Later this month, several famous, incredibly talented, young men will witness to their Christian faith on live television before countless millions of people around the world. Some will kneel down in prayer. Others will make the sign of the cross. Some will point to heaven after scoring a goal.
What’s going on? Don’t we live in an increasingly secular world?
Well, it’s the FIFA World Cup, which starts in Mexico on 11 June.
Sport has always been a powerful force for mission and evangelisation. In schools especially, sport provides a unique opportunity to connect with young people, build relationships, explore values, and open conversations about faith in a natural and authentic way.
I don’t think it’s any coincidence that Pope Leo’s prayer intention for June is for the value of sports:
Pope Francis often spoke about the deeper human and spiritual lessons found in sport. He said football teaches three lessons that can promote peace and solidarity around the world: the need to train and work hard to reach goals, the importance of fair play and teamwork, and the need to respect and honour opponents.
“To win, we must overcome individualism, selfishness, all forms of racism, intolerance and manipulation of people,” he said.
The World Cup offers a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our Christian faith and to reflect on the deeper values that sport can nurture in young people. In schools, football is often far more than simply a game played at lunchtime or after school. It is a shared language. It creates belonging, identity, excitement and aspiration. For many young people — especially those who may not initially engage with traditional forms of worship or catechesis — sport can become a bridge into conversations about character, purpose, community and faith.
Many young people naturally gather around sport. They talk about it constantly, wear the shirts of their favourite players, imitate goal celebrations, debate matches and follow tournaments online. We know that sport, the arts, music, and culture – the everyday – have an extraordinary capacity to unite young people across year groups, cultures and backgrounds.
Jesus himself used the everyday interests and experiences of ordinary people as starting points for mission. He spoke about fishing, farming, weddings, family life and work because these were the realities people understood. In our own context, sport can serve a similar purpose. It provides a contemporary point of connection through which deeper truths can be explored.
Young people notice when athletes pray before matches, speak about God in interviews, or demonstrate humility and respect in victory and defeat.
For teachers in Catholic schools, this offers a valuable opportunity for discussion:
- Why do some players publicly express their faith?
- What gives them courage to do so?
- How does faith shape the way they treat teammates and opponents?
- What does humility look like in elite sport?
- How do athletes respond to disappointment, criticism or failure?
These questions can naturally lead into conversations about faith, mission and values.
When admired sportspeople speak about prayer, forgiveness, discipline or gratitude, it can open hearts in unexpected ways. How ready are we to respond?
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