Who would have imagined sports could bring so many people and cultures together? Well, for one, Pope Leo! He made sports this month’s prayer intention, inviting us to pray,
“May those who play, train, or cheer discover in sport a universal language that brings cultures together, unites peoples, and sows respect, solidarity, and personal growth.”
Sports is a tool for “peace, encounter and dialogue” according to Pope Leo, “among cultures and nations,” especially in events like the World Cup. It creates spaces where people of every background, social condition, and level of ability can meet as equals.
But it’s not just Pope Leo who realizes these events create opportunities to bring people together. People from all over the globe find a way to celebrate their heritage or to be gracious hosts. For example, the World Cup host city of Lawrence, Kansas, home of the Jayhawks and around 100,000 residents, has received global attention for welcoming the Algerian team into their town and homes. They have treated the Algerians as if they were the home team, putting up Algerian flags throughout the entire town to welcome them. Hundreds stood in the rain and thunderstorms to greet the Algerian team when they arrived in town.
Local artist Stan Herd created a massive Algerian flag using organic materials to welcome the team. Lawrence residents walked the streets in green jerseys to show their support and when the team went to their training session, over 2,500 locals and Algerian fans attended while the Kansas University marching band learned the Algerian national anthem and performed it at the training session.
When Algeria won, the entire town filled the streets with celebration and dancing, as if it was their very own team. The Algerians felt so welcomed, and the local people felt equally appreciated saying, “We as Lawrence residents didn’t adopt the team … the Algerians adopted us.”
Even if you can’t live in the country you wish to support, people find a way to come together, just as Pope Leo described.
For example, like many teams, Croatia has fans from all over the world that use the World Cup as a way to celebrate the country, its culture, and people. For 12 years straight, just before the Croatian kick off, fans gather in Kansas City, Kansas, to cheer on their team. The fans watch the game in a basement next to St. John the Baptist Catholic Church and share their heritage and love for Croatia.
The fans explain that it's become a part of the community’s identity. These fans, such as Mario Viskovic, who immigrated from Croatia to the United States over 20 years ago, find the watch parties a way to bring him closer to home. “It means a lot to me, you know. I’m amazed.” Stories like this one exist all over the globe as a way to bring people and cultures together.
But what about the rivalries? Doesn’t that cause trouble among people? Not when you apply the Catholic principle of charity like the Colombia fans did. At the World Cup stadium in Mexico City, a video went viral of a 7-year-old boy crying when Colombia played Uzbekistan. Colombia scored against his team and the young boy, Isfandiyor, couldn’t stop crying.
Colombia fans near him noticed his sadness and decided to comfort him by chanting for Uzbekistan, even though it was their opponent. This example of sportsmanship illustrates perfectly that even defeat can be a moment to come together to celebrate the joy of the sport and build friendships around the world. Certainly they embodied Pope Leo’s message about soccer and life.
“Soccer helps us remember something very important: that life is not a race to be run in solitude; it is something played as a team, and we must learn to run together.”
