Vinícius Júnior has been a standout player who practices Christianity alongside Endrick, Aurélien Tchouaméni, and Kylian Mbappé. With the current Real Madrid squad, there have been a number of Muslim players too, such as the new signing Ibrahima Konaté, Arda Güler, and Brahim Díaz. Reading below, you will find out all Madrid players and their respective religious beliefs. In addition, you will get to know about their football career and more fun facts about them.
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Thibaut Courtois Religion
Thibaut Nicolas Marc Courtois is a Belgian professional footballer who is identified as Christian. Thibaut Courtois was born on 11 May 1992 in Bree, Belgium, to a Walloon father and a Flemish mother. Courtois began his youth football career in 1997 at the age of five with local club Bilzen V.V. He later joined KRC Genk’s youth academy and trained as a left-back before switching to goalkeeper at 16. In 1999, Courtois entered the youth academy of Racing Genk. He made his senior first-team debut for the club at 16 years of age. During the 2010–11 season, he served as Genk’s starting goalkeeper, winning the Belgian Pro League title and earning the Belgian League Goalkeeper of the Year award. In 2011, Courtois signed for Chelsea in a transfer worth a reported £8 million and was immediately loaned to Atlético Madrid for the 2011–12 season. At Atlético, he won the La Liga title, the Copa del Rey, and the Europa League and reached the UEFA Champions League final. He returned to Chelsea in 2014 and won two Premier League titles and the EFL Cup.
In 2018, Courtois signed for Real Madrid for £35 million. With Madrid, he won the La Liga title three times and the UEFA Champions League twice, in 2022 and 2024, and the FIFA Club World Cup in 2024. He also won the UEFA Best Goalkeeper Award for the 2021–22 Champions League season.
Courtois made his senior debut for Belgium in November 2011 and has since played for Belgium at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2016, the 2018 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2020, the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
In addition to his native Dutch, Courtois is fluent in Spanish, French, and English. In May 2026, NxtPlay and Courtois became co-owners of Spanish club Extremadura. The following month, in June 2026, he invested in his homegrown club, Genk, by acquiring a minority ownership stake through NxtPlay.
Éder Militão Religion
Éder Gabriel Militão Pinheiro is a Brazilian professional footballer who is a practicing Christian. Militão was born on January 18, 1998, in Sertãozinho, São Paulo, Brazil, and he plays as a center-back for Real Madrid and the Brazil national team. Militão began his career at São Paulo and made his first-team debut in 2016 before he was transferred to FC Porto in Portugal.
In 2019, Militão signed for Real Madrid for €50 million. At Madrid, he became part of the first team and has since won three La Liga and two UEFA Champions League titles. In January 2024, he signed a contract extension with Real Madrid that runs until June 30, 2028.
Militão made his senior debut for Brazil on 15 November 2018 at the age of 20. He was part of their squads that won the Copa América in 2019. He played four matches for Brazil at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Jude Bellingham Religion
Jude Victor William Bellingham is an English professional footballer who has not publicly confirmed his religious belief. Bellingham was born on 29 June 2003 in Stourbridge, England. He is the eldest son of Denise and Mark Bellingham. He is of Irish descent through his father and Kenyan and Jamaican descent through his mother. Bellingham was educated at Priory School in Edgbaston, Birmingham, before he then joined the Birmingham City academy at the under-8 level. In 2019, Bellingham made his senior Birmingham City debut, becoming the club’s youngest-ever first-team player at the age of 16 years and 38 days. Later that month, he became the club’s youngest goalscorer after netting the winner against Stoke City. In July 2020, he joined Borussia Dortmund for a reported initial fee of £25 million, which made him the most expensive 17-year-old in football history at the time. Two months later, he became the youngest English player to start a Champions League match.
Bellingham spent three seasons with Dortmund, and in June 2023, he moved to Real Madrid on a six-year contract for a base transfer fee of €103 million. In his first season, Bellingham was the club’s top league scorer, helped them win the league title and the Champions League, and was voted La Liga Player of the Season. Among his individual achievements, Bellingham has received the 2023 Kopa Trophy and the Golden Boy award and finished third in the 2024 Ballon d’Or voting.
