Our biggest breakthrough moments sometimes come when we least expect them.
In 2005, United States goalkeeper Brad Guzan had thought he played poorly in place of Chivas USA’s injured keeper. The squad finished with an abysmal 4-22 record in its first season, and Guzan believed much of it fell on him.
“I was young,” he says. “I wasn’t sure I was ready mentally, physically. And I wasn’t sure if I was good enough. We were not winning games…So that point was definitely a low for me. There were a lot of question marks going through my head.”
At the end of the season, however, Guzan received an email inviting him to the U.S. National team’s camp in January. It was an invitation to represent his country. The thing he least expected.
It was a huge confidence boost after a rookie year that seemed like it couldn’t have gone worse. And two years later, his stardom continued to rise, as he was named the 2007 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year. This led to an opportunity to play for Aston Villa in one of the world’s best soccer leagues, the English Premier League in 2008, where he has remained ever since. Being in such a competitive league hasn’t been easy, but he has come a long way since Chivas USA’s 4-22 record in 2005.
“It was a trying four years for me, the first four years in England,” Guzan says. “It was difficult because you would play a game, do well and the next week you would find yourself on the bench. So it was inconsistent football that I was experiencing and I was looking for the consistency… (But) you have to be professional. You have to be persistent…You just have to keep fighting…I knew that if I kept going I would be given an opportunity at some point.”
One thing that has remained consistent, in a position as mentally trying as goalkeeping, is the thing keeps him steady in all circumstances—good or bad.
“When things are going well for you, you can’t get too high,” Guzan says. “When things aren’t going your way, you can’t get too low…I think as athletes, everyone gets caught in the heat of the moment, then maybe do things that they regret later on. For me, I am no different. I am not perfect…But God loves everyone. You have to be able to open yourself to Him and allow Him into your life. And if you do that, the forgiveness, the relief that comes off your shoulders, knowing that you have God’s love, you are able to follow Him through your life’s journey.”
In March of 2013, Guzan started in place of an injured Tim Howard for the men’s national team in two 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil qualifiers and did not give up a goal in either match.
“For me, how my personal life, my faith life and my sport life—they all come together,” Guzan says. “I think they have to. I think that is just natural. You don’t have one without the other and most importantly you have to have Jesus in your life…As I said, it hasn’t always been a rosy road to success. There are always going to be bumps along the way. And through those difficulties, Jesus is what helped me get through all of those struggles.”
By Stephen Copeland
Stephen Copeland is a staff writer and columnist at Sports Spectrum magazine.
From left: Brazil's Alisson, Belgium's Jérémy Doku, USA's Christian Pulisic, Mexico's Santiago Giménez, England's Bukayo Saka. (AP Photos)
For the first time since 1994, the men’s FIFA World Cup is in North America. The 48-team tournament kicks off Thursday in Mexico City and ends on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Players from around the world will be giving glory to God as they participate. Here are 11 Christ-followers to keep an eye on as they take the field to represent their countries.
Alisson Becker, Brazil A two-time Premier League champion with Liverpool, Alisson has established himself as one of the world’s premier goalkeepers over the past decade. He has been the starter in net for Brazil at the past two World Cups and is projected to be the No. 1 choice again. The 33-year-old won multiple Goalkeeper of the Year awards in 2019 and has openly shared about his faith throughout his career. “As I got older, and I experienced more of life — both joy and pain — I realised that God is closer than you can ever imagine,” Alisson wrote last year in a piece for The Players’ Tribune.
Jérémy Doku, Belgium Doku is electric with the ball at his feet, and Belgium will be trying to get it to the 24-year-old as much as possible. He produced eight goals and 12 assists for Manchester City across all competitions this season, helping the team win the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup. But every time he takes the field, his ultimate goal is to glorify the Lord. “On the pitch, I have His presence with me. That’s the difference. I’m just happy that now I can just deliver the way I want to play without any fear or doubt or anything,” Doku told NBC Sports in November.
Eberechi Eze, England After getting his first major international tournament experience at Euro 2024, Eze is hoping to play a larger role for the Three Lions this summer. He scored seven goals for Premier League champions Arsenal in his debut season with the club, appearing in 32 league games. As Eze’s star continues to rise, he remains grounded in his faith. “That faith is a foundation, it’s a pillar for me in my life, of course because of my Christian background and how I’ve grown up. For me, that’s just an anchor of how I live my life. I see everything through the eyes of faith,” he told Sky Sports in May.
Matt Freese, U.S.A. All signs point to Freese being the starting goalie for the U.S. He played every minute of last summer’s Gold Cup and has started eight of the team’s last 10 games. At the club level, he led NYCFC to the Eastern Conference Final last season. Freese draws confidence from knowing he is a child of God. “God’s given me so many opportunities within this game and within my career,” he said during a recent appearance on Sports Spectrum’s “What’s Up” podcast. “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.”
