Dani Alves: “Love means loving when one does not deserve it. Christ did it for me”
The former FC Barcelona footballer, who was tried for sexual assault but later acquitted by the court, shares his conversion story at an evangelical church in Girona.
Protestante Digital · GIRONA · 29 OCTOBER 2025 · 11:10 CET
The life of former FC Barcelona Brazilian footballer Dani Alves has taken a complete change.
Alves returned to the spotlight at a church in the Catalan city of Girona, where he shared his testimony.
He had already shown signs of this change on his Instagram account. His bio now reads “disciple of God”, and his latest photos are accompanied by many Bible verses. There are only a couple of images from his past as a footballer throughout his social media feed.
Now, videos posted on social media show him attending a Pentecostal church in the city of Girona, north of Barcelina: Elim evangelical church. “We have to have faith; I am proof of that”, he says in one of the videos that have gone viral online.
The church, which holds services on Tuesdays and Sundays, presented Alves as an example of transformation and redemption. His messages have had a profound impact and have been commented on television and in the press.
La nueva vida de Dani Alves a los 42 años, de futbolista a predicador en una iglesia en Girona: "Hay que tener fe, yo soy la prueba de ello" pic.twitter.com/JWXTH5CaVF
— El Periódico (@elperiodico) October 27, 2025
Alves has not yet shared any of those videos on his social media accounts.
14 months in preventive detention
Considered one of the best full-backs in the world playing with Brazil and FC Barcelona, Alves was also known for his excessive lifestyle and partying off the pitch.
In 2022, he was accused of sexually assaulting a young woman in a Barcelona nightclub. He spent 14 months in preventive detention and his case was followed closely by the media. In February 2024, was sentenced to four and a half years in prison. Later, in March 2025, the High Court of Justice of Catalonia unanimously overturned the conviction.
The former footballer was released and returned with his wife, Joana. They celebrated the birth of their first daughter together.
His conversion testimony
“In the midst of turmoil, there is always a messenger from God. That messenger picked me up at the worst moment of my life, took me to church and put me on the right path. Today, I am on that path thanks to them”, he says at the service at Elim.
He also recounts how he became closer to God and committed his life to Him. “I made a pact with God: 'Lord, I will follow you, but you take care of my family'”.
In another video, Alves laughs as he recalls the racism he suffered in the football stadiums when people called him a monkey or threw bananas at him on the football pitch: “That's how things are with the spirit. I leave it in His hands”.
“Love means loving even when one doesn't deserve it, which is what Christ did for me and for you”, he concludes.
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Published in: Evangelical Focus - life & tech - Dani Alves: “Love means loving when one does not deserve it. Christ did it for me”