Former football player answers God’s call as ‘World Cup Dad’
Former Flames Football wide receiver Zach Duke (’12) is now bringing his athletic abilities and his faith to an entirely different sport.
In December 2022, Duke was sitting in a coffee shop in Virginia asking God to restore the dedicated mindset he had as a collegiate athlete. He had been serving as a missionary and church planter overseas for many years but had been dealing with a chronic illness that was affecting all areas of his life. He heard God respond to him with a single word — soccer — a sport that Duke had never played before.
“I thought, ‘If I’m going to do this, God, I’m not just going to try to get better. I need to shoot for the hardest, most crazy and bizarre goal possible. I’m going to train for the World Cup.’ Delusional? Absolutely. Possible? 0.001% chance. But I like my odds if God is with me.”
To reach this lofty dream, Duke set personal goals for himself to learn the fundamentals of the sport and lose 30 pounds. He documented his progress through his Instagram account @worldcupdad, gaining over 135,000 followers.
“The moment I stepped out in faith and believed that God wasn’t done with me yet, those chains just fell off,” Duke said.
His health improved and his rigorous training efforts were rewarded. He trained with a pro team in Brazil and competed in the 2024 The Soccer Tournament, a prestigious 7v7 competition, in North Carolina. Later that year, he was called up to the Team USA Indoor Soccer squad for a match against Mexico. He then received an invite to the 2024 Major Arena Soccer League Pro Combine Draft and was picked in the third round by the Empire Strykers in Ontario, Calif. In February, Duke announced he was selected by Federação Socca Brasil to represent the 6v6 Brazil National Team at the 2026 Copa America and World Cup.
“It’s amazing to have our strong, passionate, godly leader back who has this drive and fire and is healthy — not just physically, but mentally, emotionally, spiritually — with these priorities that are right in line with God’s will,” said his wife, Megan (’11). “It’s inspiring to me. It’s inspiring to the kids. It’s inspiring to so many other people he wasn’t necessarily out to inspire.”
As the World Cup Dad continues his journey in professional soccer, he hopes to inspire others to embrace whatever calling God places on their hearts.
“No matter where anyone is in their life, I just want them to believe that it’s not too late for them because God’s not done with us yet. As long as there’s breath in our lungs, it’s not too late for us. I know without a doubt this isn’t about me. It’s not about my family. It’s to give people faith that God really is who He says He is.”
This story first appeared on “Flames Central,” a weekly sports program featuring Liberty University Athletics and the intersection of faith and sports. Watch more inspiring stories at LibertyFlamesCentral.com or ESPN+. You can also tune into the “Flames Central Podcast” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.
