By: Rex Stump
Wauseon, Ohio
I am a competitor and an avid sports fan, but there are some sports I just don’t fully follow. Soccer. How is it that every time a player gets injured, he falls to the ground and grabs his shin?
Could be a head, arm, or hip shot…but he grabs his shin. How is it that after 90 minutes with one goal scored, it is still considered a great match? I’ll admit I know little about soccer.
In college, I played every intramural sport, including soccer. Our team was so bad, my friend broke his foot kicking the ball on a penalty shot (he missed the ball and kicked the ground).
Despite my lack of knowledge, I’m amazed by the 2026 World Cup. I’m amazed as this global sensation unites billions of fans from 48 nations. The United States will host 78 of the 104 matches with an average of over 65,000 people attending each match!
More than seven million fans will attend the matches in person, billions will watch around the world, and around 1.5 billion will likely tune into the final. Imagine 78 Super Bowls held in a month! Consider the traffic, food and lodging needs, as well as security!
It may be overwhelming in detail but focus on how this event cultivates unity by bringing diverse cultures and backgrounds together.
We may be fractured in how we treat each other, politics, or function in society, but here is a moment in which we can find unity, faith lessons, and spiritual hope.
Worship: Let’s remember God is the giver of all good gifts, including the gift of athletics. Let’s be careful not to worship the gift, but our God who gives the gift.
If sports determine when you worship God, and how much you give of your tithe and time, it has become a god in your life. If your team’s outcome drives your emotion, and affects your relationships, it has become a god.
Ask yourself, “Would I be more excited about my team winning a game on Saturday or someone being baptized at my church on Sunday?”
Giving God Glory: Teams, including the U.S., Croatia, and Mexico have been seen gathering for prayer. Before and after competition, always give God glory, not for victory, but for ability.
Speaking to Others: Our opponents are also created in the image of God. Give that some thought before you boo the other team, speak negatively to their fans, or criticize the refs.
One moment we are spewing out words of anger, the next day singing songs of praise to God at church. Read James 3:9-10 as a friendly reminder for what God wants. Ephesians 4:29 reminds us to build each other up.
Visualize Heaven: One day, in eternity, countless children of God will gather, from all nations and backgrounds to worship the One and Only True God! Voices united, singing and worshipping Him alone! Wow!
Until then, come together with other Christians at church, camp, special events to sing and praise God in a unified voice, just like these 104 stadiums filled with fans.
Remember, 47 nations will walk away defeated. Our faith cannot be in a team or a sport.
Our faith and hope are in an undefeated God, who empowers us with victorious Spirit. Sports will let us down…God will not.
I heard one person say, “Cheer loudly this World Cup, celebrate the gift, but remember not to leave your deepest identity at the turnstiles.” Enjoy sport, enjoy the competition, but make sure God is still number one.
“Stay strong, stay focused…stay faithful!”
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Rex Stump is the Area Director for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and serves as a Pastor at True North Church in Wauseon, Ohio.
