World Cup highlights competing loyalties

Jesse Marsch, head coach of the Canadian national soccer team, said in the lead-up to the FIFA World Cup: “We are so proud to be bringing the country together around The People’s Team this summer.”

While this message illustrates the excitement of Canada competing on home turf, how the “People’s Team” is perceived among Canadians themselves during the World Cup is complicated.

The World Cup represents a special time for Canada, where celebrations of affiliation, belonging, diversity and culture, as well as athleticism, are amplified. For that reason, many Canadians may be flying several flags — not just the Maple Leaf — throughout the competition.

GLOBAL TOURNAMENT IN A MULTICULTURAL NATION

International sporting events like the World Cup allow people to celebrate shared identities and build community among fellow compatriots. But understanding who someone chooses to support during global tournaments can be complex, and extends beyond the nation where they live.

That’s because sports fandom isn’t always straightforward; it’s shaped by personal history and migration. When you factor in the global nature of the modern World Cup, the lines blur even further. From the players on the field to the fans in the stands, overlapping cultural identities mean that choosing a team to root for is rarely just about where they currently live.

For example, Lamine Yamal represents Spain’s national team, but he also honours his Moroccan and Equatorial Guinea heritage by donning two flags on his cleats.

Canada’s national team is a perfect reflection of the country’s multicultural fabric, with a roster full of players who share immigration stories.

Canadian team member Richie Laryea stated: “Our national team looks like the way our country looks like now. And that’s the way it should be. It should be super diverse.” But do Canadians who share ethnic origins with national team players struggle to decide who to support?

Canada’s rich multiculturalism — and the diverse makeup of its national team — makes it a fascinating time to watch which country Canadians will ultimately choose to back during the World Cup.

GO CANADA?

Before 2022, the Canadian men’s national team was rarely the top choice for soccer fans in Canada, mostly because the squad almost never made it to the World Cup. As a result, the World Cup in many Canadian cities became a time for people to reconnect with their cultural roots and cheer for their family’s country of origin instead.

During the 2018 World Cup, Our Lady Queen-Croatia Park in Mississauga became a massive gathering spot for Croatian Canadians to cheer on their national team and celebrate their roots. While scenes like this put Canada’s diversity on full display, they also raise the question: when everyone is rooting for their homeland, where does that leave the Canadian team itself?

These celebrations could be highlighting a genuine identity crisis for some fans now that Canada has become a regular competitor on the world stage. The true dilemma likely comes when people feel deeply torn between their country of origin and their home in Canada. Fans may be facing the tough decision of which flag to fly — or which homeland gets top billing if they decide to display both.

COMPETING IDENTITIES

In the high-stakes world of elite sports, winning is everything. As teams get knocked out and the tournament heats up, Canadians with dual loyalties can find themselves pulled in multiple directions. That may leave many feeling genuinely conflicted over who they “should” be cheering for.

One study exploring the 2014 World Cup determined that fans may support certain teams when they discover personal connections to those nations. A participant in the study of Kenyan decent said: “[I] was drawn to Belgium since their striker is Kenyan Belgian.”

Forward Jonathan David of the Canadian team is of Haitian descent; both his parents were born in Port-au-Prince. During an interview at the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup where Canada played Haiti, David explained:

“It’s not every day you get to play against the country where you lived when you were younger. But I still need to go there with the mindset that I have to do a job for my country.”

Haiti has now exited the World Cup, but Haitian Canadians may have understandably experienced a tug-of-war over their identity when deciding whether to root for Canada, Haiti, or both. Now, could David’s Haitian heritage inspire the community to rally behind the Canadian squad — if it isn’t already — for the rest of the tournament?

NO NEED TO PICK A SIDE

Ultimately, fans don’t have to choose just one team — they can support all the teams that represent their cultural heritage and the Canadian squad as it makes history.

At the same time, Canada’s success on the pitch pushes us to rethink what it actually means to be “Canadian” in a country where cheering for your roots has long been the norm.

As Canadian streets fill with a vibrant sea of global flags and communities bond over a shared passion for the game of soccer, what teams Canadians decide to support offers an interesting glimpse into the country’s unique cultural mosaic.

» Cary Foo is a PhD student in recreation and leisure studies at the University of Waterloo. Luke Potwarka is an associate professor of recreation and leisure studies at the University of Waterloo.

» This column was originally published at The Conversation Canada: theconversation.com/ca