In the wake of the 2025 Super Bowl, I can only hope the Eagles’ victory brings a joy to this old city that lingers. I want this joy to come on a national scale, too. For that, I look to the 2026 World Cup. With the “world’s game” coming to Philadelphia in 2026, the United States men’s national soccer team has the opportunity to play on the 250th birthday of our country. A victory here could bring a great joy of togetherness, even if only for one night.

National unification over this beautiful game is not unprecedented. In the early 2000s, this played out in one of soccer’s most touching stories. Led by star striker Didier Drogba, the Ivorian national team played a must-win game against Sudan for a chance to qualify for the 2006 World Cup. 

Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) was in the midst of a civil war that had divided the nation for years. The players knew their victory would not just determine their World Cup qualification, but also the joy of the Ivorian people. They defeated Sudan 3-1, and, after a tie between two other possible qualifying teams, Ivory Coast qualified for the World Cup for the first time in history.

Later that evening, a TV camera was hurried into the dressing room of the Ivorian team. Surrounded by his teammates, Drogba spoke, pleading with the warring factions: “Please lay down your weapons and hold elections.” Drogba’s message did not instantly incite change, but something astonishing was boiling in the nation. His plea was heavily circulated on television, and, in 2007, a peace deal was signed, ending the war. Though Drogba’s influence and the team’s success were not the sole cause, their actions contributed to a movement and brought people together.

I hope that amidst the current political turmoil in Philadelphia and around the nation, the 2026 World Cup can grab our hearts with a force of togetherness. Perhaps not to the level it did in Ivory Coast, but maybe joy for the nation can reign in this old city, even if just on Independence Day.