A submitted perspectives piece by Mary Ann Zehr
My dentist and I are rooting for Spain in the final 2026 World Cup match this Sunday. Spain will play Argentina.
While he assessed my teeth, my dentist told me that he is supporting Spain because “they’re a young, talented team.”
I replied that I will cheer for Spain because, unlike Argentina, Spain isn’t dependent on one player. Also, I’m impressed with how Spain skillfully handled the ball in defeating France 2-0 in the semi-finals.
A 20-something man who lives in my neighborhood and is an immigrant from the Democratic Republic of Congo tells me that he has been rooting for Argentina, captained by star striker Lionel Messi. He says that he supports Argentina because he grew up watching and admiring Messi.
I never watched Messi play until this summer, but I’ve noticed that he can make the ball do what he wants in the smallest of spaces. Many of the sports commentators say he is the greatest player of all time in soccer–or rather, football, the name that most of the world calls the sport.
I’m a non-sports person who got hooked on the 2026 World Cup. I gather from conversations I’ve had with many people in Harrisonburg this summer that I’m not alone.
I see how this global sport can create community in Harrisonburg, where people born all around the world are represented.
My friend and work colleague Mary Sprunger, a history professor, and her husband, Rachid Nouri, a native of Morocco and long-time Harrisonburg entrepreneur, initially put the 2026 World Cup on my radar screen. Their son, Abe, who lives in New York City, got tickets for Rachid and him to attend the June 13 match between Morocco and Brazil at the New Jersey/New York MetLife Stadium. The match result was a 1-1 draw, and Morocco continued to advance in the competition. I knew that Morocco had made history by making it to the semi-finals in the 2022 World Cup. Could Morocco be the first African nation to win the World Cup?
I glanced at the Paraguay vs. Germany match on a screen while eating a meal in a local restaurant, El Milagro. Paraguay was winning. Later, I checked the match results and saw that Paraguay had defeated Germany in an exciting round of penalty kicks. It was interesting that Paraguay eliminated a country that had won the World Cup four times previously from the tournament.
I signed up for a one-day free trial of Fubo to watch the Netherlands vs. Morocco match on June 29. It was an exciting game. Morocco won in penalty kicks and eliminated the Netherlands from the competition. This was particularly interesting because three key players on the Morocco team had been born in the Netherlands.
I texted Mary Sprunger, who was watching the match on a screen with her family: “I have never seen such tight defense on both sides in a game. The Moroccans are more creative [than the Netherlands team] in their moves. Says sports commentator Mary Ann. Ha Ha.”
“Unbelievable game,” Mary texted me back.
After that, I bought a subscription to Fubo, and I watched part or all of most of the matches.
I was enthralled with the Argentina vs. Cape Verde match. Vozinha, the 40-year-old goalkeeper for Cape Verde, made remarkable saves so that Cape Verde held its own for a very long time with the world’s top-ranked team. Cape Verde, the No. 67 team in the world, ultimately lost the match. Argentina won 3-2. Even I could tell that the game was “a classic” and that the goal scored by Sidny Lopes Cabral of Cape Verde was beautiful.
I texted Mary: “I am so sorry that Cape Verde lost. They were so awesome. . . I was yelling at the empty room, cheering them on.”
“We aren’t sports people, but it’s so fun!” Mary texted me back.
That evening, I took a walk and climbed the hill behind Eastern Mennonite University. A stranger and I introduced ourselves to each other, and we chatted about how well Cape Verde had done and how exciting the match had been.
“The teams are very competitive,” she said. This was on July 3, the day before the United States celebrated 250 years of independence.
“Our country is divided, but soccer is bringing people together,” I said.
“I agree,” she said.
But soon the World Cup became political as President Donald Trump phoned the head of FIFA to comment on a red card that a referee had given to U.S. player Folarin Balogun during the U.S. vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina match. Unfortunately, according to news reports, the president’s meddling in the World Cup turned soccer fans around the world against the U.S. team for the U.S. vs. Belgium game. I watched that match on a screen with my cousin while we were taking a short vacation to New York City. Belgium creamed the U.S. 4-1.
In addition to watching matches, I read World Cup commentary and watched reels about players. I am amused by the videos of Lamine Yamal, who plays for Spain, dancing and playing with his four-year-old brother. I saw a video in which Norway’s striker Erling Haaland says that he likes Americans and that they are “hilarious.” I enjoyed a video clip that showed a replay of British fans serenading striker Jude Bellingham with the Beatles tune, “Hey Jude.” I looked up Cape Verde on a world map.
I didn’t know that world-class soccer players were so rough with each other! In some matches, it seemed that bodies were falling to the ground right and left. I got a sense in the 2026 World Cup how the winning trajectory of a team can be reversed when a player is given a red card or leaves the pitch because of an injury.
I acquired new vocabulary, such as “set piece,” “off-side,” and “own goal,” and I learned what it means for one team to “squeeze” or “put pressure” on another. I can now name more players of soccer than any other sport.
The World Cup has captivated the Harrisonburg community, including people like me who usually don’t pay attention to sports. Soccer is truly a global sport, and I’m pleased that my country was one of the hosts and that Americans learned more about the world through the 2026 World Cup.
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