If anyone watched the advertisements featuring any sport or sports personality, the underlined theme is unity in diversity, becoming one because of the sport. The recently finished FIFA 2022, had giants like Ronaldo Cristiano, Neymar, Messi, coming together and singing out loud in unison, ‘Football unites the world’ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSsQVCVHJMo&t=5s
This is not what we see on the field though. Especially in football, which is a very aggressive and passionate sport. When we are playing something as big as the world cup, being united with the opposing team may not be the foremost logical thought in the players’ mind. Brotherhood and amicability defeat the purpose of a competitive sport. It is fascinating to watch how they run behind the ball (the real queen of the game), shielding the other players’ as they race ahead towards their goal post. One can see the coach screaming and urging the players from the sideline.
Throughout the series, I watched the disparity or clash between the advertisement’s message and the actual behavior of the players on the field. Yellow cards, red cards, injuries are a testimony to the fact that unity is not the aim of the game. Having the killer instinct, doing all it takes to defeat the opponent is the real goal. The feeling of nationality, doing your country proud, highest number of goals or crossing another landmark, creating history, this is what is played on the field. The winning team celebrates unabashedly while the losing team cries, desolate. Nothing unifying during the game nor after the game. Within the team too, there is a competitive under current. The players are individually competitive with each other. They are united for the country and competing against one another to achieve their individual scores.
None of this reflected in the finals though. Suddenly, the advertisement seemed to have ingrained itself in the hearts of the Argentinian and French players. Barring some instances, and a few stray moments during the 120 minutes of the match, they played the game, in unison. The goal was ‘may the best team win’. It was not about a player, or about the country. It finally looked like it was all about playing the game with passion and love, devoid of aggression and animosity. The winning team congratulated the losing team for putting up a worthy fight and likewise the losing team patted the winners’ back.
The game was everything.
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