 2003 in Euskirchen, Germany. Urbig grew up in North Rhine-Westphalia, with both of his parents connected to goalkeeping. His father, Kurt Urbig, played as a goalkeeper at the amateur level. When Urbig was nine years old, in 2012, he joined the youth academy of FC Köln and helped secure the German B-Junior National Championship before he was loaned to SSV Jahn Regensburg in the 2. Bundesliga. He spent six months and was then loaned to Greuther Fürth for the 2023-24 season.
After returning to Köln, he became their first-choice goalkeeper in the 2024-25 season before making the move to Bayern Munich in January 2025. Over the last two consecutive seasons, he successfully helped secure back-to-back Bundesliga titles (2024/25 and 2025/26), alongside winning the DFB-Pokal in 2026.
Dayot Upamecano Religion
Dayot Upamecano is a French professional footballer who does not publicly discuss his religious beliefs, and his exact religion remains unknown. Dayot Upamecano was born on 27 October 1998 in Évreux, France. His full name, Dayotchanculle Oswald Upamecano, was given to him by his father in honor of his great-grandfather, who was a traditional village king on the island of Jeta in Guinea-Bissau. Upamecano is of Bissau-Guinean descent, and he plays as a center-back for Bayern Munich and the France national team. Upamecano spent 11 years playing for youth teams of Vaillante S. Angers (2004–2007), FC De Prey (2008–2009), Évreux (2009–2013), and Valenciennes (2013–2015) before his move to Austrian side Red Bull Salzburg, where he made his first senior professional debut.
In January 2017, he made a €10 million cross-border transfer to sister club RB Leipzig before Bayern Munich triggered his €42.5 million release clause, and he officially joined the German giants on 5 July 2021. With Bayern, he has secured four consecutive Bundesliga titles (2022 to 2025) and the 2026 DFB-Pokal. In February 2026, he shut down heavy transfer links to La Liga and Ligue 1 by signing a long-term contract extension with Bayern through June 30, 2030.
Upamecano played for France at the youth level before making his senior debut in 2020. Since then, he has become an established France international and was part of the squads that reached the 2022 World Cup final and won the UEFA Nations League in 2021.
Kim Min-jae Religion
Kim Min-jae is a South Korean professional footballer who is a Christian, specifically a Protestant of the Lutheran denomination. He has prominent Christian tattoos, including one featuring “Christ” and a large back piece depicting Gustave Doré’s The Triumph of Christianity over Paganism. Kim Min-jae was born on November 15, 1996, in Tongyeong, South Korea. Both of his parents, Kim Tae-gyun and Lee Yu-seon, are former athletes, and his brother was also a footballer who played as a goalkeeper for Myongji University. Kim came through several youth schools and programs in South Korea, including Dooryong Elementary School, Gimhae Gaya Elementary School, Namhae Haesung Middle School, Yeoncho Middle School, Suwon Technical High School, and later Yonsei University before dropping out during his sophomore year in 2016 to pursue his professional dream.
Kim plays as a center-back for Bayern Munich and the South Korea national team, and he has played for the football clubs Gyeongju KHNP (2016), Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (2017–2018), Beijing Guoan (2019–2021), Fenerbahçe (2021–2022), and Napoli (2022–2023). In 2023, Kim signed a €50 million contract with Bayern Munich, becoming the most expensive Asian player of all time.
Kim made his senior debut for South Korea in 2017 before his 21st birthday. He was part of the squad that won gold at the 2018 Asian Games, which also gave him military-service exemption, a major milestone in his career.
Away from football, In January 2021, while playing for Beijing Guoan, Kim partnered with the Seoul-based Purme Foundation to fund rehabilitation for disabled children and support employment initiatives for young adults with developmental disabilities. He donated ₩50 million (roughly €38,000 at the time) to aid disabled youths.
Jonathan Tah Religion
Jonathan Glao Tah is a German professional footballer who is a devout Christian. In a 2025 Christmas interview with the Münchner Abendzeitung, Tah shared that he reads the Bible more around the holidays, prays, and follows the Christmette. Jonathan Glao Tah was born on February 11, 1996, in Hamburg, Germany. He holds dual citizenship, born to an Ivorian father and a German mother. His parents separated when he was young, and he was raised mainly by his mother in Hamburg. Tah began playing football at local clubs such as Altona 93 and SC Concordia before joining Hamburger SV’s academy in the summer of 2009. Tah made his professional debut for Hamburger SV in 2013, becoming one of the youngest players ever to appear for the club in a competitive match. After a loan spell at Fortuna Düsseldorf, he moved to Bayer Leverkusen in 2015 for a 10-year stint, and he was a key figure in the club’s historic unbeaten 2023-24 Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double.
