I have watched almost every game in this year’s tournament, and I even had an opportunity to attend one of them. And while witnessing the World Cup, I had a crucial reflection: this tournament has the ability to bring people together.

Football is probably the easiest sport you can play. All you need is a friend and a ball. It is popular with people all around the world, and during this tournament has connected them beyond borders in what increasingly became a friendly competition of nations, where fans root for their team without being hostile to their adversaries.

How the World Cup allows for connections between different cultures to emerge can be seen in the chants. Norway’s ‘Viking Row’ became so widely popular that other teams’ fans started doing it.

I witnessed it during the France vs Sweden game at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey – to my surprise, it started not in the Swedish sector, but the French one. It was truly outstanding to see fans of one team take on a different team’s classic chant and perform it with full investment.

This goes together with chants that emphasise kindness, and the disappearance of those that target others. A moment that absolutely stole my heart this year was when England’s supporters sang the Oasis hit ‘Wonderwall’ to their team after each match.

After an outstanding performance from Jude Bellingham in the England vs Croatia game, the Three Lions fans sang the Beatles’ ‘Hey Jude’ – which brought the young football star to tears. There is no better way to raise my heart than to have 10,000 people singing in unison.

The 2026 World Cup proves that there is an option of diversity not being the cause of conflict. When the Americans, Iranians, French, English and all the others are doing the Norwegian row in Times Square, it feels like this is a world where you can really experience belonging to humanity.

However, numerous incidents have stained this image. Due to the ongoing war with Iran, the US administration massively limited the Iranian team’s ability to participate in the tournament on an equal footing.

Donald Trump also claimed that he “didn’t think it was a foul” and (successfully) pushed FIFA to cancel a US player’s red card, in clear violation of the rules. People died in Mexico during post-match celebrations. NGOs report on how football matches translate into waves of domestic violence.

 

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Also, the World Cup is driven by money, grabs attention while countless terrible things are happening around the world and reinforces traditional gender roles – how many football fans know when and where the next Women’s World Cup will take place, and who currently holds the title?

My point is that sport has the ability to bring different people together and compete without violence and disrespecting others for who they are or what they believe. Especially in the age of international conflicts and the resurgence of right-wing ideologies, we should keep sports precious as a core idea of peace.

When I see fans of the defeated team chanting and happy for those who beat them, I see a world where competition and conflict are resolved in line with rules, and those on the losing side are ready to accept the outcome.

Moreover, it shows that (for the most part), we are not in conflict. At street level, we can be friendly and compassionate, and there is no societal conflict between nations. Violence starts in political offices, driven by economic tension and geopolitical ambition. People not only don’t need wars, but are more than ready to celebrate their diversity together – and this is truly extraordinary.