Football & Faith: What Is Raheem Sterling’s Religion? Is he Muslim? He Tops Google’s List Of Most Queries About The Religious Faith Of Today’s Footballers

IN FOOTBALL, STATS CAN BE USED not only to track events on the pitch, but also off it. Google’s search numbers reveal how interested fans are in the religions of players such as Raheem Sterling . By Ben Arogundade. November. 28, 2023.

FAITH IN FOOTBALL: Arsenal forward Raheem Sterling draws more Google queries about his religion than any other top-flight footballer, including Lionel Messi and Ronaldo. Photo by Hunter & Gatti

THE WORLD OF PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL has become dominated by statistics. Everything a player does on the field of play is now tracked, measured and evaluated by coaches, TV pundits and fans alike. But while these numbers tell us everything we need to know about player performance, they tell us nothing about a player’s cultural footprint off the pitch. Google’s search statistics — in which the company records the queries of global Internet-users  — can now reveal previously hidden insights about the world’s top players. 

FOOTBALL AND RELIGION - THE STATS

One area in which this has proved to be enlightening is football and religion. British clubs such as Fulham and Everton were founded by the church, and the religious faith of football’s biggest stars is now of global interest, with players gesturing to the heavens in prayer before kick-off, and then in thanks if they play well or score a goal. When they do, it is the higher power that gets the credit, not them. In recent years professional soccer has experienced a large influx of Muslim players, who have had a big impact on the game, both in terms of their abilities and the open expression of their religion. Karim Benzema, Paul Pogba, Marouane Fellaini and Xherdan Shaqiri are amongst football’s high profile Muslims. 

EDEN HAZARD & RELIGION

Until recently it was Eden Hazard who topped the list of the players with the highest number of queries about their religion. 1,600 football fans around the world Googled the phrase ‘Eden Hazard religion’ each month. Their interest was partly driven by the Belgian striker’s move from Chelsea to Real Madrid, where the spotlight on him intensified. Hazard is in fact a Muslim.

IS RAHEEM STERLING MUSLIM OR CHRISTIAN?

Next on the top 10 list is Arsenal’s Raheem Sterling. At present, 1,000 fans Google the term, ‘Raheem Sterling religion’ each month. An additional 500 ask, ‘Is Raheem Sterling Muslim?’ Interest in his religious beliefs is not simply down to his popularity as a world-class player, but is also the result of the curiosity sparked by his Muslim-sounding first name. This also accounts for the presence of other top footballers in the list, such as Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah. Sterling’s religion is in fact not Muslim but Christian, and he grew up attending church with his mother. “Every match day I put faith in God,” he told the Liverpool Echo in 2013. “I pray at home the day and night before. I pray most days.”

Surprisingly, queries about Sterling’s religion rank ahead of both Cristiano Ronaldo (no. 3, with 700 monthly searches)and Lionel Messi (no. 6, with 210 monthly searches). But they have been established in football for so long that most fans have already asked this question, whereas the younger players are very much still on the rise. See below for the full list of Google’s top 10.

RELIGION & FOOTBALL - PROFILE OF RELIGIOUS STARS

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