England faces Argentina tomorrow in a World Cup semifinal that carries decades of sporting rivalry. Aleteia’s Philip Kosloski offers a Catholic angle on why readers might root for the Three Lions. Beyond the partisan cheerleading, the match presents an opportunity to reflect on how Catholics engage with international sport, national identity, and the ordinary joys of human competition.
What the piece argues
Kosloski frames his support for England through the lens of Catholic history and culture. He notes England’s pre-Reformation Catholic heritage, the witness of English martyrs, and the country’s contemporary Catholic revival. The piece acknowledges England’s complicated relationship with the Church while suggesting that supporting the national team can be an act of solidarity with English Catholics today.
Argentina, of course, has its own rich Catholic tradition. The reigning Pope, Leo XIV, is American, but his predecessor, the late Pope Francis (who died in April 2025), was Argentine. Both nations have produced saints, martyrs, and vibrant Catholic communities. The sporting rivalry doesn’t diminish either country’s place in the universal Church.
Why this matters
International sporting events reveal how Catholics balance particular loyalties with universal communion. We cheer for nations, cities, and teams while remembering that baptism supersedes every passport. The World Cup offers a harmless arena for patriotic enthusiasm, but it also reminds us that our deepest identity is not national.
The question “Which team should Catholics support?” is ultimately lighthearted. The real question is how we support any team. With charity toward opponents, humility in victory, grace in defeat, and the recognition that a soccer match, however thrilling, is not the Final Judgment.
For Catholic readers
If you watch tomorrow’s match, pray for the players’ safety and the fans’ good sportsmanship. Whether England or Argentina advances, both nations carry the faith forward in their own way. And if you need a patron saint for the occasion, try St. Thomas More (England) or St. José Gabriel del Rosario Brochero (Argentina), both men who understood that earthly kingdoms come and go.
Sources:
1. Aleteia — original article
