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By Mallory Mattingly
As the 2026 World Cup moves into the first elimination stage, many people are asking the question, “Is God moving at the World Cup?”
We’ve seen an immense number of athletes boldly proclaiming their faith in God on the pitch, including USMNT defender Mark McKenzie.
He told the “Sports Spectrum” podcast that Jesus is “not only my savior, not only my Jehovah Jireh, my Jehovah Rapha, my Jehovah Nissi. He is my everything.”
“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,” the defender added. “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.'”
Curaçao National Team forward Kenji Gorré is another player who lets his faith shine on the pitch.
Related: 15 FIFA World Cup Players Vocal About Their Faith in Jesus
“One thing that God’s really taught me is that we have to have an audience of one, and that is playing for Jesus,” the athlete said on the “Sports Spectrum” podcast. “That is playing not for your name to be glorified, but for His name to be glorified and understanding that it’s actually not about me.”
“This can only be God that has led us to this point. One thing that’s so beautiful is that He’s the real foundation of what we have built on as well,” he continued. “We pray every morning, we pray before the games, and that’s just something that has become a tradition of ours. We give glory to Jesus in everything that we do.”
USMNT goalkeeper Matt Freese also constantly reminds himself that “God’s got me.”
The 2026 FIFA World Cup has quickly become a place for athletes to not only display their talents on the field but also their faith.
“Players have been praying individually before and after games, praying together as teams, praying with opponents, and publicly giving all the glory to God,” Christhlete wrote in a post on Instagram. “We’ve never seen this level of public expressions of faith so consistently at a World Cup, and it’s incredibly encouraging.”
“It also raises an interesting question: Why does it seem so evident in this tournament?” the outlet continued. “Is God bringing revival to the sports world? Are more athletes becoming bold in living out their faith? Is the media showing it more? Or is something else happening behind the scenes that we’re witnessing unfold?”
Whether sparked by a genuine spiritual revival or an increased boldness among players, the 2026 World Cup has undeniably transformed the pitch into a powerful platform for athletes to unite and share their faith with the world.
Read Next: World Cup Athletes Unite in Prayer Through Victory and Defeat
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