‘It’s fantastic’: Arsenal’s ‘Bible Brothers’ praise God together

Arsenal’s group of ‘Bible Brothers’ is a “real blessing” as they support each other in the Christian faith, winger Noni Madueke has said.

Before each match, a group of ten footballers, including Madueke, Jurrien Timber and Bukayo Saka, meet to pray and read the Bible together.

Madueke told the Premier League: “This is definitely the closest I’ve felt in terms of God and our team.”

‘Way of life’

The 23-year-old said: “We believe it gives us such a massive boost when we go on to the pitch that we’re not alone. It’s fantastic. It just brings us closer together.”

“Before every game, we pray together for a few minutes and then also at the hotel, for a few minutes, studying the Bible and just praying.

“Not even just always praying,” he added. “Just seeing if we’re all good, checking on each other, stuff like that. It’s top.

“There are probably 10 of us, so a few of us contribute. Maybe a scripture, we talk about it, read about it, see what everyone is going through, how we can help, pray for each other, stuff like that, so it’s really good.”

From teammates to brothers

Dutch defender Timber, nicknamed ‘Pastor Timber’ by the Arsenal squad, regularly posts Bible verses on X. He told The Athletic that his faith is “a way of life”.

“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.”

Former footballer John Bostock and Founder of Ballers in God, told The Athletic: “What’s happening at Arsenal is special. I’ve seen firsthand how faith can become a genuine bond in the changing room. Players go from being team-mates to being brothers.

“They pray together, study the Bible together, and hold each other accountable. That level of unity naturally flows into their football. When you have men who are growing in understanding grace, humility, sacrifice, and purpose, it changes how they live, not just how they play.”

World Cup

In 2022, Saka publicly expressed that it is “really important” to always have the presence of God in his life.

The Arsenal player, who attends a Pentecostal church in London, told a press conference that he continued to read the Bible every night during the World Cup.

He said that “the main thing for me is keeping my faith, having faith in God so I don’t need to be nervous or worried about any outcomes”.