On this third Sunday of Advent, millions of Christians will be at church. But millions will also be glued to a screen, anxious to find out if the Argentinian GOAT will at long last claim a World Cup title. Though past his prime, the 35-year-old team captain Lionel Messi has been sublime in the competition, with five goals and three assists under his belt, and is leading the golden boot race in his fifth World Cup.<\/p>\n
Although the reserved Messi, whose right arm bears a tattoo of Jesus crowned with thorns, has not expressed his faith openly beyond pointing to heaven after his goals, this World Cup has featured numerous heroics of confessing Christians.<\/p>\n
Leading the freewheeling French attack against Argentina will be 36-year-old striker Olivier Giroud, who has Psalm 23\u2019s \u201cThe Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want\u201d tattooed in Latin on his right arm. During this World Cup, Giroud became the all-time top scorer for France with four magnificent goals.<\/p>\n
While the team\u2019s talisman Kylian Mbapp\u00e9 has lived up to the hype with his blistering speed and lethal shooting, Giroud has provided a reliable focal point in offense and his selfless play has created openings for his teammates. \u201cI try to speak about my faith whenever I can,\u201d he said after winning the World Cup in 2018. \u201cI feel I have to use my media profile to talk about my commitment to Jesus Christ.\u201d<\/p>\n
Read it all<\/a>.<\/p>\n We celebrate the heroics and good works of athletes, coaches, and fans: https:\/\/t.co\/Nf8JmztQrR<\/a><\/p>\n — Christianity Today (@CTmagazine) December 16, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n \n