The first Muslim to represent England’s football team

History was made in Belgrade as Djed Spence, the 25-year-old defender, became the first Muslim to represent England’s senior men’s national football team.

Spence’s debut is a breakthrough for British Muslims in football, a community that makes up around 6% of the UK’s population yet remains under-represented at the highest levels of the sport.

Grassroots coach and former FA Race Equality Advisory Board chair Yunus Lunat noted that while the achievement is inspiring, it highlights the need for greater opportunities and visibility for Muslim players in the game:

“𝑊𝑒 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑛’𝑡 ℎ𝑎𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑀𝑢𝑠𝑙𝑖𝑚 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑦𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ… 𝑖𝑡’𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑟𝑙𝑦 𝑔𝑜𝑜𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑡’𝑠 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑛 𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑙 2025 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑎 𝑀𝑢𝑠𝑙𝑖𝑚 𝑡𝑜 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑦 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝐸𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑑.”

Spence’s path to this milestone was far from straightforward. Beginning his professional career with Middlesbrough, he joined Tottenham Hotspur in 2022 but endured loan spells and challenges before establishing himself as part of the squad. His efforts were rewarded with a Europa League final victory last season and, now, his England debut.

We recognise that moments like these go beyond sport. They carry a message of representation, aspiration and belief, showing young Muslims that, with dedication and trust in God, barriers can be overcome and history can be made. Djed Spence’s journey will inspire a new generation to dream boldly, work tirelessly whilst staying true to their faith.

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