World Cup 2026: Muslim footballers challenge Europe's identity debate
For decades, Islam has been a political lightning rod in Europe.
But on football's biggest stage, a new generation of footballers are demonstrating that the faith is very much a part of the continent's fabric.
There are an estimated two billion Muslims worldwide, making up roughly a quarter of the global population.
So at a World Cup featuring 13 Muslim-majority nations, public expressions of Islamic faith should come as little surprise.
Despite this, some of the most talked-about displays of the Islamic faith have come from players representing majority-Christian countries.
Lamine Yamal, the teenage prodigy leading Spain and FC Barcelona's attack, made headlines when he performed the sujood (prostration) after scoring his first-ever World Cup goal against Saudi Arabia.
Yamal's faith had already been thrust into the spotlight in March during a friendly between Spain and Egypt in his hometown of Barcelona, when sections of the crowd chanted, "Musulman el que no bote" ("Who doesn't jump is Muslim").
Yamal responded on social media, saying:
"I am Muslim alhamdulilah... Football for entertaining and uplifting [people], not to show a lack of respect towards people because of what they believe".
Read more: World Cup 2026: Muslim footballers challenge Europe's identity debate
Spain's Lamine Yamal celebrates by performing the sujood (prostration) after scoring his first goal at the 2026 World Cup on 21 June 2026 (Claudia Greco/Reuters)