Daniel Alves said it bluntly, and the phrase still echoes: in prison, earning just 113 euros, he was happier than when he earned millions as a footballer.
The former Brazilian player, now a pastor, said that during his prison sentence he cleaned his cell with his own hands, far from the pitches and multimillion-dollar contracts that defined his career. But he assures that there, stripped of everything, he felt something money had never given him: the certainty that God was with him.
“What are millions of euros worth without a father?”, he repeated, convinced that real wealth is not measured in bank accounts. A confession that unsettles, moves, and forces us to ask ourselves what we are really measuring when we talk about success. 🙏⚽
Daniel Alves, now a Pastor, stated that he felt happier in prison than when he earned millions of euros as a professional player:
— Pri (@Pri_usabr1) July 14, 2026
"I earned millions of euros, thanks to God and football, but in prison, earning 113 euros, I was happier than… pic.twitter.com/wN2HzZRvGw