![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/WorldCupBall071626_uddkqn.jpg\")
The official match ball for FIFA World Cup 2026. | Credit: Nattawit Khomsanit\/Shutterstock<\/p>\nThirteen years ago, former Spanish soccer star David Silva thanked the Blessed Mother after Spain won the 2010 World Cup.<\/p>\n
The official match ball for FIFA World Cup 2026. | Credit: Nattawit Khomsanit\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n
As Spain prepares to take the field in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final on Sunday, the Marian devotion of now-retired Spanish soccer legend David Silva serves as a reminder of the role faith has played in the lives of some of the most celebrated athletes.<\/p>\n
Silva, who helped Spain capture its first men\u2019s FIFA World Cup title in 2010, has spoken of his family\u02bcs devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, patroness of his hometown of Arguinegu\u00edn on Gran Canaria in Spain\u02bcs Canary Islands.<\/p>\n
Following Spain\u02bcs historic victory in South Africa, Silva returned home to fulfill a promise to participate in the annual festivities honoring the Blessed Virgin<\/a>. Speaking with reporters at the time, he said he wanted to join the celebration \u201cas always,\u201d continuing a family tradition of taking part in the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.<\/p>\n Silva\u02bcs grandmother recalled the anxiety of watching the 2010 World Cup final, saying the family entrusted the match to the Virgin Mary\u02bcs intercession.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were very nervous,\u201d she said. \u201cI couldn\u02bct even watch the end. I just held on to Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Who would have thought that when this 14-year-old boy I raised left my home he would achieve this? I am so proud.\u201d<\/p>\n The feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is celebrated each year on July 16, drawing thousands of faithful to processions and parish celebrations around the world. In Arguinegu\u00edn, where Silva was raised, the celebration includes a traditional procession through streets adorned with intricate carpets created by local residents in honor of Mary, the mother of Jesus.<\/p>\n As Spain seeks another World Cup crown, Silva\u02bcs story continues to resonate with many Catholics, illustrating how faith and devotion often accompany athletes during moments of both triumph and uncertainty. While the outcome of Sunday\u2019s final remains unknown, the former Spanish international\u02bcs public witness offers an enduring example of gratitude to God and confidence in the maternal intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.<\/p>\n If you value the news and views Catholic World Report provides, please consider donating<\/a> to support our efforts. Your contribution will help us continue to make CWR available to all readers worldwide for free, without a subscription. Thank you for your generosity!<\/p>\n Click here<\/a> for more information on donating to CWR. Click here<\/a> to sign up for our newsletter.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Thirteen years ago, former Spanish soccer star David Silva thanked the Blessed Mother after Spain won the 2010…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":807138,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[440],"tags":[49,48,561,82],"class_list":["post-807137","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-soccer","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-soccer","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/807137","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=807137"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/807137\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/807138"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=807137"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=807137"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=807137"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}