Five powerful moments of faith at the 2026 FIFA World Cup

Christian athletes are making the name of Jesus known at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Here are five powerful moments of faith at the international tournament according to the US-based National Catholic Register

The 2026 FIFA World Cup began on June 11, making history as the first tournament jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It is one of the most-watched sporting events in the world with roughly five billion people tuning in to see football’s best athletes compete on the global stage.

Here are five powerful moments of faith seen in the early stages:

Croatian team shares the importance of their Catholic faith

Ahead of Croatia’s first match against England, two members of the team spoke openly about their  faith during a press conference.

EWTN News correspondent Mark Irons asked Kristijan Jakić and Igor Matanović what Catholicism means to the team and whether prayer and faith are important in their own lives.

“I think faith is very important in my life. When you pray to God, it’s like a feeling that someone is listening to you, and that gives me a lot of strength,” Matanović said.

Jakić added: “We are a country in which we are Catholics and in which faith means the path in our lives. I think faith represents the entire national team. Faith simply means everything in our lives.”

Players from Curaçao and Germany join in prayer

The national team from Curaçao—a Caribbean island with a population of about 150,000—made history by qualifying for the World Cup for the first time. In doing so, the island nation set a Guinness World Record as the smallest country by population to reach the men’s tournament.

Despite losing 7-1 to Germany in their opening match, the Curaçao players and coaches were visibly emotional, recognising the magnitude of their achievement. In a moment of gratitude, several players gathered on the pitch to pray. They were then joined by German players Jonathan Tah and Felix Nmecha, both outspoken Christians.

In a postgame interview, Nmecha said: “During the game, we are opponents, but after the game we are all Christians and we are brothers… In our faith, we all believe that Jesus is glorified through the game and that’s why we came together and simply prayed together.”

Lionel Messi thanks God after making history

Argentina faced Algeria on June 16 in Kansas City, Kansas, where over 69,000 fans witnessed history. During the 3-0 victory, Lionel Messi recorded the first World Cup hat-trick of his career—scoring three goals during one match. He also made history by tying former German soccer player Miroslav Klose’s record of 16 World Cup goals.

After the game, Messi, a devout Catholic, said: “I can’t ask for more than what I received. As I’ve said many times, thank God that He has given me so much and everything that comes now is a blessing.”

Team USA shares a moment of prayer after historic win

On June 12, the United States opened their  journey with a 4-1 victory over Paraguay. After the match, defender Mark McKenzie led the team in  prayer on the field.

Several US players have been vocal about their faith. Star winger Christian Pulisic is known for leading teammates in a Bible study he calls “Bible Time” and has often discussed the importance of Scripture in his daily life.

Goalkeeper Matt Freese recently told Sports Spectrum’s What’s Up podcast how his faith and career are intertwined.

“God’s given me so many opportunities within this game and within my career. I still have a role to play in that. I still have to do my part and take that opportunity and do something with it,” Freese said.

He also shared that he listens to Father Mike Schmitz’s Bible in a Year podcast.

“Right now I’m listening to Bible in a Year by Father Mike Schmitz. 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, hopefully every day, [with Scripture],” he said.

Felix Nmecha honours Jesus in post-goal celebration

German midfielder Felix Nmecha honoured Jesus with a powerful gesture after scoring the first goal in Germany’s 7-1 victory against Curaçao on June 14.

After scoring, Nmecha knelt on one knee, made the gesture of removing a crown from his head, placed it on the ground, and then pointed to the sky. The  gesture—often referred to as “crown down”—symbolises that every gift, victory, and moment of glory belongs to Christ.

In a postgame interview, Nmecha said: “It was an incredible blessing to score my first goal for Germany and for it to be so fast. All the glory I give to God, because He is the one who has given me this talent and the opportunity to be here living this dream.”