Faith in World Cup soccer . WEB

World Champion Lionel Messi ( above ) one of the greatest soccer players of all time is a devout Catholic like the rest of his family members. He has followed the same religion since birth, as did his parents and siblings. Messi was born in Rosario, Argentina.

Team USA shares a moment of prayer after historic win

On June 12, the men from the United States started their World Cup journey on a positive note with a 4-1 victory over Paraguay. After the game, defender Mark McKenzie led the team in a moment of prayer on the field.

Leading into the tournament, several of the U.S. players were vocal about their faith. Star winger Christian Pulisic is known for leading several of his teammates in a Bible study he calls “Bible Time” and has discussed the important role reading Scripture plays in his daily life.

Goalkeeper Matt Freese recently spoke to Sports Spectrum’s “What’s Up” podcast and discussed how his faith and career are intertwined.

“Godʼs 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’s a listener of 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 itʼs a busy stretch — make sure I’m spending some time every day, hopefully every day, [with Scripture],” he said.