Source of all life and love, We thank you for the gift of soccer, A sport that brings joy, passion and unity to millions of people. We pray for the women who will compete in the World Cup, That they may play with skill, courage and respect. We pray for the fans who will cheer them on, That they may celebrate with enthusiasm, fairness and peace. We pray for the organizers, officials and volunteers, That they may ensure a safe, smooth and successful event. We pray for the world that will watch them, That we may learn from their example of teamwork, diversity and excellence. We ask you to bless this World Cup with your grace and guidance, And to inspire us all to strive for the common good of humanity. Amen. (Written by AI)

The Pelé Foundation reminds us on Easter that Pelé was always a person of faith and God credit for his ability to play to beautiful game.

The Soccer World Cup is supposed to be a festival of joy where the world meets in celebration. The agreements on how the events would go down in Qatar had been years in the making. The last-minute decision to pull beer from the stadiums for everyday fans is an ugly power move by religious authorities. In their Tweet, FIFA is trying to play nice with host nation authorities, but it was clearly a unilateral decision by Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, as NBC News confirms. Religion won a pyrrhic victory here. The sports world will hopefully more considerate when picking host nations for the next major event. A good guiding question would be: Is the diversity of the entire world truly welcome here?

Palm Sunday is here and Christians the world over remember Jesus’s entrance into Jerusalem. Among the celebrations there is humor:

The BBC is even running a piece that looks at what Palm Sunday and football have in common:

Some soccer clubs just join the leisurely atmosphere of the crowds shouting their Hosannas:

EA Sports came out with a special Ramadan kit and midnight league to accommodate everyone who observes the fast.

In real life, the Premier League will allow fasting players to come to the side of the pitch and quickly take on liquids or any energy supplements before resuming one of the nine evening matches during this holy month.

The Royal Shrovetide Football Match is a game played annually on Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday in the town of Ashbourne in Derbyshire, England. Shrovetide football dates back to at least the 12th century. The last game was in 2020 just before the COVID pandemic shut down most of public life. The event was canceled in 2021. Today is the second day of the 2022 game and the tradition is experiencing a resurrection.

Real Salt Lake is excited to get Sergio Cordova on loan from FC Augsburg. The Forward became available thanks to RSL’s new ownership. The 24 year old “thanks God for this beautiful opportunity in my life.”

Cologne is home to two major players in sports and spirituality: the 1. FC Köln currently ranks 8th in the Bundesliga and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cologne is the biggest Diocese in Europe. Recently, the two meet in the hashtag #outinchurch. The soccer club supports the over 120 priests and employees with the Catholic church community in Germany who came out as queer and launched a campaign demanding an end to institutional discrimination against LGBTQ people. You can love God, love soccer, and be queer at the same time!