Bellingham represented England at the youth level, including the under-16s, under-17s, and under-21s, and he also captained age-group sides. He scored for the England under-21 team in September 2020 and was soon promoted to the senior squad. In November 2020, he received his first senior England call-up at the age of 17. Furthermore, making history at UEFA Euro 2020 by becoming the youngest Englishman to play at a major tournament when he featured in the competition held in 2021. He also represented England at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2024, and the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
In April 2026, Bellingham bought a minority stake in the Hundred franchise Birmingham Phoenix, worth around £1 million. He will take a 1.2% holding and will focus mainly on community engagement and social projects.
Eduardo Camavinga Religion
Eduardo Celmi Camavinga is a professional footballer who practices Christianity. Camavinga was born on 10 November 2002 in Miconge, Angola. His parents were Congolese refugees who had fled conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the family moved to France when he was two years old. Camavinga first played judo before focusing on football. He joined AGL Drapeau-Fougères, the local club where his father had also played. He was later admitted to Rennes’ youth academy in 2013 and made his senior debut in April 2019. At 16 years and 1 month, he became Rennes’ youngest-ever first-team player, and that same year, he helped Rennes win the Coupe de France.
In 2021, he signed for Real Madrid for a fee of €31 million on a six-year contract. One month later, he made his Real Madrid debut against Celta Vigo and scored on his debut. Since joining Real Madrid, he has been used as a central midfielder and as a left-back when needed. He has won La Liga, the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup, and the FIFA Club World Cup with the club.
Camavinga acquired French citizenship on 31 October 2019. Shortly after, he was called up to the French under-21 national team. He made his senior France debut on 8 September 2020 at the age of 17 and became France’s youngest player in more than a century. He was part of the French squad that finished runners-up at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Vinícius Júnior Religion
Vinícius José Paixão de Oliveira Júnior, commonly known as Vinícius Júnior or Vini Jr., is a Brazilian professional footballer who is a devout Christian and follows the Roman Catholic faith. Vinícius was born on 12 July 2000 in São Gonçalo, Brazil. He began playing football at a young age and joined Flamengo’s academy in 2006, when he was six years old. Vinícius made his senior debut for Flamengo on 13 May 2017, at the age of 16. He signed a professional contract with the club soon after and remained at Flamengo until he turned 18. During that period, he made 69 appearances for the first team and scored 14 goals.
Real Madrid agreed a £38 million deal for him in 2017, and he officially joined the club in July 2018. He was first used with Real Madrid Castilla before moving into the senior squad. His transfer at that time made him the second-most expensive sale of a player in the history of Brazilian football. He became an important first-team player in the 2021–22 season when he scored the only goal in the 2022 UEFA Champions League final against Liverpool, securing Real Madrid’s 14th European title. During the 2023–24 season, he scored a hat-trick in the Supercopa de España final against Barcelona and scored again in the 2024 UEFA Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund, winning his second continental title. In October 2023, he officially extended his contract with Real Madrid through June 2027.
Vinícius represented Brazil at the youth level and won the South American U-15 Championship in 2015 and the South American U-17 Championship in 2017. He was also named the best player at the U-17 tournament. He received his first call-up to the senior Brazil national team in September 2019 and has since become a regular part of the national team and played at the 2021 Copa América, the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and the 2026 World Cup, both in the United States. Vinícius scored his first World Cup goal against South Korea in the round of 16 at the 2022 tournament and has so far registered four goals in 4 appearances for Brazil at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
In November 2024, Vinícius received his genetic results from African Ancestry, Inc., and learned that his maternal lineage was traced to the Tikar people of Cameroon. The Confederation of Brazilian Football (CBF) presented him with the certificate in front of a stadium full of supporters. In addition, he is also an owner of F.C. Alverca, who play in the Primeira Liga in Portugal.
Federico Valverde Religion
Federico Santiago Valverde Dipetta is a Uruguayan professional footballer who is a practicing Christian. Valverde was born on 22 July 1998 in Montevideo, Uruguay, and he plays as a central midfielder for Real Madrid and the Uruguay national team. He has one older brother, Diego, and two step-brothers, Pablo and Matías Castro. Valverde holds dual Uruguayan and Spanish citizenship, having obtained his Spanish passport in 2020. He started playing football at a young age and joined Peñarol’s youth academy and made his senior debut in 2015 at the age of 17. In his first season, he was part of the squad that won the Uruguayan Primera División title.
