World Cup and Soccer Near Santo Ildefonso

I’ve been caught up in the World Cup the past few weeks and couldn’t really figure why until I was framing our etching “Soccer Near Santo Ildefonso.” It reminded me that soccer serves as a universal cultural language. We all understand Cape Verde’s jubilation over Sidny Lopes Cabral’s last-second beauty and every team’s sense of injustice over missed calls. These sport moments somehow represent greater joys and sorrows in other aspects of our lives. Watching the tournament reminds me that those emotions are not specific to my part of the world—they are human.

The children in this etching play in the shadow of Porto’s Santo Ildefonso, transforming a historic public square into an informal pitch, reminding us, too, that soccer belongs to the people--as much to neighborhoods as to stadiums.

Soccer, like the Camino, holds the power to connect generations and cultures. And that, I think, is why I have spent so many very late nights recently watching World Cup games and fans from around the globe who come to be delighted and tormented by their teams.