It seemed like just another international friendly match in which France and Germany were writing yet another chapter in their sporting rivalry. The horrors that struck 83 minutes into the game, however, changed all of that.
From inside the Stade de France, located just outside Paris, the blasts could be heard. Was it merely someone setting off fireworks or firecrackers in the stadium to add to the atmosphere? Television viewers and attendees alike couldn’t tell. The French fans continued to chant “aux armes," a war chant sung to inspire their team during matches. Little did we know that over the course of the night, more than 120 lives would be taken and hundreds would be left wounded. And when the gravity of events became clear, so too then, was our path forward.
We love the beautiful game because of how the individual brilliance of a player can bring joy to our lives. We love the sport even more when we see sheer grit and camaraderie displayed on the field. The French team demonstrated this yesterday when it was given the opportunity to pull out of a friendly match held yesterday in England. The players decided to compete. In being determined to carry on, they have demonstrated their tenacity. And because of this, we have won. By not letting terror beat us, we have instead continued to honor valor, beauty and humanity.
In our moments of despair, we take pleasure in supporting our clubs and national teams. We paint our faces in our team’s colors. We celebrate when our team wins, and we feel the sorrow when it loses. On Tuesday, the French donned their soccer jerseys with more pride than ever, as they stepped into Wembley Stadium in London, home of one of their oldest sporting rivals. With English fans singing "La Marseillaise" (1792) -- the French national anthem -- with gusto, we are reminded of the beauty of our game. Our humanity transcends any sporting rivalry. The beautiful game heals.
Will there be any enemy greater than the face of terror? Or were there any greater sorrows than the lives lost? I think not. Just like how the many landmarks from Sydney to Dubai, Tokyo to D.C., turned blue, white and red, the soccer world will put aside its many differences to stand together, as we remember the lives lost in Paris on Nov. 13. We remember, too, the lives lost in Beirut. And those lost in Baghdad. Every innocent life taken by the terrorists is a crime against humanity.
We bleed soccer. But we bleed too, for a little more love, a little more humanity.
Je suis Paris. Je suis un enfant du monde.
I am a child of the world. We all are.
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