In 2016, Valverde joined Real Madrid, initially linking up with Castilla, the club’s reserve side. He spent the 2016–17 season there and then went on loan to Deportivo La Coruña for the 2017–18 campaign to gain first-team experience in La Liga. He returned to Real Madrid and became a first-team regular from the 2019–20 season onward. He has played as a central midfielder, right midfielder, and occasionally on the right side of attack. With Real Madrid, he has won multiple major trophies, including La Liga and the UEFA Champions League.
Valverde played for Uruguay at the under-15, under-17, and under-20 youth levels. He won the Silver Ball award at the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup. He made his senior international debut for Uruguay on 5 September 2017 against Paraguay and scored his first international goal in that match. Additionally, he has represented Uruguay at the Copa América in 2019, 2021, and 2024. He played in his first FIFA World Cup in 2022 in Qatar and the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States. Valverde has also served as the captain of the Uruguay national team since 2023.
On 8 April 2023, Federico Valverde allegedly punched Villarreal’s Alex Baena after Real Madrid’s dramatic 3-2 defeat at the Bernabeu on Saturday night. He waited by the Villarreal team bus in the stadium’s parking lot after the match to confront Baena and asked him to repeat what he claimed had been said on the pitch.
Kylian Mbappé Religion
Kylian Mbappé Lottin is a French professional footballer who identifies as a Christian. Mbappé was born on 20 December 1998 in Bondy, France, to an Algerian mother and a Cameroonian father. His father, Wilfrid Mbappé, was a football coach, and his mother, Fayza Lamari, was a former handball player. Mbappé began playing football at AS Bondy before moving to AS Monaco’s youth academy. In December 2015, Mbappé made his professional debut for AS Monaco at the age of 16 and was a key player in Monaco’s 2016–17 Ligue 1 title-winning season. He scored 26 goals in all competitions that season and helped Monaco reach the UEFA Champions League semi-finals.
In August 2017, Mbappé joined Paris Saint-Germain on an initial loan deal that was later made permanent for €180 million. The transfer made him the second-most-expensive player in the world. During his seven seasons with PSG, Mbappé won six Ligue 1 titles and four Coupe de France trophies and reached the UEFA Champions League final in 2020. He also became PSG’s all-time top scorer before leaving the club in 2024. In 2024, he joined Real Madrid on a free transfer. He won the European Golden Shoe in 2025 and the Pichichi Trophy in 2025 and 2026.
Mbappé represented France at the youth level and won the 2016 UEFA European Under-19 Championship. Subsequently, in March 2017, he made his senior debut and was part of France’s squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, where he scored four goals, including one in the final against Croatia. France won the tournament, and Mbappé became the youngest French player to score at a World Cup and the second teenager, after Pelé, to score in a World Cup final. At the 2022 World Cup, he scored a hat-trick in the final against Argentina and won the Golden Boot as the tournament’s top scorer. Mbappé also played at UEFA Euro 2020, UEFA Euro 2024, and the 2026 FIFA World Cup. At the 2026 World Cup, he became France’s all-time top goalscorer.
As of July 2026, Mbappé is in a relationship with the Spanish actress and model Ester Expósito.
Rodrygo Religion
Rodrygo Silva de Goes, better known as Rodrygo, is a Brazilian professional footballer who is a devout Christian. Rodrygo was born on January 9, 2001, in Osasco, São Paulo, Brazil, and he plays primarily as a winger for Real Madrid and the Brazil national team. Rodrygo first played futsal at a young age before he moved to playing football. Rodrygo began his career with the Santos youth academy and made his senior debut in 2017, at the age of 16. He became a regular in the first team and scored his first senior goal the following year.
In 2018, Real Madrid agreed to a deal to sign him, and he officially joined the club in 2019 after turning 18. The rumored fee was of €45 million, with Santos receiving €40 million as the club owned 80% of his rights, with the rest owned by Rodrygo’s agent. He made an immediate impact at Madrid, scoring on his Champions League debut against Galatasaray.
