“Compete in Goodness”

Thoughts on Soccer and National Identities

Why did God create us in diverse nations, races, and tribes? Two memorable Qur’anic verses, taken together, suggest an answer.

“…So compete with one another in doing good. Wherever you are, Allah will bring you all together [for judgment]. Surely Allah is Most Capable of everything.” (2:148)*

“O humanity! Indeed, We created you from a male and a female, and made you into peoples and tribes so that you may ˹get to˺ know one another. Surely the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous among you. Allah is truly All-Knowing, All-Aware.” (49:13)

In today’s world, certain nations and tribes compete for wealth and power by striving to be the worst and the least righteous—lying, cheating, stealing, raping, torturing, and committing genocide far more than would seem to benefit them strategically. It’s like they think they are trying to win a contest to see who can be most “cartoonishly evil.”

Compared to that kind of competition, World Cup soccer seems benign and wholesome. As I reflect on the latest World Cup news—Morocco beats Netherlands in a thriller, Paraguay upsets Germany—it occurs to me that the notion of “competing in goodness” can be applied to the national identities represented by soccer teams.

Morocco has become a soccer powerhouse in recent years, reaching the final four in the 2022 World Cup and going on to win the Arab and Africa cups and the U-20 World Cup. Last night the Atlas Lions won a thrilling come-from-behind victory over The Netherlands. It was the first time an African team has ever beaten the Dutch.

(Read the full article at the Al-Andalus Tribune)