In 2025, Bayern Munich signed Tah on a free transfer with a contract through 2029. However, Bayern did pay a minor fixed fee of roughly €800,000 to Leverkusen to release him from his contract early so he could play for Bayern in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
Alphonso Davies Religion
Alphonso Boyle Davies is a Canadian professional soccer player who has not publicly declared a specific religion in detail, but available evidence points to a Christian background and personal faith. Alphonso Davies was born on 2 November 2000 in Buduburam, Ghana, to Liberian parents who had fled during the Second Liberian Civil War, and he moved to Canada when he was five years old. After settling in Canada, Alphonso began playing with local Edmonton teams and in the Free Footie program, which helped children who could not afford organized football. When Alphonso was 14, he joined Vancouver Whitecaps FC’s Residency program, becoming the first player born in the 2000s to play in an MLS match, and signed as a homegrown player in 2016.
In July 2018, Bayern Munich agreed to a then-MLS record $22 million transfer fee to secure his signature. He initially played as a winger but was converted into an ultra-offensive left-back under manager Hansi Flick. Among his many career achievements, Davies won the 2019-20 UEFA Champions League with Bayern Munich and was named the Bundesliga’s Rookie of the Season for the 2019-20 campaign.
Davies earned his first call-up to Canada’s senior team in 2017 soon after receiving Canadian citizenship. He became the youngest player and youngest goalscorer in Canadian men’s national-team history, then led Canada to their first World Cup qualification in 36 years. He is widely considered the talisman and greatest player in the history of the Canada Men’s National Soccer Team
Davies was dating fellow Canadian Jordyn Huitema, a forward for Paris Saint-Germain and the Canada women’s national team, starting from September 2017 until May 2022. In September 2019, Bayern Munich manager Niko Kovač fined Alphonso €20,000 for arriving four hours late to a training session.
Hiroki Ito Religion
Hiroki Ito is a Japanese professional footballer who has not publicly disclosed a specific personal religion. He likely comes from a cultural background influenced by Shintoism and Buddhism. Hiroki Itō was born on 12 May 1999 in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan, and he plays as a center-back, left-back, and defensive midfielder for Bayern Munich and the Japan national team. Itō grew up in Hamamatsu and joined the academy of his boyhood club, Júbilo Iwata, at the U15 level in 2015. Subsequently, he was promoted to Júbilo Iwata’s first team in 2017 and made his senior debut in a J.League Cup match in March 2018. His league debut followed later that year, and he spent time on loan at Nagoya Grampus in 2019 before returning to Iwata and becoming a regular starter.
In July 2021, Ito moved to German Bundesliga side VfB Stuttgart, initially on loan before completing a permanent transfer. He spent three seasons there before his blockbuster €30 million move to FC Bayern Munich in July 2024. On his debut season, he sustained a metatarsal fracture during the summer preseason, which kept him sidelined for the first half of the 2024–25 season.
Itō has represented Japan at every youth level from U15 upward. He made his senior debut in June 2022 in a friendly against Paraguay, and around a year later he scored his first goal for Japan in a win over Peru. He was included in Japan’s squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and later for the 2023 Asian Cup. Additionally, Ito is a key starting defender for Japan at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Josip Stanišić Religion
Josip Stanišić is a Croatian professional footballer who is a practicing Roman Catholic. Josip Stanišić was born on 2 April 2000 in Munich, Germany, to Croat parents. His father, Damir, hails from Malino, and his mother, Sandra, comes from Oriovac. Stanisic started playing football at FC Perlach, then moved on to TSV 1860 Munich and SC Fürstenfeldbruck before joining Bayern Munich’s academy in 2017. After winning the 3. Liga title with the reserve team, he made his senior first-team debut on 10 April 2021 against Union Berlin. A key development in his career came with his loan move to Bayer Leverkusen in 2023-24, where he helped them win the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal. He then returned to Bayern in 2024 and later extended his contract with the club until 2029.