Rodrygo’s father, Eric, is a former professional footballer who played as a right-back in several tiers of Brazilian football, the highest of which being Série B.
Trent Alexander-Arnold Religion
Trent John Alexander-Arnold, sometimes known mononymously as Trent, is an English professional footballer who is a Christian, specifically Catholic. Alexander-Arnold was born on 7 October 1998 in Liverpool, England, to his parents Michael Arnold and Dianne Alexander. Alexander-Arnold was educated at St Matthew’s Catholic Primary School, St Mary’s College in Crosby, and then Rainhill High School. He joined Liverpool’s academy as a boy in 2004 and made his senior Liverpool debut in October 2016. The following season, he played in the UEFA Champions League final as Liverpool reached the final in Kyiv. Across nine senior seasons, he made 354 total appearances, scored 23 goals, and delivered 86 assists, winning eight major trophies, including two Premier League titles, the UEFA Champions League, the FA Cup, the FIFA Club World Cup, the UEFA Super Cup, and two EFL Cups.
Following the conclusion of the 2024–25 season, he departed Liverpool upon the expiration of his contract. He signed a six-year contract with Real Madrid on a free transfer, officially joining the club on June 1, 2025.
Alexander-Arnold represented England at the youth level before making his senior debut in 2018. He was part of England’s squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, where the team reached the semi-finals. He was selected for the final English squads at both the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups, as well as UEFA Euro 2024.
Alexander-Arnold is the nephew of former Millwall and Reading forward John Alexander, who also served as the club secretary at Manchester United. In addition, his maternal grandmother, Doreen Carling, was once also in a relationship with former United manager Alex Ferguson before moving to New York City, where she later married.
Andriy Lunin Religion
Andriy Oleksiyovych Lunin is a Ukrainian professional footballer who is a Christian and was raised within the cultural and religious traditions of Eastern Orthodoxy. Andriy Lunin was born on 11 February 1999 in Krasnohrad, Ukraine, and he serves as the second-choice goalkeeper for Real Madrid. Lunin began his senior club career at FC Dnipro on 16 October 2016 at the age of 17. The following year, he was transferred to FC Zorya Luhansk.
In June 2018, Real Madrid reached an agreement with Zorya Luhansk to sign Lunin in a reportedly €8.5 million deal. Two months later, he was then loaned out to Leganés, Valladolid, and Real Oviedo to gain more first-team football in Spain. After those loan spells, he returned to Real Madrid and became part of the senior squad. In September 2024, he extended his contract with Real Madrid until June 2030.
Lunin represented Ukraine across various youth levels, and he was a starting goalkeeper for the Ukraine under-20 team that won the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup, where he also received the Golden Glove award as the tournament’s best goalkeeper. After that, he made his senior debut for the Ukraine national team in March 2018.
Aurélien Tchouaméni Religion
Aurélien Djani Tchouaméni is a French professional footballer who is a practicing Christian. He was raised in the Catholic faith. Tchouaméni was born on 27 January 2000 in Rouen, France, and he plays as a defensive midfielder or a center-back for Real Madrid and the France national team. He is of Cameroonian descent through both of his parents. He acquired French nationality through the collective effect of his parents’ naturalization on December 19, 2000. When Tchouaméni was eleven years old, he began playing on the youth team of Girondins de Bordeaux. Six years later, in November 2017, Tchouaméni signed his first professional contract with Bordeaux and made his first-team debut on 26 July 2018. In January 2020, he transferred to Ligue 1 side AS Monaco for €18 million.
Following his performances in Ligue 1, Real Madrid signed Tchouaméni to a six-year contract on June 11, 2022, for a transfer fee of €80 million, which could rise to €100 million due to additional fees.
Tchouaméni represented France at all youth levels from U16 onward and later made his senior debut for France in September 2021. He won the UEFA Nations League title with France in October 2021. He was part of France’s squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2024, and the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
On 7 May 2026, Tchouaméni and teammate Federico Valverde got into a fight after a training session, and both were imposed a fine of €500,000.
