Knicks guard and recently crowned NBA champion Jose Alvarado left open the possibility that a White House visit could be a part of his team's future plans.
The post WATCH: Knicks’ Jose Alvarado Speaks on Possibility of White House Visit After NBA Finals Win appeared first on Breitbart.
When England begins its World Cup run against Croatia in Dallas today, millions of fans will be watching every move, hoping that Thomas Tuchel’s side can win the Three Lions' their first title since 1966.
Such a victory would make good on the squad's famous rallying cry, "It's coming home." For a growing number of England’s stars, however, it's a heavenly home that keeps them driven to excel.
Guéhi returned for the next match wearing the same rainbow armband but with a different motto: 'Jesus loves you.'
The phenomenon was on display in March when defender Marc Guéhi captained England for the first time in a friendly against Senegal. After the match, Guéhi posted a message on Instagram thanking God for the milestone: “Thank you to the Most High.” It was entirely in keeping with a player who has previously written “I love Jesus” and “Jesus loves you” on his captain’s armband and who has spoken openly about putting God at the center of his life.
Guéhi is hardly alone.
God SquadEngland’s current squad includes a cluster of openly Christian players — including midfielder Eberechi Eze and forwards Ivan Toney, Noni Madueke, and Bukayo Saka — whose habits of praying together and speaking publicly about their beliefs have earned them nicknames such as the “God Squad” and the “Bible Brothers” in parts of the British press.
To American audiences, the phenomenon may come as a surprise. The enduring stereotype of English football is one of raucous supporters, celebrity culture, and the hooliganism that scarred the game’s reputation decades ago. Yet beneath the surface, Christianity has become a visible and accepted part of life for many elite players.
Saka, one of England’s biggest stars, has made his faith central to his public identity. His Instagram bio identifies him as “#GodsChild,” and in interviews, he has spoken about reading the Bible every night and relying on prayer before matches. "God’s plan is perfect so I can go on the pitch and know that God has my back,“ he has said, explaining that his faith allows him to play with freedom rather than fear.
RELATED: Brazil sends off its World Cup team in the most Catholic way possible
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Prayer on the pitchThe story, however, extends well beyond England’s national team. Across the Premier League, an increasingly visible Christian fellowship has emerged among players from different clubs and nationalities. Arsenal, in particular, has attracted attention for a number of openly Christian stars.
One of them is Saka's England teammate Madueke. After scoring against Bayern Munich last season, his first words to reporters were: “I just want to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Explaining the bond he shared with his Christian teammates (there are "about 10 of us," he estimated), he told the New York Times: “We believe we have God fighting for us."
Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber regularly posts Bible verses before matches and has earned the nickname “Pastor Timber.” “For me, it is a way of life, my faith,” he told the Athletic. “I try to live by it. We pray before games because we have a few Christians in our team, which is amazing. It brings unity and understanding because you kind of live the same life.”
Football fellowshipAccording to reporting by the Religion Media Centre, roughly half of Premier League clubs engage with Christian ministries, while about 80% have access to chaplaincy support. Those chaplains are not there to discuss tactics or team selection. Instead, they provide pastoral care — meeting players and staff through injuries, family crises, contract disputes, loneliness, and the intense psychological pressures of professional sports.
As Rev. Graham Daniels, a former professional footballer who now leads the organization Christians in Sport, wrote earlier this month, "At a time when many Christians feel increasingly isolated in their workplaces, there is something deeply encouraging about believers opening the Scriptures together in football clubs up and down the country."
For players like Guéhi, faith is more than private devotion. It is something to be expressed publicly, even at personal cost.
In 2024, Guéhi was serving as captain of Crystal Palace during the Premier League’s annual LGBTQ Rainbow Laces campaign, in which players are encouraged to wear rainbow armbands. Guéhi wore his, but wrote “I love Jesus” on it for a match against Newcastle United. After the Football Association reminded the club that its rules prohibit religious messages on playing equipment, Guéhi returned for the next match wearing the same rainbow armband but with a different motto: “Jesus loves you.”
Although the FA again contacted Crystal Palace to reiterate the regulations and Guehi faced the prospect of disciplinary action, the governing body ultimately declined to take formal action against either the player or the club.
Imported faithThe prominence of openly Christian players also reflects the increasingly international makeup of English football. Many stars with African and Caribbean family backgrounds have brought traditions of public worship, prayer, and church involvement into dressing rooms, where such expressions might once have been unusual. Prayer circles before kickoff and post-match thanksgiving have become familiar sights rather than oddities.
None of this, of course, means the Premier League has become a religious institution. It remains one of the world’s most commercialized and closely scrutinized sporting competitions. But beneath the billion-dollar television deals and transfer fees lies a quieter story: Bible studies, pastoral mentorship, and players who openly credit Jesus Christ with sustaining them through triumph and disappointment alike.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) sent a letter to Major League Baseball (MLB) Commissioner Rob Manfred on Tuesday pressing him on "what appears to be a pattern of discrimination within MLB against baseball players who profess their Christian faith."
The post Sen. Josh Hawley Presses MLB on ‘Pattern of Discrimination’ Against Christian Players appeared first on Breitbart.
In defiance of Chicago’s progressive mayor who proposes social justice responses to teen takeovers plaguing the city, a group of Chicago aldermen say enough is enough and want to punish parents for not supervising their kids.
The post Chicago Law Would Fine Parents for Their Kids’ Behavior in Teen Takeovers appeared first on Breitbart.
A crowdfunded investigation into predominantly Pakistani child rape grooming gangs calls for change, but major gaps still remain unknown.
The post Independent Grooming Gang Report Calls For Life Sentences and Deportations, But State Complicity in Rapes Remains Uninvestigated appeared first on Breitbart.
A congressional hearing took a tense turn when Rep. Brandon Gill (R-Texas) challenged Southern Poverty Law Center President Bryan Fair over the organization's claim that abortion restrictions are tied to white supremacy.
“Your organization said that restricting and banning abortion is a tool that the far right uses to maintain white supremacy,” Gill began, asking Fair, “Do you believe that pro-lifers are white supremacists?”
After Fair dodged the question several times, Gill asked again, “I don’t think that pro-lifers are white supremacists; do you?”
“What I think is that reproductive liberty is a right that every woman should enjoy,” Fair answered, still dodging the question.
“How many babies in the United States that are aborted are black?” Gill asked, answering himself, “About 40% of abortions nationwide are of black babies. Blacks represent about 13% of the population. Does that sound like something a white supremacist would oppose?”
“What I would say again is that SPLC supports reproductive liberty,” Fair answered.
“Calling somebody a white supremacist is a pretty serious charge, isn’t it? I would think you would be able to defend that if your organization says that. You clearly seem unable to,” Gill said.
“You’re the president of the SPLC, which labels pro-lifers as racists,” he continued. “Does your organization just hurl around epithets like that without any justification?”
BlazeTV host Pat Gray is impressed with Gill’s reasoning.
“That’s a great point by Brandon Gill, though. That needs to be brought up a lot more, because it’s so disproportionate — the number of blacks who are aborted compared to whites. And there’s plenty of whites and Hispanics and Asians being aborted.” Gray says.
“But 40% of abortions come from blacks when they’re 13% of the population,” he continues. “In New York City, and we’ve given you this stat before, there are more black children aborted than born. It’s staggering.”
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