It’s all about to kick off!

Football fans around the world are counting the days until the 23rd FIFA World Cup get underway. For the first time ever the tournament is being hosted by 3 nations – Canada, Mexico and the United States. This feast of football, which is held every 4 years, will capture the attention of huge global audiences, and a new expanded format means 48 teams will be present.

The first game takes place on 11th June, as one of the hosts, Mexico, take on South Africa in Mexico City.

As a boy, I would take these things very seriously and get my pull out wall chart from a newspaper or football magazine and fill in all the scores as the matches were played. The final this year will take place on 19th July in the Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey in the United States.

5 weeks of non-stop football, with 2-3 matches most days, will be some people’s idea of heaven, while others will be complaining bitterly that, no matter what channel they flick to, they will be assaulted by football in some shape or form.

Christian communities are looking to maximise this opportunity and host watch parties to enable opportunities to build community, share Christian resources, like a Gospel, or to offer hospitality to members of the local community who might not be familiar with the church but be happy to share a space to watch the games.

One popular resource is ‘Victory Beyond the Cup’ which is being trialled with Alpha USA. It provides digital and physical kit for hosting watch parties. Christian organisations are recruiting volunteers to serve as event evangelists directly in host cities like Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles and Kansas City.

Some global superstars are using their platform as a vehicle for sharing their faith, such as engaging in prayers before games. Sometimes, it is the way they display Bible verses on their T-shirts or on tattoos, and in the way they speak of how important their faith is to them, in preparation for life not just their football careers.

I’ve been catching a couple of episodes of the dramatisation of the reign of England’s last football manager, Gareth Southgate, called ‘Dear England.’

Gareth played in the European Championships in 1996 and missed a penalty that cost his team a place in the semi-finals.

He used that experience to get his teams to handle the pressures of the national expectation which is of monstrous levels. He got the team to support one another through difficult experiences, like standing alongside coloured players in times of racist abuse. He wrote a letter to national newspaper during Covid. He tried to harness national pride in a positive way, and used the services of a psychologist to help the team to prepare as well as they could and handle the pressure of public expectation.

In a memorable scene from one of the episodes, he spoke with one of the younger players, a devout Christian called Bukayo Saka, about Bible reading and his Christian life. Rather than belittle his beliefs, as might be the norm in this culture, he asked him about them and encouraged him on that path.

While it is, admittedly, a dramatisation, it highlighted powerfully the pressures these players face alongside the managers and backroom staff. It all adds to the intrigue and fascination of a global tournament.

There will be lots of drama, injuries, decisions about who to play in certain matches. Players will need a certain physical and mental resilience to progress through the group stages and knockout stages of the competition.

As the 48 nations descend on Canada, Mexico and the United States, pray that the Christian witness at the tournament would be effective and helpful. As people search for hope and meaning and purpose in their lives and journey with their teams to the greatest football show on earth, pray for security and for great community and friendships to be formed crossing racial and cultural barriers, and may the best team win.

Much love to everyone,

Jono.

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