Arda Güler Religion
Arda Güler is a Turkish professional footballer who is a practicing Muslim. He won a medal in a Quran competition as a child. Arda Güler was born on 25 February 2005 in Altindağ, Ankara, Turkey, and he is a left-footed attacking midfielder who can also play as a right winger. Güler began his competitive youth career at Gençlerbirliği in 2014 before moving to the Fenerbahçe youth academy in February 2019. The following year, he signed his first professional contract and later concluded his time in Turkey by winning the Turkish Cup in 2023.
On July 6, 2023, Real Madrid signed Güler on a six-year contract for an initial €20 million, where he scored on his debut in March that same year. In his inaugural season with the Spanish giants, he won La Liga and the UEFA Champions League.
Güler represents Turkey. He made his senior international debut in November 2022, scoring his first international goal against Wales in June 2023 during UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying. He was part of Turkey’s squad for UEFA Euro 2024 and has also represented Turkey at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Gonzalo García Religion
Gonzalo García Torres is a Spanish professional footballer who has not publicly declared his personal religious beliefs. García was born on March 24, 2004, in Madrid, Spain. He is a Spanish professional forward who came through Real Madrid’s youth system and is currently part of Real Madrid Castilla and the first team. Before this, García progressed through early youth tenures at SEK, Club Santa Bárbara, and Jarama Race before officially entering the Real Madrid academy in 2014. In 2018, his family moved to Palma de Mallorca for his father’s job, and he spent one season with Mallorca before returning to Real Madrid. In January 2022, he was promoted to Real Madrid Castilla.
García was first included with the Real Madrid first team on 2 September 2023. Two years later, in February 2025, he signed a contract extension keeping him at the club until June 2030 and was subsequently promoted to the first-team squad full-time. García finished as the top scorer during the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup with five goals.
García is the second-grandnephew of the iconic Hollywood legend Rita Hayworth.
Álvaro Carreras Religion
Álvaro Fernández Carreras is a Spanish professional footballer who has not publicly detailed his personal religious beliefs. Carreras was born on 23 March 2003 in Ferrol, Galicia, Spain. Carreras began playing football at Galicia de Caranza before joining his hometown club, Racing de Ferrol, in 2007. While at Racing de Ferrol, he played as a forward and scored 100 goals in one youth season before moving to Deportivo de La Coruña in 2012, where he was converted from a forward to a left-back. He trained with the under-13 and under-15 teams before joining Real Madrid’s youth academy in 2017. In September 2020, he relocated to England after signing a four-year contract with Manchester United, but he did not make a senior first-team appearance for the club. He excelled in United’s under-23 side and was named the club’s Reserve Player of the Year for the 2021–22 season. He spent the 2022–23 season on loan at Preston North End in the EFL Championship, where he won the club’s Young Player of the Year award, followed by a brief stint at Granada. In January 2024, Manchester United loaned him to Primeira Liga club Benfica, a deal that became a permanent transfer at the conclusion of the season for a reported €6 million fee.
After helping Benfica capture the Portuguese League Cup, his performances prompted a return to Spain. In July 2025, Real Madrid signed him from Benfica on a six-year contract until 2031, executing a transfer valued at €50 million.
Carreras has represented Spain at youth levels. He has been part of the Spain under-21 squad and earned caps in UEFA under-21 qualifiers and tournament matches. He has not yet made his senior debut for Spain as of the time of writing this.
Professionally, Álvaro Carreras chose to adopt his maternal surname, Carreras, to ensure that both his mother and father were equally recognized and represented throughout his footballing career
Brahim Díaz Religion
Brahim Abdelkader Díaz, also known mononymously as Brahim, is a Moroccan professional footballer who is a practicing Muslim. He was raised in a Christian household by his Spanish mother, but he later embraced Islam. Brahim Díaz was born on 3 August 1999 in Málaga, Spain, and plays as an attacking midfielder or winger for Real Madrid and the Morocco national team. His father is of Moroccan descent, and his mother is Spanish, which gives him eligibility for both Spain and Morocco at the international level. Brahim began his club career at his hometown club Málaga before moving to England in 2015 at the age of 16 to join Manchester City’s academy. He made his senior debut for Manchester City in 2016 and was part of Manchester City’s squad that won the Premier League in 2017–18, the EFL Cup, and the FA Community Shield in 2018.
