Former Brazilian footballer Dani Alves is experiencing an incredible turnaround in his life. After a difficult period, during which he spent a year in prison on charges of sexual assault, he is now free and has embarked on a completely new path, that of faith and religious preaching.
In March of this year, the High Court of Justice of Catalonia declared Alves innocent, arguing that there was no conclusive evidence linking him to the incident he was accused of. He had initially been sentenced to more than four years in prison, a case that received widespread coverage in the Spanish and international media.
After his release, Alves has withdrawn from public life and professional football. He lives a simple life and often appears on social media in videos where he is seen preaching in a church in the city of Girona, specifically the “Elim Girona” Church. In one of his speeches, he is heard saying:
“We must have faith; I am proof of that. Because what God promises, God fulfills.”
El exjugador del Barça, Dani Alves, se ha convertido en preachador en una iglesia de Girona. He was acquitted of a crime of sexual assault this year.
— Albert Ortega (@AlbertOrtegaES1) October 27, 2025
"Hay que tener fe en Dios. Yo soy una prueba de ello. Yo hice un pacto con Dios". pic.twitter.com/H6KjoJXyaH
Thus, one of the most successful defenders of his generation, who won everything in football with Barcelona and Brazil, has today chosen another path, that of spirit and faith.
Even on his Instagram profile, the tone of the photos is completely different from the past. There is very little space for football, from which the former Juventus defender has completely disconnected himself after regaining his freedom, while many photos are seen with the Bible in hand, accompanied by various verses from the Gospel.
After being declared innocent, he has also resumed his relationship with model Joana Sanz, with whom he is expecting his first child, and who has also supported him in this new adventure, where he is sharing his experience in service to the believers of the evangelical church.