By Jay Youngdahl

This June, the men’s World Cup will begin. Billions of people throughout the world will cheer their favorite team and players. Given the diverse nature of the Murphy Institute community, there will be cheerful disagreement as to which team is the best.

However, in a special treat for soccer fans associated with the Murphy Institute, the global union for soccer players, FIFPro (Fédération Internationale des Associations de Footballeurs Professionnel/International Federation of Professional Footballers) has put out a short inspiring video with some of the leading male and female soccer players in the world. The video, which begins with the incomparable Lionel Messi of Argentina, features talented players discussing the importance of unions and of collective bargaining at work. These famous athletes stress the importance of equal rights, respect, and justice for all workers, including footballers.

So, while many in the Murphy Institute community may disagree about which is their favorite team, this video features players we can all cheer for in this men’s World Cup and in the upcoming Women’s World Cup.

Jay Youngdahl is a Visiting Research Scholar at the Murphy Institute.