In January 2019, Brahim completed a permanent transfer to Real Madrid for an initial fee reported at €17 million. The next year, he was loaned to Serie A club AC Milan for three seasons and was part of the squad that won the Serie A title in 2021–22. In July 2023, he returned to Real Madrid permanently after his loan spell at AC Milan ended. He signed a contract extension with Real Madrid, initially running until 2027, with discussions to extend it further.
Brahim represented Spain at youth levels and made his senior debut for Spain in 2021. He scored a goal in that appearance. In 2024, he chose to represent Morocco internationally. He was a top scorer during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and has represented Morocco at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Antonio Rüdiger Religion
Antonio Rüdiger is a German professional footballer who is a devout and practicing Muslim. Rüdiger was born on March 3, 1993, in Berlin, Germany. His father is Afro-German, and his mother is from Sierra Leone. He began playing football at local clubs such as VfB Sperber Neukölln and later SV Tasmania Berlin. Rüdiger advanced through the academy ranks of Hertha Zehlendorf and Borussia Dortmund before making his professional breakthrough at VfB Stuttgart, where he debuted for the first team in January 2012. He transferred to Italian Serie A club AS Roma in 2015, initially on loan before completing a permanent move. In July 2017, English Premier League side Chelsea signed him for a reported fee of £29 million. During his five-year tenure in London, he has won the FA Cup, the FIFA Club World Cup, the UEFA Super Cup, and the UEFA Europa League, as well as the UEFA Champions League in 2021.
In 2022, Rüdiger was signed by Real Madrid, winning a Copa del Rey in his first season, as well as La Liga and a second Champions League title in 2024. On June 16, 2026, he extended his stay at the Santiago Bernabéu through June 30, 2027.
Rüdiger made his senior debut for Germany in March 2014. He was part of the squad for the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, where Germany won. He missed major tournaments such as the 2014 World Cup and UEFA Euro 2016 due to injury and selection. He has played for Germany at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the 2020 UEFA European Championship (held in 2021), the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the 2024 UEFA European Championship, and the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Rüdiger was named after Spanish actor Antonio Banderas. In addition, he is married to Laura Rüdiger, and he has a son and a daughter.
Dean Huijsen Religion
Dean Donny Huijsen Wijsmuller is a professional footballer who has not publicly disclosed his personal religious beliefs. Huijsen was born on 13 April 2005 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. He is the son of Donny Huijsen and Macha Wijsmuller. His father was a professional footballer who played as a forward for Jong Ajax, AZ Alkmaar, and MVV Maastricht before his career ended prematurely at age 25. Huijsen moved to Marbella in Spain at age 10 and joined Málaga CF’s youth academy. In 2021, at the age of 16, Huijsen transferred to Juventus and joined their Next Gen academy. He made his Serie A debut for the senior Juventus team on October 22, 2023, becoming the club’s youngest foreign-born player to appear in the league. In January 2024, Juventus loaned him to AS Roma for six months, and later he was sold permanently to English Premier League club Bournemouth in July 2024 for a fee of €15 million.
In May 2025, Real Madrid signed him from Bournemouth for £50 million. He signed a five-year contract that will keep him at the Bernabéu until June 2030. He joined the squad in time for the newly expanded 2025 FIFA Club World Cup and integrated fully into the first-team rotation.
Franco Mastantuono Religion
Franco Mastantuono is an Argentine professional footballer who is of Catholic faith. Mastantuono was born and raised in Azul, in the Buenos Aires province of Argentina, into a family of Italian-Argentine background. He began playing football at age three with River de Azul, coached by his father. As a child, he also excelled in tennis, ranking among the top 10 of his age group in Argentina and competing at a national youth level, though he eventually chose football over tennis. At age 11, he joined Club Cemento. In 2019, he officially moved to River Plate’s youth academy in Núñez and later signed his first professional contract in August 2023, shortly after turning 16. The contract included a release clause of €30 million. He made his senior debut for River Plate on 28 January 2024, at age 16, becoming the third youngest player to feature for the club and also becoming River Plate’s youngest ever goalscorer.
In August 2025, on his 18th birthday, he signed a six-year contract with Real Madrid, which activated his €45 million release clause to complete a permanent transfer. On September 16, 2025, at 18 years and 33 days old, he became the youngest player to start a UEFA Champions League match for Real Madrid.