Cody Gakpo, Netherlands In his last two major tournaments (2022 World Cup and Euro 2024), Cody Gakpo has found the back of the net six times and assisted on another goal. The 27-year-old Liverpool winger scored in all three group-stage games in Qatar 2022 and will lead the Dutch attack again in North America, as he leans on his relationship with the Lord. “Faith gives me peace,” Gakpo told NRC in 2022. “And strength when I need it. I often read the Bible before I go to sleep. It is a kind of love letter that tells us how we should treat each other.”
Santiago Giménez, Mexico Giménez made his national team debut in 2021 at the age of 20 and started every game at the 2024 Copa América. He had a 23-goal season for Dutch club Feyenoord in 2023-24, which eventually led to him joining Italian powerhouse AC Milan. His faith is the source of the passion that he plays with. “I only ask Him to light up my spirit. It’s just that He lets me be the fighter that I was, that He lets me be that child who had fun before,” Giménez told SempreMilan last year. “Simply, it’s the passion that I have for football, that He reawakens it in me, because when you do things with passion, they turn out well.”
Kenji Gorré, Curaçao Curaçao are in the World Cup for the first time, and Gorré’s goal contributions are a big part of the reason why. The 31-year-old was involved in a team-high six goals (three goals and three assists) during qualifying. As he steps onto the world stage, Gorré is giving the glory to the Lord. “God really does make the impossible possible. … That’s why the God that we serve is alive,” he said in a soon-to-be-released interview with Sports Spectrum. “The God that we serve does want to make your dreams come true and He is with you in your journey.”
Maxence Lacroix, France Lacroix has become a key player for Premier League side Crystal Palace, helping the club win the FA Cup in 2025 and the UEFA Conference League in 2026. His performances earned him a national team debut in March and a spot on an extremely competitive French World Cup roster. He has not been shy about thanking God for the success he’s experienced. “Win titles. Win games. This is very important for a player to win, but look after God first and He will give you what your heart desires,” Lacroix told the Professional Footballers’ Association in 2024.
Mark McKenzie, U.S.A. A product of the famed Philadelphia Union academy, McKenzie just completed his second season in France with Toulouse. He has made 60 Ligue 1 appearances for the club and played 29 times for the U.S. His faith in God has played an important role throughout his career, he shared in a recent interview with Sports Spectrum. “Every day that goes by is a day where I have to look up and say, ‘Thank You, Lord, for seeing me through this,'” he said.
Christian Pulisic, U.S.A. Pulisic is the face of the U.S. men’s national team and its fifth all-time leading scorer with 33 goals at just 27 years old. The AC Milan winger scored the crucial goal against Iran that sent the U.S. to the knockout stage of the 2022 World Cup. He has publicly discussed the role faith plays in his life on multiple occasions. “I’ve had to continue to prove myself over and over again,” Pulisic said at the end of a 2021 postgame interview, via CBS. “But, as always, I reach out to God and He gives me strength. With that behind me, nothing can stop me, really.”
Bukayo Saka, England Saka netted three goals at the last World Cup and is a central figure in the England squad that reached the Euro 2020 (played in 2021) and Euro 2024 Finals. He just won the Premier League title with his boyhood club, Arsenal, and started in the Champions League Final against PSG. At the 2022 World Cup, he talked about the peace he finds in the Lord. “It’s really important to obviously have the presence of God in me all the time, and it gives me more confidence that God’s plan is perfect so I can go on the pitch and know that God has my back,” he said in a pregame press conference.
THIS IS THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST HOSTED BY MATT FORTE, FEATURING MARK MCKENZIE
Mark McKenzie is a defender with Toulouse in France’s top league, and a member of the U.S. men’s national team preparing for the 2026 World Cup. He played college soccer at Wake Forest in 2017, and then turned pro, signing with the Philadelphia Union of MLS in 2018.
Today on the podcast, Mark McKenzie shares his God-story, takes us inside his preparation for the FIFA World Cup, and talks about what it means to represent the U.S. in the biggest soccer tournament in the world. He also shares how soccer became his sport of choice and why he places his identity in Jesus Christ.
Julie Ertz (Photo courtesy of International Justice Mission)
THIS IS THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST WITH ANNABELLE HASSELBECK, FEATURING JULIE ERTZ
Two-time World Cup winner and legendary U.S. women’s national team player Julie Ertz is our guest today with host Annabelle Hasselbeck. They talk faith, the 2026 World Cup, and Julie’s work in fighting to end slavery with International Justice Mission.
Join Julie and others in the fight to end modern slavery by visiting IJM’s Freedom To Play campaign.
