From Aleteia
By Cerith Gardiner
For many Americans, the arrival of the FIFA World Cup produces the same reaction every four years: "Remind me again why everyone is so excited about soccer?"
It could be seen as a fair question, but as a "football" loving Brit, I've had the "beautiful game" in my heart from birth -- also my brothers gave me no choice!
Yet from an American point of view I can appreciate why you might find the game frustrating. After all, the sport somehow manages to produce 90 minutes of emotional drama while occasionally ending with fewer points than a baseball game after a single inning.
Yet before dismissing the world's most popular sporting event, Catholics might want to take a second look. Because the World Cup turns out to have rather a lot in common with faith.
1Popes love soccer!
If you needed a papal endorsement, Pope Francis was famously passionate about the game. A lifelong supporter of Argentina's San Lorenzo club, he often spoke about sport's ability to bring people together and teach important human virtues.
While Pope Leo XIV has not displayed quite the same public obsession (though between his years in Latin American and now living in football-loving Italy, this might change), he has frequently spoken about the power of sport to build community and foster friendship.
If popes can see the beauty in the sport, perhaps it's worth investigating.
2The entire world is watching
There are remarkably few events that genuinely unite humanity anymore: the World Cup remains one of them.
For a few weeks, people from every continent gather around televisions, fill public squares, pack into cafés, and collectively lose their minds over the movement of a ball. Americans often wonder why their European colleagues suddenly become impossible to reach during major tournaments. Well, this is your opportunity to find out and become part of a global community.
3It is one giant lesson in hope
After waiting four long years since the last cup, every nation begins the tournament convinced this might finally be its year. Fans study statistics. They discuss tactics. They analyze every possible scenario. And then they spend the next month hoping against hope.
The virtue of hope may be theological, but the practice of hope is often sporting.
4Penalty shootouts are excellent spiritual formation
There are few experiences that teach surrender quite like a penalty shootout. At some point, analysis becomes useless. Logic disappears. Control evaporates. And all that remains is trust, prayer, and a rapidly increasing heart rate.
Millions of soccer fans experience this every four years. It's painful. If God had a cellphone, this would be the moment it would go into meltdown from the sheer number of prayer requests being sent His way!
5Faith is easier to spot than you might think
One thing first-time viewers quickly discover is that faith is never far from the action. Throughout the tournament, players will be seen praying before matches, pointing heavenward after goals, speaking about God in interviews, and making the Sign of the Cross as they step onto the field.
Recent examples include PSG's Désiré Doué publicly thanking Jesus Christ after winning the Champions League and Arsenal's Bukayo Saka speaking about his habit of reading the Bible before bed. The World Cup simply brings those moments onto an even bigger stage.
6It reminds us that belonging matters
Perhaps this is the deepest appeal of all. The World Cup is never just about soccer. It is about family traditions, childhood memories, national identity, and the joy of sharing an experience with millions of other people at the same time.
People pull on their country's colors, sing songs they have known for years, celebrate victories with complete strangers, and somehow find themselves emotionally invested in the fortunes of people they have never met. For a few weeks, supporters become part of something much larger than themselves.
It is not difficult to see why that resonates so strongly. Human beings have always longed for connection, community, and belonging — desires that sit close to the heart of both sport and faith.
7And ... The athleticism is extraordinary!
Soccer can sometimes suffer from looking too easy. The problem is that the world's best players are so good they disguise just how difficult the sport actually is.
During a World Cup match, players may run the equivalent of a half-marathon over two games, sprint repeatedly at speeds approaching 22 mph (35 km/h), and control a moving ball with a level of precision that borders on absurd.
Watching elite soccer is a little like watching a concert pianist. The better they are, the less difficult it appears. Only when you try it yourself do you realize how extraordinary it really is.
And if nothing else, spend 10 minutes trying to keep a soccer ball in the air with your feet. The World Cup will suddenly become much more impressive!
The good news is that there is not long to wait. The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off on June 11 and will run through July 19, marking the first time in history that the tournament has been hosted by three nations: the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
With 48 teams, 104 matches, and billions of viewers expected around the globe, it promises to be the biggest World Cup ever staged. So whether you tune in for the faith stories, the astonishing athleticism, or simply to discover what all the fuss is about, now might be the perfect time to give the beautiful game a chance.
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