Marc Cucurella Religion
Marc Cucurella Saseta is a Spanish professional footballer who has not publicly confirmed his religious beliefs. Cucurella was born on 22 July 1998 in Alellà, Catalonia, Spain, and he plays as a left-back or left wing-back for Real Madrid and the Spain national team. He began playing futsal in his hometown of Alellà at age four before switching to football. Cucurella joined Barcelona’s Cadete in 2012. In the 2016–17 season, he made his debut with Juvenil A and then joined Barcelona B. In 2017, he made his official Barcelona debut. In the 2017–18 season, Barcelona B was relegated, and he was loaned to Eibar for one season, with an option to buy for €2 million. At the end of the 2018–19 season, Eibar activated the purchase option, but Barcelona paid the €4 million buyback clause to bring him back. He was then loaned to Getafe for one season with a €6 million purchase option, and at the end of the season, Getafe signed him permanently from Barcelona. In August 2021, he joined Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion before signing for Chelsea the following year.
Across his four seasons at Stamford Bridge, he won the UEFA Europa Conference League in 2024 and the FIFA Club World Cup in 2025. Following these successes, he finalized a permanent transfer to Real Madrid on July 1, 2026, signing a six-year contract. The fee was reported to be an initial €55 million, plus €5 million in add-ons.
Cucurella made his debut for the Spanish senior team in 2021 and later represented the side at UEFA Euro 2024, where Spain won the tournament, and the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Ibrahima Konaté Religion
Ibrahima Konaté is a French professional footballer who is a practicing Muslim. Konaté was born on 25 May 1999 in Paris, France, and he holds both French and Malian nationality, but he has chosen to represent France at the senior international level. He began playing football in the youth section of Paris FC, where he trained from 2009 to 2014. In 2014, he moved to FC Sochaux-Montbéliard’s youth academy and later made his senior professional debut before moving to RB Leipzig in 2017. After four years with the club, Liverpool signed him in 2021 for a fee of £36 million. He won the EFL Cup and FA Cup in his first season and later the EFL Cup again in 2024. He also won the UEFA Champions League in 2025 and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup in 2025 with Liverpool.
On 18 June 2026, it was announced that he had joined Real Madrid on a four-year contract, starting 1 July 2026. This ended his six-year spell at Liverpool.
Konaté represented France from the U16 through U21 levels before making his senior debut in June 2022. He was part of the France squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, reaching the semi-finals and then the final, where France lost to Argentina. He later won UEFA Euro 2024 with France.
Konaté’s father, Hamady Konaté, died on 21 January 2026.
Bernardo Silva Religion
Bernardo Mota Veiga de Carvalho e Silva is a Portuguese professional footballer who is a practicing Catholic. Silva was born on 10 August 1994 in Lisbon, Portugal. When Silva was seven years old, he began playing on the youth team of Atlético CP. In 2002, he joined SL Benfica’s youth academy and was named the Segunda Liga Breakthrough Player of the Year in 2013–14. Although he was a devoted supporter of Benfica, he was released by the club at 19 after playing only 31 minutes for the senior team, because he was considered too small to succeed at that level. He later joined AS Monaco on loan in August 2014 and made a permanent move in January 2015 for €15.75 million. In the summer of 2017, Silva joined Manchester City for £43.6 million. At City, he became a regular midfielder and won multiple Premier League titles, the FA Cup, the EFL Cup, and the UEFA Champions League in 2023, as well as the historic treble of the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League in the 2022–23 season. He has also helped the club win the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.
On 17 June 2026, Silva officially joined Real Madrid on a free transfer, signing a two-year contract that keeps him at the Santiago Bernabeu until June 30, 2028.
Silva has represented Portugal from the youth level, including the U19 and U21 teams, and was part of the U21 squad that finished runners-up at the 2015 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. He made his senior debut for Portugal in 2015 and was part of the squad that won the UEFA Nations League in 2019. He was chosen for Portugal’s squads for three FIFA World Cups (2018, 2022, and 2026), two UEFA European Championships (2020 and 2024), and the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup.
