One of the major sporting events in the world has begun. It is the World Cup, the major championship for soccer (or football as it is known in the rest of the world). It takes place every four years and involves the 32 top nations in the world that qualify for the tourney.
It is probably the one major sporting event I have little knowledge of personally. I didn't get into soccer until I was in college. I do barely remember when the World Cup was in the U.S. back in 1994 but I didn't really keep up with it. When I was in college, I roomed for a time with a missionary kid (MK) from Nigeria and it was through him (along with other MKs and internationals) that I really learned about soccer and started to take notice of it. I would watch soccer in the afternoons on ESPN when I got back from class.
I still would not say I'm an expert in any sense of the word. I do like watching the games, especially when it's a major event like the World Cup.
This year it is in South Africa, first time the World Cup has been in Africa I do believe. It must be weird to be playing a "summer" event in "winter" (since it's in the southern hemisphere). So far the weather hasn't been much of a factor so we'll see if that continues.
Of course personally, I am rooting for the USA. I would love to see them win. I do root for an international team. I would be rooting for Poland but they didn't qualify. So, I'll be rooting for France. Yes, France. I like their team and have since they won the cup back in 1998.
The World Cup stage is one of the biggest in the world. I hope and pray that those players who are believers will be a good example and will have the opportunity to share their faith to teammates, opponents and to the world.
It's also a great way to pray for countries. When you're watching a match, pray for those countries and for the believers that are in those countries. Who knows, God might lead you to go to one of those countries and share your faith there.
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