Adventist Minister Warns Christians That World Cup Viewing Poses Spiritual Risk

A self-described man of God is calling on Christians to keep their distance from the World Cup, claiming that following the global football tournament could threaten both their spiritual walk and their salvation.

"Christians should refrain from taking part in the World Cup. No Christian should be sitting down and watching it. I have got the revelation about the spirit behind sports," said Godfrey Jesse Williams, a Seventh-day Adventist.

Williams told the Jamaica Star that God had placed a strong conviction on his heart that believers should steer clear of the competition entirely.

"A lot of Christians are caught up in sports, and as a result, they are not able to give God the devotion that God requires of them," he said. "When they choose to sit in front of a television for hours, they are giving their time to another entity that is the enemy of God."

He stressed that his concern was directed at people of faith, not the wider public. "I'm not against the people of the world watching it. My warning is to Christians, people who call themselves Christians," he added.

To back his position, Williams turned to the Bible. "The name says it all, the World Cup, and the Bible tells us in 1st John 2:15 that we are not to love the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him," he argued.

He also described sport as driven by empty pride and rivalry that sits uneasily with Christian teaching. "The spirit within Christ, the mindset of Christ, goes contrary to sports because sports is for glorification, vain glory. I want to exalt myself. I want to dominate as title winner. I want to win you badly," he said.

Williams recalled the emotional toll of high-stakes matches, pointing to Germany's 7-1 victory over Brazil at the 2014 tournament. "The scoreboard that we saw in 2014 when Germany defeated Brazil 7-1, I could see the devastation on the Brazilian team and how they were crying. I'm not a Brazilian fan, but I felt the pain for them and it was such a painful experience. People mocking them … calling them 'Seven'."

When pressed on how he could remember such details while telling Christians to avoid sport, Williams laughed and acknowledged his own past enthusiasm. "I didn't say I never used to watch sports. I used to watch. I was a big sports fan. I was a big Michael Jordan fan, big Chicago Bulls fan, big basketball fan and I was a big Messi fan, Barcelona fan," he said.

"But I've come to the realisation, enough is enough. Now is the time for me to put an end to loving the things of the world because it robs you from your devotion."

Williams said his Sabbath observance made the pull of football even harder to resist. He remembered wrestling with temptation during the 2022 World Cup when Argentina played Mexico on the Sabbath. "I struggled that day. I had to fight a good fight, resist the temptation of checking my phone to see the score," he said.

He said he now avoids sports media altogether. "I don't even watch sports talk shows anymore. I don't want to hear what the commentators have to say. I just avoid everything relating to sports."

Asked whether believers might watch matches in moderation, Williams rejected the idea outright. "They can't even do that. No, because of the addictiveness of sports. You take one watch, it's going to captivate you and you're going to want to see more," he argued. "Just cut off sports entirely as a Christian if you want to make it to heaven."

He also cautioned Christians against watch parties or travel to see games in person. "I am sure the World Cup is not being played in heaven, so why are they so caught up in something that is an earthly event?" he questioned. "It is a very dangerous thing for you to pause your Christianity for a moment and enjoy the pleasures of this world for a time. What will it profit a man to gain the whole world — the World Cup — and lose his soul?"

Williams further argued that sport can stir feelings believers should resist. "There will be jeering, mocking, anger, frustration. Even Christians themselves, if their team loses, will manifest these behaviours," he said.

He also suggested church life and outreach could suffer while the tournament is on. "A lot of evangelists are going to ensure they have nothing church-wise to do on that day," he claimed, adding that many Christians find it hard to resist football, especially when games fall on the Sabbath.

Though he expects pushback — including from other Seventh-day Adventists — Williams said he felt duty-bound to speak. "Many of them are lovers of sports and many of them will be breaking the Sabbath to watch sports, and they don't want to hear this, but it is a message for them in particular, and all Christians who love the Lord," he said.