The presentation analyses the intersection between contemporary football, Islam and social identities.

It is true that the beautiful game of football has undergone considerable change in recent decades. With millions worldwide watching and playing the sport daily. Sport and football are important in every life and popular culture, but also a dilemma for religious leaders. There are several examples of Muslim leaders who are not convinced that football is a good thing. Their concerns revolve around similar themes, such as that playing and watching football takes precedence over religious practices, and the question of whether girls and women should play football or not. However, there are no commonly agreed standpoints among religious leaders on religion and football, and the development in the World Cup in Qatar and the league in Saudi Arabia contains by some leaders a positive view.

Recent years have witnessed the increased presence of religious football leagues, cups and teams, and the added presence of Islam in international football culture. The intersection of religion and football is present among many religious players, among religious supporters, and in the involvement of states and movements in teams and leagues around the world. Academic treatments of football and religion are rare, with most studies on football instead focusing on the political and the social, largely bypassing religion. Hence, in this presentation analyses the intersection between contemporary football, Islam and social identities.