And, of course, I am far from being alone in that respect. Why, indeed, has football become this massive, global phenomenon? In the game itself lies the secret of its appeal. It is simplicity itself. A ball and a bit of space is all you need.

Football also combines all that is enjoyable in sports into one package: speed, skill, stamina, variety, drama, tragedy, comedy, controversy. There is something for everyone.

Football is also a great leveller. It’s a fact that a mediocre team with modest resources can get results through being organised, disciplined and smart. All the money in the world cannot buy passion and determination. The romance of the underdog still lives on in football.¹

United in Play
Personally, I find the football world endlessly fascinating because of its universality. Football crosses boundaries like few other things can. It is something you can share with someone across the globe as well as something that can differentiate you from the rest of the world. It sometimes feels like being part of a giant fraternity. The quadrennial World Cup is a shared experience that few things can surpass.

Because the sport is so global, I can actually say that I learn a little bit more about the world through it. It provides shorthand knowledge for cultures, international geography, politics, and economics.

But where could God be in the world of football?

Like anything global, the best and the worst of human nature is on show. On the field: unsporting behaviour, dishonesty, cheating, violence (“It’s a man’s game” and “Football is a contact sport” are the excuses bandied about justifying this). Off the field: greed, commercialism, exploitation, incompetent administration, and more violence from “supporters”.

So, where is God?