Baltimore Catholics catch World Cup fever 

Whether you call it “soccer” or prefer the more international “football,” the 2026 FIFA World Cup has a following like no other global athletic event.

Fervor for the sport can even penetrate religious enclaves, such as it did when six priests gathered in the rectory of the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Homeland June 11 to watch Mexico top South Africa at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City in the Group A opener.

That the host team prevailed, 2-0, was hardly a surprise, considering that Mexico boasted by far the greater historic credentials after reaching the quarterfinals in 1970 and 1986 before being eliminated.

Conversely, the South Africans have never advanced beyond the group stage. Moreover, they have only qualified four times for the tournament while producing a less-than-stellar — yet very linear — 2-3-4 all-time record.

The priests, all originally from Cameroon, would have liked to cheer for their beloved national team, nicknamed the “Indomitable Lions,” in the World Cup event that will stretch for more than five weeks and 104 games in the U.S., Mexico and Canada.

An eight-time qualifier and a 19th-place finisher in 2022, Cameroon did not earn a berth in the 2026 World Cup, leaving Fathers Jude Sango, Joseph Tata, Paul Kongnyuy, Nicholas Mwai, Kenneth Lukong and Cornelius Binerla disappointed and without a favorite team to follow.

Still, the clerics were enthusiastic about viewing a match that was not anticipated to be particularly competitive.

Father Lukong, the cathedral’s associate pastor who grew up playing the sport, said that he maintains interest in soccer by supporting Spain, in part because some players from his favorite professional side, FC Barcelona, also dot the Spanish roster.

Father Lukong said that he simply likes the sport, regardless of team affiliation.

“I like the style of play and how everyone contributes to the team,” he added.

He also noted that he follows the football played in America, especially the hometown Ravens.

Father Binerla, a 23-year Baltimore resident, said that priests in Cameroon often compete in matches against each other, while noting that he only played “out of necessity.”

Even so, he said that the game’s ability to “bridge the gap between people, to bring people together, rich and poor,” is another reason he likes what he sees on the pitch.

“It’s not just the numbers of people who play, it’s the diversity of the players,” he said.

Father Sango, who holds a licentiate in Sacred Theology from St. Mary’s Ecumenical Institute in Roland Park, said the sport speaks “a language that everyone can understand.” He also said that pride in the Cameroon national team is well founded because the Indomitable Lions are on the same level, in terms of skills and athleticism, with professional players throughout the globe.

“They are good enough to play in the European leagues,” he said. “But it’s not just about being a good player. It’s about being lucky” in order to earn a professional contract.

Father Tata, who favors Manchester United in the English Premier League, said he is enamored with how the game has improved over the decades. “It’s constantly evolving,” he said. “The players’ skills are so much more refined.”

Naturally, Baltimore’s burgeoning Hispanic community has also shown great appreciation for the World Cup, at least in part because Spain boasted the best odds to be the last team standing when the tournament concludes July 19. 

Reigning champ Argentina also figures to be in the mix with Colombia and Mexico not far behind the “La Albiceleste.”

Unfortunately for El Salvador-born Lia Garcia, her team failed to land a coveted spot in the tournament.

“I can’t remember the last time we made the World Cup,” said Garcia, director of Hispanic Ministry for the Archdiocese of Baltimore. “But my husband (Yohan Garcia) is Mexican, so we’re super-proud of them winning. It’s just very exciting.

“This year is especially exciting for soccer fans because it will probably be the last World Cup for great players like Lionel Messi (Argentina), (Cristiano) Ronaldo (Brazil), Luka Modrić (Croatia) and Neymar (da Silva Santos, Brazil), who we’ve grown up watching and who we have such great love and respect for.”

Garcia, who has lived in the U.S. since she was 12, laughed when she said the tryout for her high school team in Miami “didn’t go well,” although the setback never diminished her love for the sport.

“If you’re Latino, soccer is in your DNA,” she said.

And beside her allegiance to Hispanic squads, Garcia also maintains an affinity for Team USA.

“I’ll be rooting for Team USA,” she said. “You have to root for the home team, even if they’re not always the greatest.”

Another ex-El Salvadoran, Omar Pineda, was part of a large group of fans from Sacred Heart of Jesus-Sagrado Corazón de Jesús in Highlandtown who watched Team USA’s 4-1 triumph over Paraguay June 12 to set up a showdown with Australia for the top spot in Group D a week later.

Pineda, a Sacred Heart parishioner who works at Archbishop Borders School, which shares a campus with the church, said that about 200 people showed up for the outdoor watch party.

“It was fantastic,” he said, noting that “we expected the U.S. to play well.”

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