Stanišić initially represented Germany at the youth level, including two appearances for Germany U19. Later, he switched his international allegiance to Croatia and became a Croatian senior international. On 8 October 2021, Stanišić earned his first senior cap for Croatia during a World Cup qualifier against Cyprus. He was selected for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the US.
Joshua Kimmich Religion
Joshua Walter Kimmich is a German professional footballer who is a Christian with a Protestant background. In a 2016 BILD interview, when asked about wearing a cross armband, he directly stated, “Ja, ich bin gläubig,” which means “Yes, I am a believer.” Joshua Kimmich was born on 8 February 1995 in Rottweil, Germany, and he plays as a defensive midfielder or right-back for Bayern Munich and captains the Germany national team. Kimmich began his football journey at VfB Bösingen before joining the VfB Stuttgart academy. He spent six years in Stuttgart’s youth academy from age 12 to 18. After leaving Stuttgart, Kimmich signed for RB Leipzig in 2013 and made his professional breakthrough in the 2. Bundesliga.
On 2 January 2015, Kimmich agreed to join Bayern Munich on a five-year contract lasting until 30 June 2020, for a reported fee of €7 million, most of which went to VfB Stuttgart. His Bayern success includes the 2019-20 treble season, during which he was a key part of the team’s Champions League-winning side, and he was included in the UEFA Team of the Year that same year. On 13 March 2025, Kimmich extended his contract with Bayern until 2029.
Kimmich made his senior Germany debut on 29 May 2016 and almost immediately became a major part of the national team. He featured at Euro 2016, the 2018 World Cup, Euro 2020, Euro 2024, and the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and he later became Germany’s captain. He was also part of Germany’s 2017 Confederations Cup-winning team.
Joshua Kimmich married his wife, Lina Meyer, in 2022. The couple has four children. Outside football, Kimmich launched an online initiative, “We Kick Corona,” with his Bayern Munich teammate Leon Goretzka to help charitable, social, or medical institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jamal Musiala Religion
Jamal Musiala is a German professional footballer who has not publicly disclosed his religious affiliation. Jamal Musiala was born on 26 February 2003 in Stuttgart, Germany, to his Nigerian-British father, Daniel Richard, and German mother with Polish roots, Carolin Musiala. He lived in Fulda until age seven before moving to England due to his mother’s studies. Musiala was educated at the Corpus Christi School in New Malden and Whitgift School in Croydon. Musiala played youth football with his local club TSV Lehnerz as well as with the youth teams of Southampton and Chelsea.
In July 2019, Musiala left Chelsea to sign with FC Bayern Munich, and he made his professional debut for Bayern in June 2020 as a 17-year-old. On February 14, 2025, Musiala committed his long-term future to Munich by signing a massive contract extension keeping him at FC Bayern until June 30, 2030. The deal reportedly made him one of the club’s highest earners and includes a tiered release clause rising as high as €175 million. His base salary is estimated at approximately €360,000 per week, or just over €18.8 million per year, though some reports suggest his yearly pay could reach €30 million with bonuses and performance incentives.
Musiala represented England at the youth level and also played for Germany at the youth level before choosing Germany for his senior career in 2021. He made his senior Germany debut in a World Cup qualifier against Iceland and scored his first international goal soon after against North Macedonia. Subsequently, Musiala has represented Germany at two UEFA European Championships (2020 and 2024) and two FIFA World Cups (2022 and 2026). He was the joint winner of Euro 2024’s Golden Boot.
Tom Bischof Religion
Tom Bischof is a German professional footballer who has not publicly disclosed his personal religious beliefs. Tom Bischof was born on 28 June 2005 in Amorbach, Germany. He is of Banat Swabian origin through his paternal grandmother, Elisabeth Bischof, who fled Romania in 1944 to escape the Soviet occupation. Bischof began playing football for TSV Amorbach before joining TSG Hoffenheim’s youth academy in 2015. Later on, he made his Bundesliga debut for Hoffenheim in March 2022, becoming the club’s youngest Bundesliga player at just 16 years and 263 days old.
In January 2025, Bischof signed a pre-contract agreement to join FC Bayern Munich on a free transfer. To ensure he could join the squad early for pre-season and summer tournaments, Bayern paid Hoffenheim a €300,000 baseline fee to secure an early release in June 2025. In his debut 2025–26 season, he played 38 competitive games across all competitions, helping Bayern achieve a domestic treble.
