USMNT Star Leans on Faith and Fellowship to Anchor His Soccer Career

Published: July 7, 2026

By Mallory Mattingly

United States Men’s National Team defender Chris Richards fell to his knees in prayer as he celebrated his team’s win against Bosnia-Herzegovina to advance to the round of 16 in the FIFA World Cup.

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In a recent podcast about his faith, Richards said that his family “instilled” prayer into him.

“One thing that my family always instilled in me was prayer, and you know, I always prayed — good days, bad days, you always pray,” he declared on the “Stuck In My Thoughts” podcast.

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Richards revealed that since joining the USMNT, his faith has become more important in his life.

“I think ever since I really started playing with the national team was really when I think I kind of stepped more into my faith,” he said. “We have a great chaplain there, and we have a good group of believers there. We lean on each other, you know. And again, I think we speak about trying to find similarities and trying to find people to connect with.”

“I think again we deal with mental health issues, but also know we deal with this beautiful sport that we love, and we also deal with faith,” he continued. “And I think it’s good to have people like that around you who you can really connect with, and so I think over the last few years, since playing with the national team, it’s really helped me step into my faith.”

He calls faith his “everything.”

“Faith means everything to me, because you know I’ve been in the right places at the right time, and I don’t think it’s by chance, and I think God put me there for a reason, and the relationships I have around me — my girlfriend, my daughter, my family and everything — they weren’t just given to me. I think God put them in my life for a reason,” he explained.

In 2025, Richards talked about some of the Bible studies and prayers he leads alongside his teammates on Crystal Palace.

“I’ve never been a part of something like this,” the defender said, per Deseret News. “It’s really refreshing. I’ve been moving around since I was 16 so haven’t really been part of a church much since then, so it’s good to have a group of guys around you who are also believers and have gone through the same things like moving away from home.”

“Even some guys where English isn’t their first language have come in, but we are going through similar experiences and have faith in common,” he added.

By anchoring his life in prayer and surrounding himself with fellow believers, Richards has transformed his football journey into a profound expression of his deeply held faith.

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