With all eyes on the World Cup, has anyone noticed the growing tendency of football players to point to the sky, or cross themselves after scoring a goal, thanking God for their success? In one striking example, Ecuador players knelt in prayer together after the ball hit the back of the net in their 2-0 win against Qatar. Hannah Scott-Joynt and journos Rosie Dawson and Leo Devine try to find out what this all means, in conversation with Matt Baker, national director for England and pastoral support director in English football sports chaplaincy UK, and Rabbi Alex Goldberg, who chairs the English Football Association’s Faith Network.
While Qatar’s record on human rights comes under the spotlight in the World Cup, Rabbi Alex talks about efforts in English football to be inclusive, stamping out racism and tackling antisemitism. He considers Channel 4’s recent programme “Jews Don’t Count” where David Baddiel argues that antisemitism is low down the list of priorities in identity politics, even in football.
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