Bischof has represented Germany from the U16 through the U21 level. He also received the gold Fritz Walter Medal in the U19 category in 2024, which is one of the highest honors for a German youth player. In 2025, he earned his first senior Germany call-up for the UEFA Nations League finals.
Tom Bischof is in a relationship with Josefine Scholl, the daughter of former Bayern Munich and Germany legend Mehmet Scholl.
Konrad Laimer Religion
Konrad Laimer is an Austrian professional footballer who is Roman Catholic. In a 2021 interview with religion.ORF.at, Laimer explicitly stated: “Ich bin katholisch, aber ich bete nicht vor einem Spiel” (“I am Catholic, but I don’t pray before a match”). He added that he hadn’t been to church much in recent years due to time constraints. Konrad Laimer was born on 27 May 1997 in Salzburg, Austria. Both his father and grandfather were playing local football, and his younger brother, Christoph Laimer, also became a footballer. Laimer started playing football at USC Abersee as a child and joined Red Bull Salzburg’s youth academy in 2007. He won three league titles and three Austrian Cups with Salzburg before his move to RB Leipzig in 2017. After six years in Leipzig, Bayern Munich signed him on a free transfer in 2023, and he has since won a Bundesliga title (2025–26) and the German Supercup.
On 18 May 2026, Laimer was selected in Ralf Rangnick’s 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, marking Austria’s first appearance in the tournament since 1998.
Lennart Karl Religion
Lennart Karl is a German professional footballer who has not publicly disclosed or discussed a specific personal religion. Lennart Karl was born on 22 February 2008 in Frammersbach, Germany. He is the son of Steffen Aloe and Caroline Karl, and his father is a football coach. Karl has a younger brother named Vincent who also plays football for Eintracht Frankfurt’s youth academy.
Karl came through Viktoria Aschaffenburg and then Eintracht Frankfurt’s academy, and in 2022, Bayern signed Karl at age 14 for a €35,000 youth compensation fee. Three years later, in June 2025, his senior breakthrough came at the FIFA Club World Cup, where he made his Bayern debut against Auckland City. Four months later, he scored against Club Brugge in the Champions League and became Bayern’s youngest-ever scorer in that competition, at 17 years and 242 days, breaking Jamal Musiala’s record. He then went on to become the youngest player ever to score in three consecutive UCL games.
On 19 March 2026, Karl received his first senior Germany national team call-up by head coach Julian Nagelsmann for the pre-World Cup friendlies against Switzerland and Ghana. Sadly, Karl suffered a severe thigh injury during training in Chicago just days before the opening World Cup match and had to be replaced by Assan Ouédraogo.
Aleksandar Pavlović Religion
Aleksandar Pavlović is a German professional footballer who was raised in the Serbian Orthodox faith. Aleksandar Pavlović was born on 3 May 2004 in Munich, Germany, to a Serbian father and a German mother. Pavlović plays as a defensive midfielder for Bayern Munich and the Germany national team. Before this, Pavlović started playing football for local clubs in Olching and Fürstenfeldbruck, and in 2011, he joined the Bayern Munich youth academy at just seven years old. He spent twelve years before making his senior breakthrough in 2023, with his Bundesliga debut coming in October 2023 and his first professional contract following soon after. In 2024, Pavlović signed a five-year contract extension with Bayern Munich until June 30, 2029.
Across his three seasons with the club, Pavlović has won 3 major senior trophies, including 2 Bundesliga titles (2024–25, 2025–26) and the DFB-Pokal (2025–26).
Due to his dual heritage, the Football Association of Serbia actively recruited Pavlović, even calling him up for a pair of Serbia U18 friendlies back in 2021. However, Pavlović ultimately committed to his birth nation, stating his choice was a decision for Germany rather than against Serbia. With this, he was named to the final 26-man roster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup for Germany.