Denzel Dumfries Religion
Denzel Justus Morris Dumfries is a Dutch professional footballer who is a devout Christian. Denzel Dumfries was born on 18 April 1996 in Rhoon, South Holland, Netherlands, to an Aruban father, Boris, and a Surinamese mother, Marleen. He grew up in the Rotterdam area and began playing football at local clubs Spartaan ’20 and VV Smitshoek before moving to BVV Barendrecht. He later moved to the youth academy of Sparta Rotterdam in 2014. The following year, he made his professional debut at the age of 18, helping Sparta win promotion to the Eredivisie in 2016. In the summer of 2017, he joined SC Heerenveen and later moved to Dutch powerhouse PSV Eindhoven in June 2018. He was part of the squad that won the KNVB Cup in 2020–21. In August 2021, Italian Serie A club Inter Milan signed Dumfries to replace Achraf Hakimi.
Dumfries’s collective honors with Inter Milan included two Serie A league titles, three Coppa Italia trophies, and three Italian Super Cups, alongside a runner-up finish in the UEFA Champions League. On July 5, 2026, Real Madrid officially announced the signing of Denzel Dumfries after activating his €20 million release clause, securing him on a four-year contract through June 2030.
Dumfries initially represented Aruba internationally in 2014, before switching allegiance to the Netherlands. He later represented the Dutch under-20 and under-21 teams before earning his senior debut for the Netherlands national football team on October 13, 2018. Since then, he has represented the Netherlands at the UEFA European Championship in 2020 and 2024 and the FIFA World Cup in 2022 and 2026.
Away from football, in May 2020, Dumfries was among several players and staff members who agreed to give up a month’s salary due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On 25 October 2020, Dumfries tested positive for COVID-19 amid the pandemic in the Netherlands.
Endrick Religion
Endrick Felipe Moreira de Sousa Pessoa, known as Endrick, is a Brazilian professional footballer who is a Baptist Christian. In November 2024, he was baptized at Lagoinha Baptist Church in Madrid, alongside his wife Gabriely Miranda. Endrick was born on 21 July 2006 in Taguatinga, a suburb of Brasília, Brazil, and has one brother and two sisters. At the age of 11, he joined Palmeiras’ youth academy. In five years as an academy player, he reportedly scored 165 goals in 169 games for Palmeiras’ various youth teams. He also participated in the São Paulo Cup and won the tournament’s best award after scoring 8 goals in 7 matches. In October 2022, he made his senior first-team debut at the age of 16 years, two months and 16 days. Subsequently, he became the youngest player ever to appear for Palmeiras’ senior team and the youngest goal scorer in the club’s history, at 16 years, three months, and four days. He finished the 2022 season with 11 goals, the second highest by an under-18 player behind Ronaldo Nazário, and also helped Palmeiras secure the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A title before being promoted permanently to the first team for the 2023 season. In 2023, he scored 14 goals in his first full season as a senior player and played a key role in Palmeiras retaining the Série A title.
In December 2022, Real Madrid finalized an agreement to sign Endrick upon his 18th birthday in July 2024, paying an initial transfer fee of €35 million plus potential add-ons. In his second season, he joined French Ligue 1 club Lyon on a half-season loan in late December 2025. He completed his loan spell in France with eight goals and eight assists in 21 appearances. Ahead of the 2026–27 season, Real Madrid and newly appointed manager José Mourinho determined that Endrick would remain with the senior squad full-time to compete for a starting role rather than pursuing additional loan transfers.
Endrick represented Brazil at the under-17 level and was part of the squad that won the 2022 Montaigu Tournament in France, where he scored four goals in five games and was named best player of the tournament. He later received his first senior call-up for Brazil in November 2023. He made his senior international debut against Colombia in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier that month, becoming the fourth youngest senior debutant in Brazil’s history and the youngest in 57 years at 17 years, 3 months, and 27 days. Endrick scored a winner against England in March 2024, becoming fourth on the all-time list of youngest Brazil scorers, at 20 days younger than Ronaldo Nazário. On 18 May 2026, Endrick was named to Brazil’s 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, making a replacement for Matheus Cunha as a substitute.
In September 2024, Endrick married his girlfriend, Gabriely Miranda.