Chelsea enter the 2026–27 campaign for the 121st season in the club’s history, which marks their 35th consecutive season in the Premier League as well as their 38th consecutive season in the English top flight. In English competitions, Chelsea has won a total of 6 top-flight league titles. In continental and global competitions, Chelsea has won 1 FIFA Club World Cup, 1 Intercontinental Cup, 2 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, 2 UEFA Super Cup, 2 UEFA Champions League, 2 UEFA Europa League, and 1 UEFA Conference League.
Throughout its history, Chelsea has featured many players with diverse religious beliefs. In the current squad, players like Estêvão Willian, Maxence Lacroix, and Reece James are known practicing Christians. On the other hand, Wesley Fofana is widely recognized for practicing Islam.
Here is an overview of the religious backgrounds within the current Chelsea squad.
Table of Contents
Robert Sánchez Religion
Robert Sánchez is a Spanish professional footballer who has not publicly disclosed his religious beliefs.
Robert Lynch Sánchez was born on 18 November 1997 in Cartagena, a coastal city in the Region of Murcia, Spain. He is the son of a Jamaican-English father and a Spanish mother. Sánchez began his youth career with local club Cartagena FC before moving to Levante UD’s academy in 2010. At the age of 15, in 2013, Sánchez moved to England to join Brighton & Hove Albion’s academy and later signed his first professional contract with Brighton in June 2015.
To gain senior experience, he spent the 2018-19 season on loan at Forest Green Rovers and the 2019-20 season on loan at Rochdale. He returned to Brighton and made his Premier League debut in November 2020 against Tottenham Hotspur.
In August 2023, Sánchez transferred to Chelsea for an initial £25 million fee, signing a seven-year contract. He has since become Chelsea’s senior goalkeeper and has also represented Spain at the international level, including being named to Spain’s senior squad for UEFA Euro 2020, the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and the UEFA Nations League.
Marco Palestra Religion
Marco Palestra is an Italian professional footballer who has not publicly discussed his religious beliefs.
Marco Palestra plays as a right-back or right wing-back for Premier League club Chelsea and the Italy national team. Palestra came through the youth academy of Atalanta B.C. and won the 2023–24 UEFA Europa League championship with the club. In August 2025, Atalanta loaned him to Cagliari for the 2025-26 Serie A season to gain first-team experience. In July 2026, Palestra transferred from Atalanta to Chelsea on a seven-year contract for an initial transfer fee worth approximately £43 million, with a further £5 million available in performance-related add-ons. He became the club’s first signing under manager Xabi Alonso.
Wesley Fofana Religion
Wesley Fofana is a French professional footballer who is a practicing Muslim and has spoken openly about how his faith guides his daily life and career.
Wesley Tidjan Fofana was born on 17 December 2000 in Marseille, France, to an Ivorian father and a French mother. He began playing football at the age of six with local club Repos Vitrolles, then spent time with Bassin Minier, Pennes Mirabeau, and SC Air Bel. In 2015, he joined Saint-Étienne’s youth academy at the age of 14 and signed his first professional contract three years later. In 2020, Fofana transferred from Saint-Étienne to Leicester City for a fee of €35 million. In August 2022, he moved to Chelsea for a fee of £75 million, the highest fee ever paid for a defender from one Premier League club to another. With Chelsea, he won the UEFA Conference League and the FIFA Club World Cup.
Wesley Fofana holds the dual nationality of France and Ivory Coast but has chosen to represent France at the international stage.
Valentín Barco Religion
Valentín Barco is an Argentine professional footballer who has not publicly shared his personal religious beliefs.
Valentín Barco plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Chelsea and the Argentina national team. He previously played for Boca Juniors, Brighton & Hove Albion, and Strasbourg. He also spent time on loan at Sevilla. In August 2026, Chelsea announced the signing of Barco on a seven-year contract until 2033 for a reported deal of £34 million.
Maxence Lacroix Religion
Maxence Lacroix is a French professional footballer who is a devout Christian. He shares his Christian faith openly and calls his relationship with Jesus Christ the true foundation of his life.
Maxence Guy Lacroix was born on 6 April 2000 in France, and he plays as a centre-back for Premier League club Chelsea and the France national team. He is a product of the Sochaux youth academy. In August 2020, he joined Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg on a four-year contract. He spent four seasons at Wolfsburg before he moved to Crystal Palace in the Premier League, where he won the FA Cup, Community Shield, and UEFA Conference League. In July 2026, Lacroix signed a six-year contract with Chelsea until 2032 for a reported deal of £52 million.