Serge Gnabry Religion
Serge David Gnabry is a German professional footballer who identifies as Christian. Serge Gnabry was born on 14 July 1995 in Stuttgart, Germany, to an Ivorian father and a German mother. He is the son of Jean-Hermann, a former youth coach from the Ivory Coast. He has a younger brother named Felix and a younger sister named Lisa. Gnabry played youth football with his local club, VfB Stuttgart, and in 2012, he moved to London at age 16 after Arsenal secured a £100,000 agreement with Stuttgart. Three years later, he was loaned to West Bromwich Albion before returning to Germany, first joining Werder Bremen permanently in 2016 and then moving to Bayern Munich in 2017. Later on, Bayern loaned him to Hoffenheim for the 2017-18 season.
When he returned to Bayern for the 2018/19 season, he won the Bundesliga title and was voted Bayern’s Player of the Season. The following season, Gnabry scored 23 goals as Bayern sealed a continental treble consisting of the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, and UEFA Champions League. In February 2026, he extended his contract with the club until 2028.
Gnabry began representing Germany on the German national youth level from U16 to U21 before earning his senior debut in November 2016 against San Marino, scoring a hat-trick. He was part of Germany’s silver-medal-winning Olympic squad at Rio 2016 and also helped Germany win the 2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. Gnabry broke the record as the fastest player in German national team history to reach 10 international goals, doing so in just 11 caps. He also represented Germany at UEFA Euro 2020 and the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Harry Kane Religion
Harry Edward Kane is an English professional footballer who follows the Christian faith and was raised in a traditional Christian household. Harry Kane was born on July 28, 1993, in Walthamstow, East London, to parents Patrick “Pat” Kane and Kim Kane. He has an older brother, Charlie, who now manages his commercial career. Kane has Irish ancestry through his father, who was born in Galway. Kane attended Larkswood Primary Academy and Chingford Foundation School. When Kane was six years old, he began playing on the youth team of Ridgeway Rovers, and he briefly joined Arsenal’s youth academy but was released after one season for being “a bit chubby” and lacking pace. After his return to Ridgeway and trialing at Watford, he joined Tottenham Hotspur’s academy in 2004 at the age of 11.
After joining Tottenham’s academy, Kane had several loan spells to gain experience, including Leyton Orient (2011), Millwall (2012), Norwich City (2012–13), and Leicester City (2013). Moving on, Kane had his breakthrough at Tottenham in the 2014-15 season, where he was named PFA Young Player of the Year. Across his time with Spurs, Kane has scored 280 goals in 435 appearances, winning three Premier League Golden Boots (2015–16, 2016–17, and 2020–21) and sitting 2nd on the Premier League’s all-time top scorer list with 213 goals.
In 2023, Kane became the most expensive signing in Bundesliga history as he joined Bayern Munich in a transfer worth €110 million. In the 2024–25 and 2025–26 seasons, Kane won back-to-back Bundesliga titles and added a DFB-Pokal to his trophy cabinet. That same year, he won the European Golden Shoe after scoring 36 league goals, pushing him to nearly 100 total goals for the Bavarian club in just three seasons.
Kane played for England at youth level before making his senior debut in March 2015, scoring just 79 seconds into his appearance against Lithuania. He then became England captain and led the team at the 2018 World Cup, where he also won the Golden Boot. In addition, Kane captained England to consecutive UEFA European Championship Finals in Euro 2020, losing to Italy on penalties, and Euro 2024, losing to Spain, finishing as a runner-up twice. In March 2023, Kane overtook Wayne Rooney to become England’s all-time top goalscorer. As of the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup, he has extended his legendary tally to 81 goals in 116 caps.
Away from football, Kane is married to his childhood sweetheart, Katie Goodland. Together, the couple has four children. Upon signing with Bayern Munich in 2023, Kane initially spent months living in a €10,000-a-night suite at Munich’s historic Vier Jahreszeiten Kempinski hotel before relocating to a massive luxury villa in Baierbrunn. Additionally, Kane’s personal net worth is estimated to sit between $60 million and $140 million, and his 4-year contract with Bayern Munich rewards him with a baseline salary of €25 million per year plus €7.5 million in annual performance add-ons, making him the highest-paid player in the Bundesliga.
In 2019, Harry Kane was officially appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2019 Queen’s New Year Honours list for his services to football and his standout performance at the 2018 World Cup.
