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News
- 16 Sep 2026
Christ not Christian - Devout Cole Campbell plots different path to Pulisic for US glory
18 Sep 2026 07:01 CDT |
8 min read
Analysis
The USMNT is always on the lookout for its saviour. Someone who will lead the United States to the promised land. Many players have been touted as the messiah, such as Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, Jozy Altidore and more recently Christian Pulisic and Gio Reyna.
With the latest roster announcement for Mauricio Pochettino's team, a few new faces could be set to make their international debuts. None have been hailed as the next saviour of soccer, but 20-year-old Cole Campbell definitely does not want that title. He already has his own saviour and messiah.
Like Pulisic and Reyna, he came through the ranks at Borussia Dortmund, but Texas-born Campbell decided to leave BVB this summer to carve out his own path. This might stop the comparisons to those two players, but comparing is not something the hugely devout Campbell wants to do.
"I think they're they're both great players. Me and Gio are good friends. I haven't met Christian yet, but yeah, I think being compared to to great players is always a good thing," Campbell reveals. "But I mean, for me, I'm not really focused on the comparison. You know what? I believe in comparison is the thief of joy. You know that's in the Bible. For me, I'm only focused on my career, my path.
"I think everyone is different, and the path that I've chosen, I believe, is the right one and the one that God has for me. I'm focused day by day, becoming the best version of myself and yeah, I think my path is different from someone else's, so I don't think there's any right path. I think every player is different."
The move to Elversberg has proven to be the correct one, with the smallest club in Bundesliga history starting off life in the top flight with shock wins over Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Monchengladbach before giving Bayern Munich a fright where the Bavarians needed a late Harry Kane goal to take three points.
Campbell became Elversberg's record signing during the summer for €6m, and that investment is paying off for the club as he scored in their season opener and his strong form has seen him called into the USMNT squad for the first time.
"I think it was the right step," he explains. "I decided I needed to get more minutes and have a club that believes in me and that gives me the support and the the backing to become the best version of myself. And in the end, I'm happy that I came."
He credits his belief and trust in God in overcoming the difficult periods at Dortmund where he was sometimes sidelined for more experienced players, and that at the end of the day, it was God's plan that has got him to where he is now.
"The expectation even from last season was was I was expecting to play more than what I what I did, but I think in the end for me I'm a strong believer in Jesus, and I believe that God has a plan, and I believe that it also strengthened my relationship with Him in this time and strengthened my mental toughness," Campbell says.
"I think that even in times when it's difficult, when I'm not getting what I maybe think should happen or whatever. I think that trusting and and waiting for the opportunity is something that's that's important and also just to keep working even if the circumstances are not matching what you maybe want or what you expect, but to keep trying to improve and take what you can learn from it, and yeah, and then in six months things can change.
"So always trusting in in the plan that God has for me, and yeah, not not being afraid of missing it or yeah anything anything like that. So I think even in this time where maybe someone else will look at it and say it was a waste for me. It was was something that I learned and something that I could take from it. And yeah, I'm thankful for this time.
"I think that the things that I learned in these 22 months is something that I would not have learned if maybe things would have happened differently. The character development that I've had in these two years, I think my relationship with God has gotten stronger. I think my mindset has changed. In the end I can speak about the frustrations or whatever in the moment, but I think without this, then my character wouldn't change. So I'm I'm happy that that this time happened the way that it did, and that it brought me closer to to Jesus."
That closeness to Jesus is something Campbell views as much more important than anything he does on the football field. If he performs well in his chosen career, that is a great boost but it is not what he sees his mission in life to be.
"I would say the impact that I want to have is I want to try to have the best positive influence on people as I can," he explains. "I think for me, my relationship with God is very close to me. Even though I'm playing football, this is for me the most important thing. Football is just a bonus. From my specific journey is that trusting in the plan that God has for you is something that you always have to do. And I think that the impact that I want to have on people is to be only positive.
"It's very easy to be caught up in the football and the things that surround it. In football, there are going to be so many things, there will be ups and downs, like a bumpy road. It's the same with life, there will always be ups and downs. To have God to hold onto in those times is something that helped me through it, and to hold onto something outside it and realise what life is really about.
"In the end, I can be the best footballer and achieve everything, but it means nothing if I don't have God by my side. My faith is everything for me. And I want to tell as many people what I believe in and try to impact people in a positive way. It would be amazing if I achieved everything as a footballer, but in the end, if I have Jesus it's enough for me."