On the international stage, Lacroix made his senior debut for the France national football team in March 2026 and subsequently represented France at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Lacroix is of Guadeloupe descent through his father.
Levi Colwill Religion
Levi Colwill is an English professional footballer who has not publicly discussed his personal religious beliefs.
Levi Lamar Samuels Colwill was born on 26 February 2003 in Southampton, Hampshire, England. His paternal grandfather is from Jamaica, and his paternal grandmother is from Trinidad and Tobago. He joined Chelsea’s academy at the under-nine level in 2011 and then signed his first professional contract on his 17th birthday in February 2020. During the 2021-22 season, he was loaned to Huddersfield Town in the Championship and subsequently spent another loan with Brighton & Hove Albion.
Returning to Chelsea in 2023, he signed a new six-year contract with an option for an additional year. In February, he helped Chelsea finish as runners-up in the EFL Cup. In 2025, he won the UEFA Europa Conference League and the FIFA Club World Cup with the team.
Pedro Neto Religion
Pedro Neto is a Portuguese professional footballer who has not publicly shared details about his specific religious beliefs.
Pedro Lomba Neto was born on 9 March 2000 in Viana do Castelo, in northern Portugal. He is the son of Cristina Lomba, who is of Mozambican origin. Neto began his youth career at SC Vianense and later joined SC Braga’s academy in 2013, making his senior debut for Braga B in the Segunda Liga in 2017 at age 17. In the summer of 2017, he moved to Italian club Lazio on loan from Braga and subsequently won the 2018-19 Coppa Italia with Lazio. In August 2019, he joined Wolverhampton Wanderers and then moved to Chelsea, where he won the 2024-25 UEFA Europa Conference League and the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
Internationally, Neto won the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League with Portugal.
João Pedro Religion
Joao Pedro is a Brazilian professional footballer who is widely regarded as a Christian, though he has not made formal declarations regarding his specific religious beliefs.
João Pedro Junqueira de Jesus was born on 26 September 2001 in Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil. He is the son of Flavia Junqueira and José João de Jesus. João Pedro began his senior career at Fluminense before joining Watford for a transfer fee of €11.5 million. He spent three seasons with the club and helped Watford win the EFL Championship runner-up position and gain promotion to the Premier League. In May 2023, Pedro joined Brighton & Hove Albion in the region of a club-record £30 million fee. In July 2025, he moved to Chelsea on a long-term contract through to 2033 for a reported fee of £55 million plus £5 million add-ons. In 2025, Pedro helped Chelsea win the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
Cole Palmer Religion
Cole Palmer is an English professional footballer who has not publicly discussed his personal religious beliefs.
Cole Jermaine Palmer was born in Manchester, England, in 2002 to Jermaine, a dental engineer, and Marie Palmer, a dyslexia assessor. Palmer was educated at Gatley Primary School in Cheadle and St Bede’s College. In 2010, he joined Manchester City’s academy at the age of eight and was promoted to the first team in 2020. During the 2022-23 season, he won the Premier League title, the UEFA Champions League, and the FA Cup with Manchester City.
In September 2023, Palmer transferred from Manchester City to Chelsea on a seven-year contract in a deal reported at around £40 million. In the 2024-25 season, Palmer won the UEFA Europa Conference League and the FIFA Club World Cup with Chelsea.
Palmer has Afro-Kittitian ancestry on his father’s side and White British ancestry on his mother’s side. In August 2026, Palmer revealed that the last time he tried to cook, he gave himself food poisoning from a salmon dish.
Jordan Henderson Religion
Jordan Henderson is an English professional footballer who is culturally connected to Christianity, though he keeps his personal religious beliefs mostly private.
Jordan Brian Henderson plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Chelsea and the England national team. Previously, he played for the football clubs Sunderland, Liverpool, Al-Ettifaq, Ajax, and Brentford. Among his career accomplishments, he captained Liverpool to win its sixth UEFA Champions League trophy and the Premier League title in 2019–20. In August 2026, he joined Chelsea on a free transfer.
On the international stage, Henderson has represented England at four FIFA World Cups and three UEFA European Championships.
Away from football, Henderson and his wife Rebecca Burnett have three children.
Morgan Rogers Religion
Morgan Rogers is an English professional footballer who has not publicly talked about his personal religious beliefs.
