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By Mallory Mattingly
The World Cup stage continues to be a platform for Christ’s light to shine.
Agustín Canobbio and Maximiliano Araújo fell to their knees to praise God after Uruguay scored their second goal against Cape Verde, according to Christhlete.
But Araújo and Canobbio aren’t the only two who have deflected the glory to the Lord after a big World Cup moment.
The USMNT did the same after they beat Australia 2-0. The entire team prayed in the middle of the pitch.
“Across different nations, languages and teams, players are gathering to pray. In the middle of pressure, expectations and the biggest stage in football, many are realising that talent alone isn’t enough. Prayer reminds them that their worth isn’t found in goals, trophies or medals, but in God,” Ballers in God shared on social media.
One of USMNT’s team captains, Christian Pulisic, shared a photo of the team praying together.
“Grateful to be a part of this group. Onto the next round altogether,” he wrote in the caption.
Related: 15 FIFA World Cup Players Vocal About Their Faith in Jesus
Defender Mark McKenzie, who is a spiritual leader on the team, commented, Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, which reads:
Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their labor:
If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up.
Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered,two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
Before the World Cup began, McKenzie told Sports Spectrum about how much his faith means to him in his daily life.
“He is not only my savior, not only my Jehovah Jireh, my Jehovah Rapha, my Jehovah Nissi. He is my everything,” the defender said of Jesus on the outlet’s podcast. “He is the one who is holy of holiest. He is the one who reigns on high. He’s the one I depend on for everything. I think that’s the only way I can describe Him. It might seem a little cliche, but it is the truth.”
For more inspiring sports stories, check out Sports Spectrum.
“He is the one who knows all, knew all, yet still gives His all for me and requires so little. Like the salvation that I have is is nothing that I’ve earned. It’s a gift, and there’s nothing else to it, you know? Like every day that goes by is a day where I have to look up and say, ‘Thank you, Lord, for seeing me through this,’” McKenzie continued.
Ultimately, these moments demonstrate that for many of the world’s elite soccer players, the World Cup’s global stage serves as a powerful testament to their shared faith, reminding them that their true worth is found in God rather than on how they perform on the field.
Read Next: ‘He Is My Everything’: USMNT Defender Reflects on Faith Ahead of World Cup
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