Copa América USA 2024 began with prayer to God, Christ Jesus

The Copa América USA 2024 opened on Thursday, June 20 with a novelty: the most important soccer tournament on the continent had a Christian prayer at the opening ceremony

The prayer for peace was led by the Paraguayan evangelical pastor Emilio Agüero Esgaib, from the Más que Vencedores Church (MQV) — which is also attended by Paraguayan Alejandro Domínguez, president of CONMEBOL — who made the invocation in Spanish.

The prayer was given before the 72 thousand souls who packed the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, in the city of Atlanta, Georgia (United States), where Lionel Messi’s Argentina later beat Canada 2-0.

“God bless America! The message of Christ is still valid today and He called us to peace, understanding and forgiveness,” Agüero said as he began the prayer.

“He also told us ‘believe’, because for him who believes everything is possible. And these words encourage us not to be discouraged, to believe big and believe that anything is possible,” he continued.

“God bless all the nations of America, each team and each athlete, all the fans and leaders and the entire family of the continent. “In the name of Christ Jesus, amen!” He concluded, after which the crowd also responded by saying “amen!”

After Agüero’s prayer, another similar one was made but this time in English.

Reactions on networks to the Christian prayer for the Copa América

The Venezuelan lawyer and journalist Emmanuel Rincón pointed out in his count of: “At the opening of the Copa América in Atlanta, it began with a prayer in Spanish and thanking God. Nice to see these things still being done.”

“Those who today criticize the fact that the Bible was read and a prayer was said at the opening of the Copa América, are the same ones who would have applauded with their ears a performance by Drag Queens in underwear. And you know I’m not wrong,” she commented in turn. Samuel AranProtestant theologian.

David Faitelsona well-known Mexican sports journalist of Jewish origin, commented in this regard that “It seems that some ‘dumb’ ==ignorant==, are not able to distinguish the importance of maintaining secularism and distancing the sacred religious faith from a simple game of football, as respect for the beliefs of each person.”

Dina Rezinovsky, Argentine representative, wrote: “I read many horrified because God is named in the opening of the Copa América. Calm down, guys. “75% of Americans profess the Christian faith and we feel represented by that prayer.”

“If Allah had been named, they would be full of satisfaction for the openness and tolerance with ‘such an important sector of world culture and peace,'” commented the Colombian lawyer and former president of the Council of State, Ramiro Saavedra-Becerra.

For the mechanical engineer Yemxy Pérez, “The fact that the Copa América has been inaugurated with the prayer of 2 evangelical pastors has caused a lot of tension, but the fact that Feid sings songs where women are sexualized, no one says anything. Live Christ the King”.