God of glory,
as the world gathers
to celebrate the beautiful game,
we pray for a harmonious and joyous World Cup.
Bring safety and security
for players and officials on the pitch,
fans in the stands, and spectators at home.
May we see and celebrate the hand of God
in the creativity of every curving free kick,
silky pass or impossible save.
May we have compassion and perspective
on the miskicks, missed penalties,
and muddled VARs.
Every winning team needs a losing team
even if you were the better team.
Let the journey to World Cup glory
be not only for the nation that wins.
May we see something more
of the world you want us to be:
a gathering of every nation
and people who share your glory.
Amen.
Reproduced from Church of England website.
