“This is a World Cup swimming in star names...”
Jonathan Liew in The Guardian 1 has argued that the 2026 tournament has become the "cult of the individual". Messi and Ronaldo are more popular than Argentina and Spain. The race for the Golden Boot, in some circles, has overtaken commentary about the actual tournament itself.
This is merely the next step on the journey team sports have been on – where they increasingly revolve around individuals.
This isn’t just seen in sport though. It’s the age we live in. As Neil Postman foresaw, the media naturally elevates personalities over communities. Our social algorithms reward individuals, and stories about people spread significantly further than stories about institutions.
As Christians we aren’t immune to this either.
Christian sportspeople
As someone who used to work for Christians in Sport (CiS), I’ve been particularly interested in the excitement around their recent research on the rise of Christianity in professional football [see en article here]. I first noticed this a number of years ago with the growth of the social media account Ballers in God. The thousands of likes and comments any time a famous athlete declares their faith show our interest here. And now, CiS's research shows that 75 per cent of professional clubs have Christian players.
Their research is genuinely encouraging. Thirty years ago, there were only a handful of believers playing at the highest level; now there are hundreds. We should thank God for that.
But the story also raises a question for us: why does this news excite us quite so much? Why does the conversion of a sports star seem to generate more excitement than ten ordinary people quietly coming to faith through the witness of a local church? The same could be said about a famous musician, actor or author.
Visibility and 'significance'
Katelyn Beaty offers a helpful explanation in her book Celebrities for Jesus. Public professions of faith by famous people can make Christianity seem more plausible to those who would otherwise dismiss it. As she writes: "An Instagram post is unlikely to get many people to church. But it might make them rethink the Christian 'brand'." There is truth in that.
The issue isn’t famous Christians. It’s that we all live in a culture that instinctively associates visibility with significance, and looks to individuals for confidence in our decisions as opposed to institutions.
That’s an enormous burden to be placed on young Christians in the public eye. Organisations like Christians in Sport understand this well. Their work isn’t to platform athletes but to disciple them, reminding them that before they’re public figures; they’re ordinary Christians belonging to ordinary churches. There is then important work to be done in helping young Christians use their cultural influence wisely.
The church has always celebrated faithful examples. Paul could say, "Imitate me." We should pray that Christian sportspeople are examples worth following. Many clearly are. We can thank God for the influence He has given them, while remembering that the ordinary means by which Christ builds His church have never changed: faithful believers, faithful churches and a faithful gospel.
How a campfire helped bridge cultural divides
His ice cream was using the cone to do a very good impression of a waterfall. The sweat on his …