Soccer Amidst Conflict
On Christmas day in 1914 entrenched English and German Soldiers separated by a desolate no man’s land in Belgium famously partook in a spontaneous holiday truce. The two sides had spent the first months of the war locked in devasting conflict, but on that freezing Christmas morning, they set aside rifles and exchanged gifts, camaraderie, and played games of soccer. Those spontaneous games, inspirational moments of humanity amidst the chaos of war, are often referred to as proof of the unifying force of not just soccer, but of sport. The story is meant to highlight its power to bring people together against the greatest odds.
The games played on the battlefield that December 25th had little in common with today’s contemporary professional game, but the idea remains. It is told by Olympic committees, by owners seeking municipal funds for stadiums, and executives at FIFA. That story being that this simple but expansive sport transcends the weight of reality and even in the darkest of times has to power to bring people together. In our current moment of history, it can be difficult to find belonging, purpose, and shared joy and soccer does for many fill that void of connection. A fan from anywhere in the world can become of a larger group, can share in joy and frustration with others from around the world simply by choosing a team from a distant country to support. For this reason, it makes sense that the popularity of soccer continues to skyrocket and the symbols of the game permeate our everyday lives.
Over the past month and a half, the world has been gripped by the harrowing images from the Israel-Gaza conflict. The initial terrorist attacks, which shattered families and communities, have been followed by the robust bombing of an already beleaguered Gaza Strip. The violence of the conflict is often too much to take in. Considering soccer's massive reach it should be no surprise that the images from this conflict at times capture civilians suffering its effects while wearing the incongruously bright soccer jerseys.
It is jarring to see a jersey like Cristiano Ronaldo’s, A player who earned over $200 million last year, on the back of a child digging through the rubble of their neighborhood in Gaza. What is more unsettling however is that unlike the matches played on the battlefield on Christmas morning in 1914 the games played in the major leagues of the world this past 6 weeks have provided no moments of pause from the chaos, no space for humanity to overcome the insanity of war but instead have given us a screen with which to hide from the war. As a fan, I at times wonder how the players whose names adorn the backs of young football fans in Israel and Gaza carry on as those fans ’ worlds collapse. Players are not oblivious to what is going on in the world of course and some like Liverpool’s Mohammed Salah are trying to use their outsized platform to amplify the growing call for peace. On October 19, In reaction to the ongoing bombings and attacks Salah released a video in which he stated:
"It's not always easy to speak in time like this, there has been too much violence and too much heartbreaking brutality … All lives are sacred and must be protected… The massacres need to stop; families are being torn apart. What's clear now is that humanitarian aid to Gaza must be allowed immediately. The people there are in terrible conditions."
Salah is however in the minority. Most players and teams have avoided wading into this conflict's contentious politics. Leagues have banned the Israeli and Palestinian flags from their stadiums and there is no mention of the horrors of this war from the multitude of journalists commenting on the sport.
This past month did however see some of the soccer world pause to reflect on loss. There was an outpouring of support and grief after the passing of English national team hero and Manchester United legend Sir Bobby Charlton, and rightfully so. This sport creates real memories and connections amongst its fans and when a figure who looms large in those memories passes genuine loss is felt. It is hard however not to wonder what contribution to the sport would have been made by the thousands of children who have died in the past weeks. Many of those children no doubt found joy in watching games played and goals scored on immaculate lush green pitches, but we won’t be able to share memories of those moments with them. We won’t get the chance to experience the wonder they may have created on those same fields. Soccer, like all of society, is losing part of its future in this conflict. and as we celebrate our sports heroes and debate over team acquisitions and player salaries, let’s also mourn that loss and use whatever tools the sport provides us to push for peace.