Cheers for Canada’s world cup run

On June 28 a local pastor, promoting a forthcoming church activity, announced to his congregation that since the Stanley Cup was over, there was nothing left to cheer for. A few hours later, Canadians had plenty to cheer about when their national soccer team made history by qualifying for the round of 16 in FIFA’s men’s World Cup, defeating South Africa by a score of 1-0 in a packed stadium in Los Angeles. Just under a week later, the cheering was muted, if it didn’t exactly turn to tears, as Canada fell 3-0 to mighty Morocco in the humid heat of Houston, Texas.

The score line, however, was not a reflection of the whole game against Morocco. Canada unexpectedly dominated the first half and narrowly missed a couple of scoring opportunities. Morocco scored five minutes into the second half and, as Canada pressed for an equalizer, the African champions scored on a break-away and then again as Canada fought back. The precision of Morocco’s goals demonstrated why they went into the game ranked sixth in the world compared to Canada’s 30th place, although that is sure to change.

Host country losses

Canada’s American coach, Jesse Marsh, insisted after the game that his was the better team – which it certainly was in the first half – and spoke of how proud he was of his players. To the interviewer’s “Canada thanks you,” Marsh replied, “I thank Canada!” He was subsequently mocked on social media for his upbeat attitude and especially for saying he’d rather be “us” than “them,” despite the loss. 

It may provide some consolation, as well as context, that Marsh’s country of origin to the south was badly outplayed by Belgium, to whom they lost 4-1 despite (or perhaps because of) their president’s intervention. Men’s soccer in Canada and the U.S. still clearly lags behind the game in Europe, Latin America and, increasingly, Africa. Mexico also lost at home to England, by a score of 3-2, which means that all three co-host countries of FIFA 2026 failed to progress beyond the round of 16.

A heavenly game? 

I was intrigued to see John Van Sloten’s piece in the Calgary Herald on June 27 suggesting that the World Cup was “truly heaven on earth.” An understandable exaggeration perhaps, a statement meant to express that the diversity and unity evident in the 48 nations who descended on Canada, the United States and Mexico (and in the multiple nations who failed to qualify), reflects the heavenly vision of people gathered from every tribe and nation. “It’s this global nature of soccer that always captures my imagination whenever the World Cup comes around,” Van Sloten wrote. “Fans from around the world, dressed in cultural attire, filling stadiums with their nation’s songs. Players from every walk of life forming elite athletic squads for an audience of billions.” 

Van Sloten highlighted the “incredible story of Canada’s team captain Alphonso Davies, who spent his early years with his family in a Ghanaian refugee camp, fleeing war. I imagine him playing soccer with other children in that very challenging place, and then continuing to play the game after his family immigrated to Canada. . . . This is why we need to love our global neighbours and make room for them when they have no home – so that they can have a chance to make a life . . . and so that we can become more fully ourselves as a nation (and have a world-class captain for our national men’s team!).”

Unfortunately, Davies, who plays club football for Bayern Munich in Germany, has been plagued with injuries and was unable to play in all but 15 minutes of Canada’s game against South Africa. He didn’t score the winning goal – he is, after all, a full-back, if a roaming one – but his very presence on the pitch made a difference and created the opportunity for Stephen Eustáquio to score a late winner in stoppage time.

One can only speculate as to what might have happened if Davies had been fit to play in the other games, including the one against Morocco.

Nothing to cheer about? Perhaps a benign indifference and a preference for Canada’s national sport of ice hockey (mistakenly known simply as hockey, but that’s another story) is better than the inevitable criticisms of the beautiful game on social media (soccer is boring, etc.) by those who fail to understand why it is by far the world’s favourite and most democratic of sports, as well as the fastest growing sport in Canada and the United States. 

No more defeat 

Heaven on earth? Well, not quite. The beautiful game it might be, but after all it is just a game. Richard Mouw, in He Shines in All That’s Fair, wonders if there might be baseball in heaven. What about association football, otherwise known as soccer? Possibly, but as a friend pointed out, “True, the international nature of the World Cup has points of contact with the New Creation. But bottom line, it’s fierce competition between nation-states. Sports is, after all, sublimated warfare with stakes almost as high as the real thing!” Besides, which team or nation would lose in a perfect world? That could be an argument for draws (tied games), so much despised by football’s critics. Perhaps also my son James is right when he says that heavenly games would be like those at church picnics, where winning or losing don’t matter.

Dare I suggest we will have better things to do, praising our God and Saviour for eternity? Certainly, there will be no disappointments, losses or failures to qualify based on a lack of human ability, and it is open to all who by true faith seek to love God in Christ with heart and soul and mind and our neighbours as ourselves – and wish to do so unceasingly. Now, that is surely something to cheer about!