Morgan Elliot Rogers was born on July 26, 2002, in Halesowen, England. He is the middle of three sons born to Deborah and Howard Rogers, and he is of Jamaican descent through his mother. Rogers began his career in the youth academy of West Bromwich Albion Football Club before later joining Manchester City. After loan spells at Lincoln City, Bournemouth, and Blackpool, he joined Middlesbrough in 2023. He subsequently moved to Aston Villa in January 2024 for an initial fee of £8 million. Rogers won the 2025-26 UEFA Europa League champion title with Aston Villa before making a £117 million move to Chelsea in July 2026. A month later, on 24 August 2026, Rogers scored his first Premier League goal for Chelsea with a 3–2 victory over Fulham in the opening round.
Danny Welbeck Religion
Danny Welbeck is an English professional footballer who comes from a Christian background and practices Christianity.
Daniel Nii Tackie Mensah Welbeck was born on 26 November 1990 in Longsight, Manchester, to Ghanaian parents, with his father from Greater Accra and his mother from Nkawie in the Ashanti region. Welbeck joined the Manchester United academy at the age of eight. He made his senior debut for Manchester United in September 2008 and won the Premier League with the club during the 2012–13 season. He subsequently had loan spells with Preston North End and Sunderland before joining Arsenal for £16 million in 2014. He spent five seasons with Arsenal before moving to Watford in 2019 and then joining Brighton & Hove Albion on a free transfer in October 2020. At Brighton, he became the club’s all-time top Premier League scorer. In August 2026, Welbeck signed for Chelsea on a two-year contract.
Jorrel Hato Religion
Jorrel Hato is a Dutch professional footballer who has not publicly discussed his personal religious beliefs.
Jorrel Evan Hato was born on 7 March 2006 in Rotterdam, Netherlands, and is of Curaçao descent. He is a product of the AFC Ajax youth academy. In August 2025, Hato transferred to Chelsea for an initial fee of £37 million, signing a seven-year contract until 2032 and becoming the 15th Dutch player to join the club. In the same month, he made his Premier League debut and scored his first goal for Chelsea the following year.
Hato holds Dutch nationality and has maintained pride in his multicultural heritage of Dutch, Curaçaoan, and Cape Verdean roots.
Emmanuel Emegha Religion
Emmanuel Emegha is a Dutch professional footballer who is a Christian. He is a practicing Catholic and is known to be very devout in his daily life.
Emmanuel Esseh Emegha was born on 3 February 2003 in The Hague, Netherlands. He and his twin brother, Joshua, were raised by their Nigerian mother after their Togolese father left when they were infants. Emegha began his youth career at KRSV Vredenburgh in the Netherlands and started his professional career at Sparta Rotterdam. In January 2022, he moved to Royal Antwerp and subsequently joined Austrian club SK Sturm Graz in August of the same year. In July 2023, Emegha signed for Strasbourg on a five-year deal for €13 million. Three years later, on 12 September 2025, Emegha signed a pre-agreement deal with Chelsea before officially moving to Stamford Bridge in July 2026.
Geovany Quenda Religion
Geovany Quenda is a Portuguese professional footballer who has not publicly discussed his personal religious beliefs.
Geovany Tcherno Quenda was born on 30 April 2007 in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau. He moved to Portugal at the age of seven in 2014 to join his father, who had relocated for work. Quenda joined the Sporting CP youth academy in 2019 and was later promoted to the first-team in 2024. He won the Primeira Liga and the Taça de Portugal titles with Sporting before his £40 million moved to Chelsea in July 2026.
Reece James Religion
Reece James is an English professional footballer who follows the Christian faith.
Reece Lewis James was born in Redbridge, Greater London, to Nigel James, a former footballer and coach, and Emma James, who worked for the NHS. His sister, Lauren, is also a professional footballer who played for Chelsea Women. James is a product of the Chelsea youth academy. During the 2018-19 season, he was on loan at Wigan Athletic in the Championship. In the summer of 2019, he was promoted to the Chelsea first team and subsequently helped Chelsea win the UEFA Champions League the following year. Among his other achievements, James helped Chelsea win the UEFA Europa Conference League and the FIFA Club World Cup. He was appointed Chelsea captain in 2023.
Moisés Caicedo Religion
Moisés Caicedo is an Ecuadorian professional footballer who is a devout Christian. He has been seen leading worship at his local church in Ecuador during the off-season.
Moisés Isaac Caicedo Corozo was born on 2 November 2001 in Santo Domingo, Ecuador, as the youngest of ten children. He began his career at Independiente del Valle before joining Brighton & Hove Albion and was subsequently loaned to Beerschot VA for the 2021–22 season. In August 2023, he joined Chelsea for a reported fee of £100 million, making him the most expensive South American player in history at the time. He won the UEFA Conference League in 2024–25.
Caicedo and his partner Paola Salazar have a daughter born in 2024.
