Thought For The Day – Wednesday 17^th June 2026

Pictured above: A photograph from April 2026: After a day filled with prayers and study, the young monks of Phugtal Gompa, an ancient Buddhist monastery, in the Himalayas, play football.  The photograph is by Andrew Newey, and featured in the “All About Photo Awards”, 2026.

The men’s football World Cup Finals, the largest ever tournament of its kind, with 48 countries and teams participating,  have begun in earnest.

The tournament is being hosted in iconic stadia in Canada, Mexico, and the United States of America.

Very important local, national, and global economic, environmental, and geopolitical challenges remain.

Sport can have the power to inspire respect, togetherness, and wider values.

Though not everyone follows, and people have their own “World Cup” in their lives, games and matches being available to as many people as possible, at least to watch, time zones and important sleep and work permitting, add to wider community engagement.

In previous messages here, we have celebrated women’s and men’s sport and cultural contributions.

For different countries, in the men’s football World Cup Finals, history is being made. The match currently being played sees Austria, representing in the first World Cup Finals for twenty-eight years, playing Jordan, participating in their first World Cup Finals.

Already, there have been a number of notable narratives. Most impressively, Cape Verde’s 0-0 draw with the current men’s football European Champions, Spain. Cape Verde, led by their 40-year-old goalkeeper,  Vozinha,  gave a defensive masterclass, closing down players and space, sticking with dedicated and determined discipline to their gameplan, and demonstrating maximum concentration.

At the weekend, Haiti’s match with Scotland was another a special moment.

For the “Tartan Army”, it was their first World Cup Finals since 1988,  and their first win at a World Cup Finals since 1990, all epitomised with a passionate rendition before their game of “Flower of Scotland”. 

By contrast, Haiti, currently cannot play their home matches in their country because of unrest.  Poverty, and environmental challenges, including the effects of the devastating 2010 earthquake, continue to be experienced.   A recent B.B.C. article stated: “Streets have been cleaned and Haitian flags hung with pride, while fans are finding creative ways to watch the action in a country where there is a chronic electricity shortage. Football for them is about hope, not scorelines.”   Owing to support they have received from Brazil, Haitians, participating in only their second World Cup Finals,  have often cheered on the team synonymous with the World Cup.  It will make Hati’s next game, with Brazil, by chance of the draw, very emotional.

Every moment is special for all those representing.

All should come together.  All are stars and all shine. At the men’s World Cup Finals. At the women’s World Cup Finals next year in Brazil. In school. And in life.

However, there are particular leaders and inspirations. Lionel Messi, of Argentia, the current men’s World Cup holders,  scored a hattrick this morning U.K. time. Portugal’s Christiano Ronaldo will, like Lionel Messi, play in a record sixth World Cup Finals.  This clip of the early life of these two great players is particularly inspirational:    https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/videos/c9363yer2deo .

The tears of commitment.

The duty of devotion.

Anyone who achieves anything in life, and beyond, has to make sacrifices.

There will be numerous other such emotional stories in this tournament, of those who play, of those who coach, of those who watch. People will also remember those looking on, and guiding, from Heaven.

As England take to the field in Dallas this evening, playing Croatia, the former manager of England’s men’s football team, Sir Gareth Southgate, has been exploring, not withstanding the overwhelming majority of sexism experienced and suffered by women and girls, challenges being experienced and suffered by men and boys in this recent programme which we are watching in Year 9 and Year 10 Citizenship lessons this week: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002xk5y