Summary

The Beautiful Game Word on the Week 11th July 2026.
With the World Cup Football Competition coming to its key games for the 16 teams that remain the football lives up to the name the famous player Pele of Brazil many years ago, “The Beautiful Game”.
It brings to mind the English Manager of Liverpool F C, Bill Shankly’s famous comment, “Some people believe football is a matter of life or death, I can assure you it is much, much more important than that!”
Football is good at cultivating superstars. This series of world cup games has brought them to the surface globally. The publicity they get when they score is enormous. Indeed, they carry a massive of responsibility on their shoulders. National pride is at stake!
Tonight’s quarter-final between Norway and England reflects this in their two strikers. Both have a formidable goal-scoring record. In, the Norwegian Braut Haaland and Harry Kane the Englishman we have the reality of seeing two superstars in action this evening at 10.00pm.
Today’s newspaper showed a picture of Braut Haaland sitting on the ground in the Lotus position. Clearly he believes that Yoga will give him the result he desires tonight!
At one time football had many players who were adverting something. This was written on an under garment or on their back. At the end of the game or after scoring a goal it became the practice to whip off the jersey and reveal it!
Players who had become Christians would use their favourite Bible verse so we had a lot of John 3 verse 3. It comes at the start of a conversation Jesus had with Nicodemus a member of the Jewish ruling council who was puzzled by the power Jesus had which he realised came from God.
In reply to Nicodemus Jesus started with basics and said that no one can see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again or born from above as it is sometimes translated. An example of this divine work can be seen in God working a miracle in Mary’s womb to bring us Jesus – a birth brought about by God through His Spirit.
If we have been brought to Salvation, it is only because God has done it. You did no more to save yourself than Mary did to become pregnant with your Saviour. The ‘How?’ of Salvation is always answered by “God did it”.
It does mean that you will want to ‘wear the jersey’. Or in the Christian Footballers case – take it off! That the world may know of your new life in Christ.