Is it right to treat God as a competitive advantage? I ask this question because, after Botafogo’s deserved victory of the Copa Libertadores da América, a video of a cult of the club’s evangelical players, recorded in 2023, once again circulated on the internet. The post suggested a relationship between the athletes’ faith and the Rio club’s title. “Botafogo, God knows what no one knows. Congratulations for, above all, God being a priority”, said the caption.
In the video, players like Marlon Freitas and Júnior Santos —respectively, team captain and Libertadores top scorer— sang praises and said prayers. Along with other athletes, they were led by gospel singer Paulo Sérgio. The publication was made on the musician’s Instagram profile and reached almost 2 million views. Among the more than 3,000 comments, many stated that God was the reason for the conquest.
“That’s why they were champions; because they put the war general at the front of the battle”, said one comment. Another, mentioning Gregore’s expulsion in the first minute of the match, stated: “it only looked like Botafogo played with one less. In fact, they played with three more” (a way of suggesting that Father, Son and Espírito Santo helped the team in the match). Even though I’m a pastor, I have difficulty with this type of reasoning. Did Botafogo win because the players are Christians and God wanted to favor their side? And the preparation, was there no merit from the team in the victory? And Atlético Mineiro, there were no Christians playing on the other side so God didn’t bless the team?
The view of God as a competitive advantage is based on a utilitarian logic, which reduces the experience of faith to an exchange: the believer worships, and God grants victories. This type of thinking, however, does not find theological support in the Bible. See the story of the apostle Paul, who faced prisons and shipwrecks, but stated in one of his letters: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). His cry was not a cry of victory, but an expression of trust in God, regardless of the circumstances.
At the Paris Games, some evangelical athletes mentioned God when talking about their defeats. One example was gymnast Victória Borges, who was injured minutes before the Brazilian team’s presentation, compromising the team’s performance. After the presentation, the captain declared: “We really believe in God’s purposes, we pray a lot, we work hard. At this moment, we just want to say thank you. We are very proud of our team.”
Another example, during the Olympics, was the dispute for bronze in women’s judo. When Italian Odete Giufrida lost to Brazilian Larissa Pimenta, she did not see the defeat as divine abandonment, but encouraged her opponent to express her faith at that moment.
These cases reinforce that, for Christians, religiosity is not a means of obtaining victories, but an experience that spans life, regardless of the results. Conditioning faith on positive outcomes prevents people from learning from failures, such as the value of perseverance and resilience. This applies to any context: sports, work or relationships.
I respect the freedom to express faith, including in public spaces. Spirituality is an important dimension of life for many and must be lived authentically. I worry, however, when they frame God as a formula for success. This impoverishes religious understanding, generates unrealistic expectations and can lead to frustration, especially when things do not go as expected.
They got it wrong. Botafogo won because they deserved it. God is not a competitive advantage.
