Dani Alves, the legendary former Barcelona right-back, has sparked astonishment across Spain after delivering a sermon at an Elim Church in Girona, effectively trading his life in prison for the pulpit.
The 42-year-old Brazilian spent 14 months on remand after being accused of the rape of a woman in a nightclub toilet. Although he was sentenced to four and a half years in jail in February 2024, Catalonia’s high court overturned the sentence in March 2025. His recent spiritual turn follows the birth of his first child with his wife, Joana Sanz, earlier this month.
A Pact with God
Film footage of the bearded ex-player picking up a microphone during the church service and receiving applause from the congregation quickly went viral. Alves declared that his transformation was driven by divine intervention.
“You must take God seriously and have faith. I am the living proof,” Alves declared. “What God promises, He delivers. I have agreed a pact with God.”
He described his recent ordeal as a moment of necessary intervention that put him on a new course:
“In the midst of turbulence and storms, there is always a messenger from God. This messenger gathered me up and brought me to the church. And now I am on the right path, thanks to him.”
Alves remains one of the most decorated players in football history, having won 23 trophies with Barcelona, including three Champions League crowns and six LaLiga titles. His latest pivot from the soccer pitch to spiritual leadership marks one of the most dramatic celebrity reinventions in recent memory.
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Source: The Sun
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