Malo Gusto Religion
Malo Gusto is a French professional footballer who has not made any public statements regarding his personal religious beliefs.
Malo Arthur Gusto was born on 19 May 2003 in Decines-Charpieu, France. Gusto first played rugby before pursuing his dream to become a professional footballer. He plays as a right-back for Chelsea and the France national team. He is a product of the Lyon academy. In 2021, Gusto was promoted to Lyon’s first team. During the January 2023 transfer window, Gusto moved to Chelsea for a reported €30 million fee but was immediately loaned back to Lyon for the remainder of the 2022-23 season. He then officially joined the Blues in August that same year.
Gusto’s mother is French, and his father was born in Germany but later moved to Martinique, a French overseas department in the Caribbean.
Pep Chavarria Religion
Pep Chavarria is a Spanish professional footballer who has not publicly discussed his personal religious beliefs.
Pep Chavarria plays as a left-back for Chelsea. He previously played for Real Zaragoza in the Segunda División and La Liga side Rayo Vallecano. In August 2026, he joined Chelsea on a five-year contract in a deal reported at £16.3 million plus £1.7 million in possible add-ons.
Josh Acheampong Religion
Josh Acheampong is an English professional footballer who is a Christian.
Joshua Kofi Acheampong was born on 5 May 2006 in Waltham Forest, England. He is of Ghanaian descent, having been born in London to parents from Ghana. Acheampong was educated at Forest School, Walthamstow, in Walthamstow, London.
Acheampong is a product of the Chelsea youth academy. After signing his first professional contract with the club for the 2023-24 season, he was promoted from the U18 team to the U21 team. He was named in the first-team squad for a Premier League match against Newcastle United on 11 March 2024, and he made his senior debut on 2 May 2024, three days before his 18th birthday, coming on as a substitute in an 85th-minute appearance in a 2–0 Premier League win over Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge.
Acheampong is eligible to play for England by birth and Ghana and the Republic of Ireland through his parents.
Estêvão Willian Religion
Estêvão Willian is a Brazilian professional footballer who is a devout Christian. His father, Ivo, is a pastor, and Estêvão grew up deeply involved in church activities in Franca, Brazil. He still plays the drums during worship services when he returns home.
Estêvão Willian was born in Franca, São Paulo, and he plays as a winger for Chelsea and the Brazil national team. He previously played for Palmeiras, where he won the Breakthrough Player and Best Striker awards at the 2024 Prêmio Craque do Brasileirão. In June 2024, Chelsea agreed to a £29 million deal to sign Estêvão from Palmeiras upon his 18th birthday, with him officially joining the club on 14 July 2025 on a contract until 2033. He became the youngest player in club history to assist a Premier League goal on his full debut and score a dramatic late winner against Liverpool in October 2025.
Roméo Lavia Religion
Roméo Lavia is a Belgian professional footballer who is a devoted Christian.
Roméo Lavia was born in Brussels to a Congolese mother and Ghanaian father. He began his career in the youth academy of Anderlecht before a subsequent transfer to Manchester City in 2020. He made one senior appearance for Man City in the EFL Cup during the 2021–22 season before joining Southampton for £14 million. A year later, in August 2023, he moved to Chelsea for a fee of £53 million.
Emiliano Martínez Religion
Emiliano Martínez is an Argentine professional footballer who follows the Christian faith. He is identified as a Catholic.
Damián Emiliano Martínez Romero was born on 2 September 1992 in Mar del Plata, Argentina, to parents Susana, an apartment cleaner, and Alberto, a truck driver who delivered fish across the region. He began his career at Club Atlético Independiente in Argentina before joining Arsenal’s academy in 2010 at age 17. In 2012, he was promoted to the Arsenal first team and made his debut. He spent several years gaining experience through loan spells at lower-league English clubs, including Oxford United, Sheffield Wednesday, Rotherham United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Reading, as well as a loan to Getafe in Spain.
In September 2020, Martínez joined Aston Villa for £17.5 million and recorded 15 clean sheets in his debut season, helping the club secure European qualification. He contributed to Aston Villa’s historic fourth-place finish in the 2023–24 season while achieving nine Premier League clean sheets. In the 2025-26 season, he won the UEFA Europa League with his team. In August 2026, it was announced that Chelsea agreed to a £7.5 million deal to sign him from Aston Villa.
Internationally, Martínez has won 4 major international trophies with the senior Argentina national team. This includes the 2021 and 2024 Copa América, the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and CONMEBOL. He was also named the Best FIFA Goalkeeper a record two times in 2022 and 2024 and received the Yashin Trophy twice in 2023 and 2024.
