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Waqar Ahmad Ahmedi
If you love football, you have probably been glued to the screen watching coverage of this summer’s FIFA World Cup 2026. Jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, the biggest ever tournament to date continues to provide drama, delight and disappointment in equal measure. As in the lyrics of the competition’s official anthem DNA, it is more than just a game.
It has become common for footballers to cite celestial support for their success. In the present tournament, countless players have been seen invoking a higher power to influence their performance as well as the outcome of matches; from individuals wearing sacred symbols and pointing towards the heavens, to entire teams reciting scripture and offering prostrations, religious expression has become as much a part of the spectacle as penalties, throw-ins and free kicks. With some also proudly sharing their baptisms and pilgrimages to Makkah off the pitch, world-class athletes have become adverts for all things spiritual.
Yet, while praising God comes naturally in times of euphoria, it is far more challenging to glorify Him in moments of despair. When the final whistle blew at the end of Brazil’s worst-ever World Cup loss in 2014, two of their players immediately fell to their knees in worship. After this year’s newcomers, Curaçao, suffered humiliation in their game against Germany, some of their players formed a circle with a couple of their German counterparts and bowed their heads in unified prayer.
As the saying goes, ‘Be humble in victory and gracious in defeat.’ This was exemplified no better than by the Iranian team, which, despite reporting unfair treatment by officials due to the ongoing US-Israel war with Iran, still left its American hosts in Los Angeles a handwritten thank-you note for their hospitality.
These examples offer valuable lessons, including about the power of acceptance and gratitude, whatever the situation. Tawakkul, or total trust in God’s will during both ease and hardship, lies at the very heart of Islam. Indeed, the word ‘Islam’ itself signifies complete submission to Allah, through which true peace is found. As part of their pledge, Ahmadi Muslims vow to remain faithful to God “in all circumstances of life, in sorrow and happiness, adversity and prosperity, in felicity and trial,” recognising this devotion as the key to contentment – a spirit that players of different faiths also appear to be embodying.
Like any series of matches, life is replete with highs and lows, success and setbacks, and opportunities taken and missed, with each experience offering a chance for reflection, reassessment and growth.
For believers, these moments hold a deeper meaning and untold blessings. Behind every outcome lies the subtle Will of God – most evident in good times, on other occasions concealed within misfortune, which helps to shape character, teach resilience and draw hearts closer to Him. It is inspiring how so many players have been modelling such virtues at one of the greatest sporting stages of all.
About the Author: Waqar Ahmad Ahmedi is Head of Religious Studies at a school in Godalming in Surrey, UK. He also serves on the Editorial Board of The Review of Religions
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