(ANALYSIS) Memorable goals are generally linked to the players who scored them. Few can be recalled without mention of the individual — or even the team — involved. Yet, two goals in one game 40 years ago have attained that status. One is known universally as the “Hand of God,” and the other is widely acknowledged as the “Goal of the Century.” Both were scored by Diego Maradona.
Read MoreWhen the North American FIFA World Cup starts Thursday, the story will largely be told through the familiar lenses of Lionel Messi, the geography of the 48 participants and three hosts, and — because 75% of the games will be played there — the continuing rise of soccer in the United States. But there is another, less familiar story woven through the tournament: The long, strange and often overlooked history of Jews in North American soccer.
Read More(ANALYSIS) This World Cup held in the United States, Canada and Mexico — with its unprecedented global outreach — offers a unique opportunity to observe the values, beliefs and relationships that soccer players choose to display on their bodies. In some ways, tattoos can be seen as a small window into the players’ souls.
Read MoreArgentine soccer icon Diego Maradona’s magic goal in the June 22, 1986, quarterfinal match against England in Mexico, which he attributed to the “Hand of God” as it was secured by his fist, has been the subject of intense debate whenever and wherever soccer fans are gathered.
Read MoreSoccer’s global reach and emotional intensity have long invited comparisons to religion. Both scholars and fans testify that the analogy is more than just a metaphor. From local club loyalties to the sweeping unity of the World Cup, the game functions in ways that closely resemble systems of shared belief, ritual and identity.
Read MorePaulo Silas Pereira se está preparando para la próxima Copa Mundial como comentarista deportivo. Al hacerlo, su enfoque ha pasado de los goles y las tácticas a algo mucho más personal: contar la historia de su vida y de su fe cristiana.
Read MorePaulo Silas Pereira is preparing for the upcoming World Cup as a broadcaster. In doing so, his focus has shifted from goals and tactics to something far more personal: Telling the story of his life and Christian faith.
Read MoreThe Dallas Cup, America’s oldest and best-known international youth soccer tournament, has been held each Easter week since 1980. And for 33 of those years, the DBA has hosted an outreach to minister to players and their families.
Read More(ANALYSIS) What should have been a routine game for Spain’s national soccer team at home against Egypt on March 31 instead became a revealing and deeply uncomfortable moment — one that placed superstar striker Lamine Yamal at the center of a broader conversation about identity, faith and belonging.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The execution of 19-year-old wrestler Saleh Mohammadi by Iran’s tyrannical regime is not just another macabre hanging in the theocracy’s escalating use of capital punishment, but a revealing incident in how the state confronts ongoing dissent.
Read More(ANALYSIS) If you had the opportunity to share a nice family dinner — emphasis on “family” — with a Hall of Fame pro-football coach, who would you choose? For many Americans, maybe even most folks in flyover country, the National Football League legend Tony Dungy would be at the top of the list.
Read MoreIn just a span of five months, Hugh Macdonald went from needing a kidney to hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy with his son. The father of Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald — whose team defeated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX — developed kidney disease after battling hypertension for years.
Read MoreWith a record $1.76 billion expected to be wagered on the Super Bowl, more people are asking if legal sports betting is good or bad for America.
Read MoreA new ad from Kraft’s Blue Square Alliance Against Hate will beam to millions, part of his years-long, multimillion dollar initiative to combat the Oldest Hatred. The campaign has given us two previous Super Bowl spots: One in which MLK’s speechwriter Clarence B. Jones urged us to speak against silence and, last year, as a counterpoint, one where Snoop Dogg and Tom Brady yelled at each other.
Read MoreAs Super Bowl Sunday approaches, the focus is fixed on the New England Patriot and Seattle Seahawks. Beyond the game, the Super Bowl is a cultural touchpoint. Watched by millions, it remains the most-viewed event on American TV. While commercials and the halftime show are all big draws, faith once again plays a part in the biggest football game of the year.
Read MoreIt all began on a sunny day at a local park. missionaries Russell and Tori Minnick were watching their kids have fun on a playground when, at the far end of a field, a group of men were running routes and huddling over playbooks. Both men could tell they were practicing American football, so he made an inquiry.
Read MoreA recent New York Times feature noted that quarterback Fernando Mendoza, before helping change University of Indiana football history, excelled at Belen Jesuit, an all-boys Catholic school in Miami, and then Miami Columbus High, another all-boys Catholic school. Oh, and his mother was a star athlete at Lourdes Academy, an all-girls Catholic school.
Read More(REVIEW) “The Gridiron Gospel” is a wonderful addition to the study of religion and sport. It focuses on schools like Notre Dame, BYU and Liberty University. Historian Hunter M. Hampton convincingly shows that college football was not just shaped by faith, but actively helped form how millions of Americans understood Christianity throughout the twentieth century.
Read MoreDid a touch of the divine play a key role in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ dramatic AFC North title clincher? Steelers fans — especially if you’re Catholic — certainly believe so. Father Maximilian Maxwell sprinkled holy water in one end zone — the same one where Baltimore Ravens kicker Tyler Loop missed as time ran out.
Read MoreThe most-striking element of the London event was knowing that faith remains a big part of some players’ lives: Arsenal players praying together, Crystal Palace’s Bible study groups and the rise of social media accounts like “BallersinGod” suggest a generational shift. Younger players are more willing to publicly integrate belief into their lives.
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