World Cup
At ‘Church City,’ a taste of Catholic life in Qatar
By Mariam Fam — December 15, 2022
DOHA, Qatar (AP) — From Masses to baptisms, weddings and confessions, the church provides a window into the religious life of Catholic expatriates in Qatar.
Across vast Muslim world, LGBTQ people remain marginalized
By David Crary, Mariam Fam, and Edna Tarigan — December 6, 2022
YOGYAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — LGBTQ people routinely are rejected by their families, denounced by Islamic authorities and limited to clandestine social lives.
Maradona’s death boosts ‘Hand of God’ goal’s author to sainted status
By Eduardo Campos Lima — November 27, 2020
(RNS) — At its extreme, veneration of the soccer star gave birth to the Maradonian Church, a group of fans who pay homage to him with parody rituals.
Many Egyptian Christians feel left out of World Cup
By Hamza Hendawi — June 24, 2018
No Christian has been on the national soccer squad for more than a decade, and just one played for any of the 18 top-flight clubs last season.
Egyptian coaches and officials dismiss any suggestion of discrimination, but Christians disagree.
The death of soccer’s ‘savior’
By Jerome Socolovsky — March 25, 2016
(RNS) Dutch star Johan Cruyff was a deity in the world of soccer -- but he kept his own beliefs to himself.
Ramadan adds an off-field challenge for World Cup’s Muslim athletes
By Janet Tappin Coelho — June 27, 2014
(RNS) Ramadan will be a critical testing time for Muslim World Cup players who need to be in peak condition to meet the demands of the game during the knockout matches.
Are Nike’s evil soccer robots supposed to be Jewish?
By Lauren Markoe — June 12, 2014
(RNS) Nike's 2014 World Cup video features dark-haired soccer robots whose team logo, to some, looks much too much like the Star of David.
Argentina’s Pope Francis heralds a new era for Latin America
By Rick Hampson — March 14, 2013
(RNS) Pope Francis' roots in Argentina give a boost to the morale and image of a continent that is coming into its own and overcoming many negative stereotypes.
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