By Isolde Doubell
“Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance…” (Psalm 2:8)
This year’s FIFA World Cup will be the largest tournament in history, featuring 48 teams, 104 matches, and 16 host cities across the United States, Mexico, and Canada from 11 June to 19 July 2026. Millions of players, officials, supporters, and visitors will gather from around the globe, while an estimated 2–3 billion people will follow the action worldwide.
It has been 32 years since the United States last hosted the World Cup, and interest in soccer continues to grow rapidly across North America. For one month, the world will unite in celebrating athletic excellence, national pride, and the excitement of the beautiful game. Amid ongoing wars, displacement, economic challenges, and political uncertainty, this event offers people a welcome opportunity to experience joy, connection, and hope. But unless they know Jesus, this will be a superficial surge of excitement that will soon dwindle away. We as the Church can be instrumental in bringing lasting hope, peace, and joy in Jesus Christ.
A Unique Opportunity for the Gospel
Major sporting events provide a rare opportunity to reach people who may otherwise be difficult to reach with the message of Jesus Christ. Many participating nations come from regions where sharing the Gospel is illegal, restricted, or difficult. During the World Cup, however, people from every background have the opportunity to freely engage in conversations, even attend a church service, and encounter Jesus. The wonderful thing is that Christ is the same, His values are the same, and the effect of His salvation is the same – whether you are African, Asian, European, or American. As believers, we know that while teams compete for temporary renown, Jesus offers a victory that is eternal.
Learning from Past Sporting Events
The vision of reaching the nations through sport is not new. During the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, where more than 600 Christians came together to share Christ with people from around the world, Dr. David R. Crandall, Director of Olympic Ministry, observed: “I saw a parallel between Acts Chapter 2 and the day of Pentecost. The Bible says that the whole world was gathered and represented in Jerusalem at that time, and people heard the teaching of God’s Word in their own language. I thought, ‘Well, that’s what happened at the Olympics.’”
That ministry has since evolved into Sport Event Evangelism and, together with many other Christian organisations worldwide, has continued to use major sporting events—especially the FIFA World Cup and Olympic Games—as platforms for sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Our Role as the Church
Some Believers will have the privilege of attending the World Cup events, but every Believer worldwide can participate in God’s mission. We can use the shared enthusiasm for soccer as a bridge to meaningful conversations with friends, neighbours, colleagues, and family members who do not yet know Christ.
We can also commit ourselves to prayer—asking God to prepare hearts, open doors for Gospel conversations, and empower believers through the Holy Spirit. Our faithful intercession can help advance God’s Kingdom purposes across North America and throughout the world.
Ministries Engaging in World Cup Outreach
Some of the many ministries involved in evangelism at the FIFA World Cup are:
- Go and Proclaim Ministries International hosts a 40-day prayer focus leading up to and throughout the tournament.
- Victory Beyond the Cup is a global ministry equipping churches, leaders, and everyday believers to use the world’s biggest soccer event to build relationships, create meaningful conversations, and share the hope found in Christ.
- Cru is an evangelism and discipleship ministry that has been seeking to mobilise 10,000 churches to share the Gospel during the World Cup. Together with partners such as the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), Alpha USA, I Am Second, and TryPraying, they are equipping churches and individuals to host events and gatherings that can lead to lasting Gospel conversations.
- Hope Together UK has unveiled the “Football Gospel”, a specially designed evangelism resource titled Goal of Lifefeaturing the Gospel of Mark alongside football-themed content and the testimony of former professional footballer Daryl Robson. The Football Gospel initiative forms part of Hope Together’s wider “Great Gospel Giveaway” campaign, which aims to place 100,000 copies of the Gospel into the hands of non-Christians across the UK by the end of 2026.
Hope Together cited research showing that 47% of Christians said reading the Bible played a key role in their journey to faith.
- The Southern Baptists of Texas Convention recognises the World Cup as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reach the nations with the hope of the Gospel. The Dallas-Fort Worth area alone is hosting nine matches, including a semifinal at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. Millions of World Cup fans are expected in North Texas, and Southern Baptists of Texas are preparing churches to use the moment for evangelism.
- Jesus Film has developed a range of mobile apps and digital tools for sharing God’s Word across languages and cultures. As Miheret Tilahun Eshete, director of Digital Strategies for Jesus Film, says: “You do not need to be an evangelist. You do not need a seminary degree. You do not need to have all the answers. You need a willingness to listen, a heart that is praying, and a phone with a few good tools on it. The Holy Spirit does the work we could never do. Our job is to show up, even when our voice shakes a little.”
Please join us in prayer:
- For Christian football players to shine their light brightly. Their testimony has a deep impact and reaches millions.
- For Christians in Northern America who will be engaging with visitors—to have Godly wisdom and insight, not to be intimidated, but to remember that they have the biggest treasure of all to share.
- That the seed that is sown will fall on good soil and produce a manifold harvest.
Sources:
https://www.jesusfilm.org/blog/evangelism-guide-world-cup/
https://www.youversion.com/news/youversion-invites-the-world-to-open-gods-word-during-the-world-cup
https://www.christiantoday.com/news/world-cup-2026-mission-campaign-aims-to-mobilise-10-000-churches
