{"id":2761,"date":"2026-06-19T19:35:32","date_gmt":"2026-06-19T19:35:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/?p=2761"},"modified":"2026-06-19T19:35:32","modified_gmt":"2026-06-19T19:35:32","slug":"world-cup-squads-showcase-faith-and-unity-amid-deep-social-divisions-at-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/?p=2761","title":{"rendered":"World Cup squads showcase faith and unity amid deep social divisions at home"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

While many of the World Cup\u2019s competing nations are wracked by social divisions, some of their teams offer strikingly positive examples of how players from different backgrounds and religious faiths can cooperate closely in pursuit of a common goal.<\/p>\n

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The phenomenon is particularly notable among Western European teams, which for most of soccer\u2019s history were overwhelmingly white and Christian. As those societies have increasingly diversified, so have the national team rosters \u2014 featuring Christian and Muslim players who are open about their faith.<\/p>\n

England\u2019s national squad, for the first time, includes a Muslim player. France\u2019s roster has multiple players from Protestant, Catholic and Muslim backgrounds. Spain\u2019s emerging superstar, 18-year-old Lamine Yamal, is a practicing Muslim. So is Sweden\u2019s Yasin Ayari, who prostrated himself on the field to thank God after the first of his two goals in a victory Sunday over Tunisia \u2014 his father\u2019s homeland.<\/p>\n

All four of those nations \u2014 like several others in Europe \u2014 have experienced political polarization related to the arrival of large numbers of Muslim immigrants. Does the diversity of the World Cup teams send a potentially helpful message?<\/p>\n

\u201cAbsolutely,\u201d said Eboo Patel, who \u2014 as president of Interfaith America \u2014 advocates for religious pluralism and cooperation. \u201cIt is symbolic yet also substantive.\u201d<\/p>\n

He evoked the images of Christian players crossing themselves, and Muslim players cupping their hands in prayer. Their message, Patel said, is, \u201cMy identity really matters to me and it makes me a better soccer player.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey score, they each say their respective prayers, and then they\u2019re hugging each other,\u201d he added. \u201cYou\u2019re cooperating to build a community and a team. \u2026 It\u2019s not a contrived television ad or a condescending afterschool special. It\u2019s the way you build an excellent soccer team.\u201d<\/p>\n

These are some of the World Cup players whose openness about their faith has drawn attention:<\/p>\n

Mohamed Salah (Egypt)<\/p>\n

By far the best known of Egypt\u2019s players, Salah is a Sunni Muslim who practices his faith openly, on and off the field. After scoring goals, he often prostrates himself to give thanks to God. His positive impact has been tangible: After he joined Liverpool in the Premier League, researchers reported that anti-Muslim tweets by fans dropped by half.<\/p>\n

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Luka Modri\u0107 (Croatia)<\/p>\n

Playing in his fifth World Cup, Modri\u0107, 40, is set to surpass 200 international appearances during the tournament. A Catholic, Modri\u0107 has often worn shin guards depicting Jesus and the Virgin Mary. A few days before he and his teammates traveled to the United States, they gathered to celebrate Mass at a chapel in the Croatian town of Icici.<\/p>\n

Djed Spence (England)<\/p>\n

Although the Football Association has not kept records of players\u2019 religions, the BBC \u2014 among other news outlets \u2014 has identified Spence as the first Muslim to play for the senior England team. A fullback with Tottenham, Spence played six times for England\u2019s under-21 squad. \u201cIt\u2019s good to make history and hopefully inspire young kids around the world that they can make it as well,\u201d Spence told the BBC. \u201cThey can do what I am doing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lamine Yamal (Spain)<\/p>\n

Yamal, a Muslim whose father is Moroccan, attracted headlines worldwide when he waved the Palestinian flag during Barcelona\u2019s celebrations after it won the Spanish league in May. Barcelona coach Hansi Flick questioned the decision at the time; Israel\u2019s defense minister, Israel Katz, later criticized Yamal by saying he was inciting \u201chate.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marc Gu\u00e9hi (England)<\/p>\n

The son of a Christian minister in London, Gu\u00e9hi, 25, is playing his first season with Manchester City and was selected to be one of England\u2019s defenders for the World Cup. While captain at his previous club Crystal Palace, Gu\u00e9hi defied the Football Association\u2019s rules by writing religious messages on his uniform during a Premier League campaign celebrating LGBTQ+ inclusion. Gu\u00e9hi avoided punishment, though the FA prohibits players from displaying religious messages.<\/p>\n

Aimar Sher (Iraq)<\/p>\n

Religious minorities have long faced persecution in Iraq. Yet this year\u2019s World Cup team includes Kurds, Sunni Muslims, Shiite Muslims, and several Christians \u2014 notable since Iraq\u2019s Christian population is estimated to have fallen from 1.5 million in 2003 to about 150,000 now. One of those Christians, midfielder Aimar Sher, has eagerly shared his faith, posting photos on social media of him wearing an \u201cI Belong to Jesus\u201d T-shirt.<\/p>\n

Christian Pulisic (US)<\/p>\n

U.S. forward Pulisic has spoken openly about his Christian faith and often wears a cross necklace given by his mother. He has led team Bible studies; his Instagram posts have included photos of the Bible, showing passages he has underlined. Several of Pulisic\u2019s teammates also are open about their Christian faith, including Weston McKennie and goalkeeper Matt Freese. McKennie\u2019s Instagram bio contains just four words: \u201cAll glory to God.\u201d<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP\u2019s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.<\/p>\n

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___<\/p>\n

AP World Cup coverage: https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/fifa-world-cup<\/p>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

While many of the World Cup\u2019s competing nations are wracked by social divisions, some of their teams offer strikingly positive examples of how players from different backgrounds and religious faiths can cooperate closely in pursuit of a common goal.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2760,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2761","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"\nWorld Cup squads showcase faith and unity amid deep social divisions at home - South Florida Moving Guides<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/?p=2761\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"World Cup squads showcase faith and unity amid deep social divisions at home - 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