FIFA World Cup and Catholic Origins

Soccer fans, rejoice. It is a time many have long awaited, and it is here. The countries of Canada, Mexico, and the United States are hosting it for the first time in their history. Five billion will flock to the stadiums of the West from coast to coast to view this global phenomenon.

As the FIFA World Cup gets underway, it is time to take a look at who made this remarkable event that we know today. It’s all thanks to a Catholic from France named Jules Rimet.

Rimet was inspired by Catholic social teaching. One in particular was Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical Rerum Novarum. The papal document addressed the harsh conditions, poverty, and labor exploitation brought on by the Industrial Revolution.  It was the beginning of his finding a way to bring countries together. It would come through his love for sports, especially soccer. By 1904, Rimet established the Fédération Internationale de Football Association — International Federation of Association Football, or FIFA.

After serving for the French during World War I, Rimet would become the president of FIFA, which he would hold this tenure for 33 years. In 1930, the first World Cup took place in Uruguay.

Rimet’s legacy lives on to this day with the four-year event that now attracts 48 different countries. He was even nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to unite the world through FIFA.

Rimet’s grandson, Yves, wrote a book called A History of Football in 100 Objects. In it, he remembered his grandfather as a “humanist and idealist who believed that sport could unite the world. Unlike many others in his time, he realized that, to be truly democratic, to truly engage the masses, international sport must be professional.”

FIFA will bring much excitement and thrills for the next five weeks. It’s only a matter of time to see which country will take home the FIFA trophy.

Hey, maybe Rimet could have a cause for canonization for his efforts to bring about peace.