Luis Díaz Religion
Luis Fernando Díaz Marulanda is a Colombian professional footballer who is a devout Christian, specifically Roman Catholic. Luis Díaz was born on January 13, 1997, in Barrancas, La Guajira, Colombia. He is the son of Luis Manuel “Mane” Díaz, who ran a small, local football school. Díaz grew up in poverty, a region heavily plagued by economic hardship, and he suffered from severe malnutrition due to his family’s extreme poverty. Díaz is of Wayuu origin, and his brother, Jesús, is also a professional footballer.
Díaz began his professional career at Barranquilla FC in Colombia’s second division before moving to Atlético Junior. He won two Categoría Primera A titles while also helping the club reach the 2018 Copa Sudamericana final. He then moved to Europe with Portuguese giants FC Porto for €7 million, winning two Primeira Liga titles and two Taça de Portugal trophies during his stay. His form earned him a move to Liverpool in January 2022. With Liverpool, he helped them win the FA Cup and EFL Cup in his debut half-season. Before moving on, he played a massive role in anchoring the attack that brought Liverpool their 20th Premier League title in the 2024–25 season. Subsequently, in July 2025, Díaz joined German champions Bayern Munich for a fee of €75 million, including add-ons. In his first 2025-26 season, he set a team-high speed record of 34.14 km/h and logged an incredible 15 goals and 14 assists in 32 Bundesliga appearances, securing a domestic treble.
Díaz made his senior debut for Colombia in 2018. He has since earned 76 caps and scored 23 goals for Los Cafeteros. Díaz has represented Colombia at the 2019, 2021, and 2024 Copa América tournaments and also played at the 2022 and 2026 FIFA World Cups.
On 29 October 2023, Díaz’s mother Cilenis Marulanda and father Luis Manuel “Mane” Díaz were kidnapped by armed men on motorcycles at a gas station in their hometown of Barrancas. His mother was rescued within hours of the initial abduction, and his father was safely freed after a 12-day hostage ordeal.
Michael Olise Religion
Michael Akpovie Olise is a French professional footballer who has not publicly stated his religion, and there is no confirmed information regarding his religious beliefs. Michael Olise was born on 12 December 2001 in Hammersmith, London, to Vincent Olise, a British-Nigerian father and a Franco-Algerian mother. Olise played youth football for several major English academies, including Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester City, before his professional breakthrough at Reading. In March 2019, Olise made his senior debut for Reading, winning the EFL Young Player of the Season award during the 2020/21 season. That form earned him a move to Premier League club Crystal Palace in July 2021, where he made his Premier League debut later that year and scored his first top-flight goal soon after and was nominated for PFA Young Player of the Year in 2024.
On 7 July 2024, Bayern Munich announced the signing of Olise from Crystal Palace on a five-year contract valid through 30 June 2029, for a reported transfer fee of €60 million, including add-ons. He hit the ground running with an assist two minutes into his debut. With Bayern, Olise has won two Bundesliga titles and a German Super Cup, culminating in a dominant 2025/26 club season where he registered 15 goals and 20 assists in the league alone.
Olise was born in England to a Nigerian father and Franco-Algerian mother and was eligible to represent France, Algeria, England, or Nigeria internationally, but he chose France.
Ismael Saibari Religion
Ismael Saibari is a professional footballer who is a practicing Muslim. In personal stories about his childhood when doctors told his parents he might never walk properly due to a medical condition, Saibari and his family have publicly stated, “We are Muslim. We really believe in God. My mother prayed for me. Alhamdulillah I have normal feet.” Ismael Saibari was born in Terrassa, Spain, to Moroccan parents who emigrated from Ksar El Kebir in the 1990s in search of work. He has two older brothers, Akram and Adam. Saibari came through youth academies at clubs including KVC Willebroek, Beerschot, Anderlecht, Mechelen, and Genk and then joined PSV Eindhoven in 2020.
Saibari signed his first professional contract with Genk in 2017 and later moved to PSV Eindhoven in 2020. At the end of the 2025 season, Saibari was named Player of the Year with 15 goals and 8 assists before agreeing to a €55 million summer transfer to Bayern Munich. As of the time of writing this, Saibari is reported to be joining Bayern Munich, pending final official completion details from the club.
Saibari declined Spain and Belgium to represent Morocco. He made his senior debut for Morocco in 2023 after coming through their youth academy. He also played for Morocco’s U23 side, helping them win the 2023 U23 Africa Cup of Nations. In 2023, he made his senior debut for Morocco and was part of the Morocco squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and 2026 FIFA World Cup.