Myk Habets is Senior Lecturer in Theology and Head of the School of Theology at Laidlaw College, as well as an Associate Pastor at Albany Baptist Church in Auckland.
In this monthly column Myk looks at topics at the forefront of New Zealander’s minds, by examining the top internet searches and news results in New Zealand, helping us address these contemporary social, economic, and political issues through a theological lens for the common good - this is Public Theology.
In the last seven days FIFA World Cup 2026 (in various ways) took out five of the top 10 Google Trends in in New Zealand.
World Cup Character
The biggest global viewing event in history is happening right now, and it seems New Zealanders, somewhat surprisingly, are interested in it. I am talking, of course, about the FIFA Football World Cup. It is estimated that close to two billion people may watch the final on July 19. I know I will be!
I confess: I love football. I agree with much of the world that it is “the beautiful game.” That may be controversial for a New Zealander, but then I am the son of a Dutch immigrant who had the privilege of playing for New Zealand (my dad, that is). Football has always been part of my life. Over the past month I have watched nearly every match—many in condensed replays—and thoroughly enjoyed it. Well, most of it.
Sport has a remarkable way of revealing who we are. It brings out some of the very best in us, but also some of the worst. When a team is winning, character can be hidden behind success. But when a team knows it is going to lose, something deeper is exposed. Some players accept defeat with dignity, congratulate their opponents, and take pride in what they have nevertheless achieved. Others lash out. They commit cynical fouls, start confrontations, abuse officials, or accuse everyone except themselves (and let’s not mention Presidential interference!). No one likes a sore loser because we instinctively recognise that character matters more than the scoreboard.
In a culture obsessed with outcomes, theology reminds us that who we become is often more important than what we achieve. Winning is wonderful, but it is not ultimate. The measure of a person—or a nation—is not simply whether they succeed, but how they succeed, and how they respond when they fail.
This insight connects to a deeper theology of play. Too often we treat sport merely as work by other means: a vehicle for money, status, national prestige, or personal validation. Yet play has its own value. As I have argued elsewhere, play is one expression of joy. It is something entered into freely, enjoyed for its own sake, and capable of drawing us beyond ourselves toward community, wonder, and flourishing. Play reminds us that life is about more than production and achievement. It reminds us that joy matters and that joy comes from the God of grace and glory.
That is why the best moments of the World Cup are not always the goals or trophies. Sometimes they are the scenes of sportsmanship: players consoling opponents, underdogs celebrating hard-earned progress, supporters united across national boundaries, and competitors recognising excellence even in defeat. Will we ever forget the Viking Thunder Clap and Row?! Such moments point beyond the game itself. They remind us that we are made for relationships, community, and a joy that is larger than ourselves.
The World Cup will soon end. One team will lift the trophy—¡Guau, qué increíble!—and everyone else will go home disappointed. New Zealand wasn’t the first team to go home but may Just as well have been. But well done, men; what a great attempt! Long after the final whistle, the deeper question remains. Were they good sports? Did they play the game well? Did they display courage, humility, generosity, and grace? Is the G.O.A.T. the one with the most statistics, or the one who had the stats and the character to carry them well? In football, as in life, character counts. And that may be the most important lesson of all.
Additional Reading
Readers may be interested in checking out: Myk Habets, “‘We Played the Flute for You and You did not Dance’: A Theology of Play.” Pages 9-27, in Sports and Play in Christian Theology, ed. John Tucker and Philip Halstead (Lexington Books/Fortress Academic, 2021).
