October 1, 2026
As an Argentine-born immigrant and huge fan of soccer, watching the World Cup has been tremendous fun. Of course, Argentina's performance so far has been terrific, which helps.
I am anticipating some thrilling knockout round matches as teams progress toward the semifinals and final, now that the field is starting to narrow.
But more importantly, as a follower of Christ, it has been encouraging to see players praying together before and after the games.
After Germany crushed Curacao 7-1, some of the players from the Caribbean nation came together at midfield to pray. Any animosity from the game was set aside as two German players came over to join them, embracing their opponents and bowing their heads.
German midfielder Felix Nmecha explained in a postgame interview, “I know one of the Curaçao players, Kenji Gorré. Before the match, we agreed that afterwards we would come together, regardless of the result, to show that we are brothers in Christ and that there is more to life than football.”
He continued, "In the game we are opponents, but after the game we are all Christians, we are all brothers, and we said a little prayer because we believe that Jesus is glorified through the game."
As he said so eloquently, Christian players have an opportunity to use their God-given talents on the field to glorify Christ. As fans, our actions should also glorify the Lord.
Paul reminds believers, “Whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). That includes how we compete, how we cheer, and how we treat one another when the final whistle blows.
Though we may be passionate sports rivals while our teams are competing, at some point, the game will end. And while the outcome may seem terribly important at the time, it pales to insignificance in light of eternity.
Despite the mascots on our bumper stickers, the colors of our jerseys, or the object of our cheers, what unites us as followers of Jesus is so much greater than the fandom that divides us.
My prayer is that God would keep that thought at the forefront of my mind, and not let me get so carried away with my passion for my team that I fail to treat fans of opposing teams as brothers and sisters.
One day, Revelation reminds us, there will be “a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language” standing before the throne and before the Lamb in worship (Revelation 7:9-10). On that day, there will not be “my team” or “your team,” only His people praising the One who truly deserves our cheers.
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Henry Durand serves as editor of The Christian Index.
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