Pitch-prayer Felix points to God

Midfielder Felix Nmecha, 25, is making waves not just on the pitch but also in the Christian community for his unapologetic faith.

The German professional plays for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga, the top tier of the German football league, alongside his brother Lukas. He has repeatedly spoken about how his faith in Christ underpins his footballing journey.

And in October, Nmecha gave all the glory to God after scoring twice in his team’s 4-2 victory over FC Copenhagen in the UEFA Champions League, a feat that earned him the Player of the Match accolade. 

“Not by my strength but by his grace,” he posted on social media, with a picture of him kneeling in prayer on the pitch.

On his Instagram biography, Nmecha writes: “Football is my passion, Jesus is my foundation” – a striking public declaration of his devotion. He also frequently encourages his followers to “take a step towards Jesus”.

On the pitch, his motivations are equally clear-cut: “Every time I go on the field, it’s not about me, it’s about glorifying God,” he says. And after scoring, he pointed first to himself and then to heaven: “I want to show that Jesus died for my sins, he washed away my sins.”

Although faith in the limelight often invites scrutiny – Nmecha himself has addressed controversy over his social media activity and affirmed that the Bible “is my guide through life, the basis for truth”.

More Christian sports stories…