Soccer

+ Cardinal George Pell, Archbishop of Sydney
7 Jul 2002

The World Cup was marvellous entertainment, helped for us by the fact that Australia is very close to the time zone for Japan, the host nation.

With the best teams in the world competing, we saw a display of extraordinary skills, precision and inventiveness. All the different national characteristics were on display, the flair of the Brazilians, the determination of the Germans, the exuberance of the Irish, the unremitting energy of the South Koreans.

Countries outside Europe and South America are now becoming serious contenders for the top prize. Turkey's team was very formidable, the South Koreans surpassed all expectations and the Senegalese underdogs were supported by many Australians.

The whole series was a great success, well organized, generally played and watched in good humour and there was no violence among the spectators.

Certainly great waves of patriotic fervour were created in those countries which made the finals but this did not seem to do any harm, and brought pleasure and excitement to billions.

Naturally the victorious Brazilians were given huge public welcomes, victory parades in Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro and San Paolo, their three main cities. A lot of Brazilians, not all by any means, live in difficult conditions, and a win of this type, the fifth time, was a great boost for them.

The attitude to defeat varied from country to country, often closely tied to national expectations of their team's performance. Traditional soccer super powers like France (the winners last time), Italy and Argentine were eliminated early to the great disappointment of their fans. Many Germans thought their team one of the weakest they had fielded, so they turned on a huge welcome for their runner-up squad. Naturally the Irish, with their tiny population, about one tenth of the population of San Paolo, Brazil's biggest city, were naturally delighted with their team's performance. The English team also did well, beaten by the eventual victors, and probably equalling or surpassing the hopes of all but their most partisan supporters.

It is a great blessing and a benefit that we can watch these spectacles live and take great pleasure from them.

Is there any one Christian point of view on competitive sport and international competitive sport? Shouldn't Christians be urging co-operation and not competition, when one side wins and the other is beaten?

There are many possible varieties of Christian opinion on these points, but struggle is essential for any Christian. We are called to participate in the battle between good and evil, between faith and doubt, between meaning and despair.

Certainly Christians do not believe that winning is everything. No religion which has the cross or the crucifix as its principal symbol should exalt worldly success too much.

Sometimes victories teach us nothing, except perhaps to be more blind and insensitive. A loss can give us insights we previously lacked.

Team sports for children, especially when the coaches really know youngsters, can boost personal confidence, teach co-operation and self sacrifice for others, as well as helping towards modesty in victory and dignity in defeat. Good people learn from their mistakes.

International sporting contests, such as Test Cricket and the World Cup, are no bad thing and bring pleasure to millions.