Harmony, disunity, the World Cup & eternity

The 2026 World Cup has already generated a mixture of excellence, shock and national joy as the world’s best teams compete for the greatest trophy of them all in the Americas.

As someone who resides north of the border, it was an unusual joy to witness Scotland’s first win on this stage since 1990, which brought scenes of celebration across the country and a peak audience of over two million, despite the game kicking off at two o'clock in the morning (BST).

Across the pond, an estimated 30,000 or so of the "Tartan Army" have endeared themselves to their Boston hosts, who have been delightfully amused by some of the best of what the nation has to offer, whether that be early morning bagpipe renditions, constant joviality or even the placing of traffic cones upon various monuments and statues across the city (if you know, you know).

Unity

The Scotland support has produced one of the best displays of the positive unity which international tournaments have the potential to generate (even though World Cup disaster is likely lurking just around the corner!), with fans united behind a common goal, having endeared themselves to their hosts, enhanced our reputation on the world stage and given the Scottish and American economies a welcome boost.

Further from home, similar scenes have been displayed by other nations, including Cape Verde, who overcame their status as the smallest nation at the tournament to claim a draw with European champions Spain.

The population of Madrid is almost seven times bigger than the national population of the West African nation, highlighting the scale of their achievement. It was made all the more iconic by the seven saves made by 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha, who gained five million social media followers in the 24 hours following the result. This was the greatest footballing moment in the nation’s history and united it in celebration and hope for what is to come in their remaining group matches against Uruguay and Saudi Arabia.

However, there are other examples which show the fractured nature of the unity at World Cups due to international geopolitics, disputes and competing ideologies; for example, the involvement of Iran, who had to return to their Mexico training base immediately after the conclusion of their first match, which saw them draw 2-2 with New Zealand.

There had been much speculation surrounding whether the nation would even be involved in the tournament given its ongoing war with the United States, and the tension between the two countries has led to an uneasy situation surrounding Iran’s participation.

The Iranian manager told the media that they had expected to be allowed to stay in Los Angeles overnight after their first match but were told after full time that they would have to leave immediately – so quickly that the players were not able to complete a recovery session before their departure.

Furthermore, tensions were not confined to the pitch; differing views on the situation in Iran were evident in the stands, with some supporters jeering the Iranian national anthem when it was sung before kick off, while others cheered for it, showing the range of feeling. This was further exemplified by some of the chanting heard at the match, as well as some of the flags displayed, which appeared reminiscent of those used before the current Islamic rulers rose to power.

This column does not seek to take a political stance on how Iran is treated at this World Cup; much has been said and written about this, but the problem appears to be unsolvable with events as they are. Is this perhaps a larger example of the fact that unity and harmony are not possible in every situation on a worldwide stage, due to the many differences between countries and cultures?

A Christian's future hope

It is often enough of a struggle to prevent disunity in national football tournaments, never mind international ones, and the togetherness the likes of the World Cup generates will always be somewhat fractured because we live in a broken and fractured world which cannot be repaired by the fleeting joy of sport or by manmade solutions.

For Christians, while the positive stories provide cause for joy and celebration, the fractured nature of the geopolitics behind the World Cup should serve to make us long for the eternal unity which awaits us in heaven. And we already enjoy a glimpse of it now by being in Christ – but just think how much better it will be when we finally see Him face to face.