The United States begins its 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign on home soil Friday, and according to one of the U.S. players, it’s an opportunity to represent something bigger than themselves.
Midfielder Cristian Roldan reflected on the magnitude of playing in the World Cup when he spoke with Sports Spectrum Thursday ahead of the United States’ match against Paraguay in Los Angeles.
“Representing the United States all together, representing Latinos, God, the whole package that comes with me, is such a blessing and to be able to do so for so many is such a treat,” he said.
For Roldan, “Jesus is everything,” he added. Faith plays an important role in his life and the lives of many of the 26 men who will represent the U.S. in the first men’s World Cup on home soil since 1994.
Here’s what five of Roldan’s U.S. teammates have said about their faith over the years.
Christian Pulisic
The face of the U.S. team, Christian Pulisic, A.K.A. Captain America, has been open about his faith.
He shares photos of Bible verses on his Instagram. He wears a cross necklace that his mom gave him because “it makes me feel like I have God with me all the time and my mom is with me as well,” he told GQ Sports in 2022.
While playing at Chelsea, Pulisic told GQ in a January 2021 profile that God “absolutely” plays a big role in his life.
“Something that I’ve grown a lot closer with this past year is my belief in God, especially being alone over here,” he said. “I feel like I always have someone who’s with me. I don’t know how I would do any of this without that feeling that He’s watching over me and there’s a reason why I’m here.”
Four years ago, Pulisic, who now plays for AC Milan, led the U.S. at the 2022 World Cup, a run that ended in the Round of 16 after a 3-1 loss to the Netherlands. Pulisic had a shot blocked in the match.
In 2023, ESPN’s Graham Hunter asked Pulisic if his belief “that everything happens for a reason” applied to that moment.
“I believe God has a plan,” he said. “I believe that the defeat against the Netherlands made us a stronger team, made me a stronger player, and that it’s going to help us when we’re in the next big match or the next World Cup.”
He later expressed a similar sentiment in regard to the knee injury he suffered after the 2022 World Cup.
“I’ve definitely been able to kind of lean into my faith and trust that this is happening for a reason and God truly has something bigger planned for me after this recovery as far as football, and that’s what pushed me through,” he said.
Pulisic added that he was taught that in his prayers, he shouldn’t ask “for God to fix things,” and instead to ask for his help to see from God’s perspective.
“Because I think when you do that, I think he understands that there’s bigger things to come,” he said. “There are things happening, you know, years down the line that he knows and he has planned for me, and this is all leading up to it.”
Matt Freese
Faith has always been a part of goalkeeper Matt Freese’s life.
Raised Catholic, Freese remembers going to Mass with his mom and siblings dressed in his recreation league soccer jersey because he had a game afterward, he recently told Sports Spectrum’s “What’s Up Podcast.”
His reliance on his faith continued into his professional career. There have been several times while in goal that Freese said he has vocally reminded himself that “God’s got me.”
The U.S. goalkeeper participates in Bible studies with his national team and New York City FC teammates, which he said helps strengthen bonds with them.
“There’s just this kind of automatic connection you make when you talk about deep subjects like faith and the Bible on a weekly basis with a teammate,” he said on “What’s Up.”
He’s also listening to Father Mike Schmitz’s “The Bible in the Year,” which has helped him stay connected to his Catholic faith while on the road.
“It’s been fantastic, and it kind of makes me able to — even when I’m on the road or even if it’s a busy stretch — make sure I’m spending some time every day, or hopefully every day, spending time with my faith,” he said.
Weston McKennie
The lone text in midfielder Weston McKennie’s Instagram bio is “All glory to God.”
When asked by 8 by 8 Magazine about his brief five-month loan to Leeds United from Juventus in 2023, McKennie spoke about his belief in God’s plan for him.
“I believe in God, I believe there’s always a plan, there’s a journey that’s set out for you, and everything happens for a reason,” he said. “So I still view my move to Leeds as a step forward for me. It might not be in other people’s eyes. But I think that’s what I needed at that time in my career.”
Mark McKenzie
For defender Mark McKenzie, soccer is a way of “glorifying God,” which is something he said his parents taught him to remember as doors opened for him throughout his soccer career.
“We’re not doing this for anything besides glorifying God, right?” he told the “Sports Spectrum” podcast in its June 4 episode. “You are a vessel for Him. He does not open the doors for you to come this far, just to take it and put it on your own shoulders and say, ‘Oh, I got it, Lord, you know, it’s no problem.’”
McKenzie has learned to lean on his faith in both good times and bad.
“When I am doing well, it’s not because of me,” he told Sports Spectrum. “It’s because of the Lord seeing me through this, and when I am in a valley, it’s not because I’m such a bad player or a person. But it’s because the Lord is trying to get something out of me in this season.”
Chris Richards
In 2025, U.S. defender and Alabama native Chris Richards spoke to The Athletic about the Bible studies and prayers he has with his Crystal Palace teammates.
Before a match, nine to 10 players would pray together, according to Richards.
“I’ve never been a part of something like this,” he said. “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.”
The connection from their mutual faith has even transcended language barriers.
“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 said.
The U.S. plays Paraguay in its first group stage match Friday at 7 p.m. MT. The game will be broadcast on FOX.