Goalscorer Olivier Giroud is the heart-breaker who knows where his heart belongs: to Jesus.
The France and former Arsenal and Chelsea striker, once voted ‘Hottest Premier League Player’, broke the hearts of many female football fans when he married in 2011.
And he was at it again at the 2022 World Cup, scoring the winner in the quarter-final against England to rip the vital organs from the chests of Three Lions fans.
Head-in-hands England supporters probably missed it, but there was a clue to his Christian faith after that goal. As always, Giroud gave God thanks in his celebration by sinking to his knees and pointing to the heavens.
He’s had plenty of time to perfect that routine, having so far netted 259 times in fewer than 500 career games – and the 36-year-old is still scoring for AC Milan.
It’s given him the perfect platform to share his Christianity, as he explained when serving as the guest editor for French Christian magazine Jesus: “I try to speak about my faith whenever I can. I feel I have to use my media profile to talk about my commitment to Jesus Christ and the matters that concern me.”
Along with speaking about it and showing it after goals, Giroud’s faith is also on display on his right arm, where the Psalm 23 verse “Dominus regit me et nihil mihi deerit” is tattooed (“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want”).
Giroud grew up going to church with his mum. He told the Daily Mail: “I just carried on and now I’m seeing a Christian priest studying the Bible together and I feel like I want to know more about Jesus Christ’s life.
“Every time I read the word of the Holy Bible it makes me feel grateful about everything that has happened to me.
“I just thank God. I was very grateful to have the opportunity to live my dream. To live every single day for me is a day blessed.”
