Gabriel Jesus
Active- Denomination or tradition
- Evangelical
- Current or last club
- Barcelona
- Country (nationality)
- Brazil
- League or competition
- La Liga
- Position
- Striker
- How is the religion known?
- Stated publicly by the player
- Last checked
- 24 October 2026
Gabriel Jesus claims his commitment to Christianity, which came late in his life, was the key support he needed while on the sidelines, especially as he reads the Bible every day.
We list a player’s religion only where they have spoken about it publicly or it has been reliably reported, and we link our sources. If something is wrong, or a player’s views have changed, please tell us and we will review it.
Table of Contents
What religion is Gabriel Jesus?
Gabriel Jesus is a Brazilian professional footballer who is a devout Evangelical Christian. While he always believed in God, he publicly shared that he formally accepted Jesus and became a practicing Christian around 2023. He regularly expresses his faith both on and off the football pitch.
After recovering from a grueling 11-month ACL injury, he celebrated a major goal by revealing a base layer shirt reading “I belong to Jesus,” recreating the iconic celebration of Brazilian legend Kaká. Early in his European career at Manchester City, he specifically requested the number 33 as a tribute to Jesus Christ, representing the age at which Christ was crucified.
Jesus has openly stated that his long injury rehabilitation period was spiritually transformative. He used the time away from football to read the Bible daily, eventually deciding to get baptized.
Gabriel Jesus plays as a striker for La Liga club Barcelona. He began his youth career at Palmeiras in 2013 before making his professional debut in March 2015. With Palmeiras, he helped secure the Copa do Brasil in 2015 and the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A in 2016, earning the league’s Best Newcomer award in 2015 and Player of the Year in 2016 after scoring 21 goals in 46 appearances that season. In January 2017, Jesus transferred to Manchester City for £27 million. He spent five years with the club, winning four Premier League titles, three EFL Cups, and an FA Cup before moving to Arsenal in a deal worth £45 million. In September 2026, Jesus transferred to FC Barcelona for an undisclosed fee reported to be €10 million.
Early life
Gabriel Jesus was born on April 3, 1997, and grew up in the favela of Jardim Peri in the northern part of São Paulo, Brazil. Because his father walked out before his birth and subsequently died in a motorbike accident, Gabriel was raised entirely by his mother alongside his three older siblings in the impoverished Jardim Peri neighborhood of São Paulo.
Career
Jesus played for Anhanguera Football Club, then he became a member of Palmeiras Football Club as a youth player in 2013. When he was 17 years old, he signed his first professional contract with Palmeiras, and he began playing for the first team when he was 17. By 2015, Gabriel had been featured on the lists of Brazil’s best newcomers, winning the Copa do Brasil and being named the Campeonato Brasileiro Best Newcomer. He earned a reputation as a prolific scorer with the youth team, and at the age of 19, he won the prestigious Bola de Ouro award as the player of the season. At the end of the season, he won the national league title with Palmeiras, ending the club’s 22-year drought. In 2017, Jesus joined Manchester City after signing a contract that was believed to be worth £27 million. He was named one of the team’s key attacking options upfront, and he won four Premier League titles, an FA Cup, and three EFL Cups. Gabriel won the Premier League title in 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2022. He signed a long-term contract with Arsenal in mid-2022, receiving a transfer fee of £45 million. In August 2022, he scored his first competitive goals for Arsenal against Leicester City, and later that year he helped push Arsenal to a title charge. In September 2026, Jesus joined Barcelona after signing a contract for a reported fee of €10 million.
Jesus has also played for Brazil’s national team, and he made his under-20 debut in 2015. He was a key member of the team during the 2016 Summer Olympics, and he earned an Olympic gold medal at the tournament in 2016. Gabriel then played for Brazil’s under-23 team and senior squad, making his senior debut in September 2016. In the 2019 Copa América, Gabriel became a continental champion, scoring in the final to help win the tournament. At the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups, Gabriel became Brazil’s selected striker to compete in consecutive major tournaments.
Personal life
Jesus has been in a committed relationship with Raiane Lima since July 2021. The pair welcomed their first child, daughter Helena, in May 2022, followed by a son, Daniel, in June 2025.
Beyond his relationship, Jesus has supported community initiatives in Brazil, including donations of 400 food baskets to residents in his childhood favela of Jardim Peri in São Paulo during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, aiding families in need.
Awards and honors
In 2015, Gabriel Jesus won the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A Best Newcomer award. In 2016, he received the prestigious Bola de Ouro (Golden Ball) as the best player in the Brazilian league and was named the Bola de Prata (Silver Ball) Best Forward as well as the Craque do Brasileirão (Player of the Year).
During his five-and-a-half-year stint at Manchester City from January 2017 to July 2022, Jesus was part of a dominant era, contributing 95 goals and 46 assists in 236 appearances across all competitions. For the 2018–19 season, he was the top goalscorer in both the EFL Cup and the FA Cup.
Sources
Sources are linked so you can check each claim yourself. Beliefs and public statements can change, so please check the source for the latest.
