When there are teams, there is competition and when there is competition, not only the players but also the viewers become passionately involved with the game. People identify themselves with the playing team and deeply share their happiness when they win and sorrow when they lose. This involvement with the game is especially intense in international tournaments or competitions when national identities become associated with sports teams where winning becomes a matter of national pride. This is particularly true in the realm of what has become the world's sport: football (throughout this article I will use the sport's original and universal name so don't be confused, sorry American people). FIFA World Cup's final game is the single most viewed sporting event on earth. When millions of people are physically, emotionally and financially invested in a particular game, involvement of politics becomes nearly inevitable.

International tournaments of football started to become popular in the world with the FIFA World Cup, first organized in 1930. However, 14 years ago, South Americans had already started the first international continental football competition under the name Copa America. In the second half of the century, all the continents started to organize their own international continental football tournaments with the UEFA European Championship being the most popular one. Throughout the twentieth century, with all these international tournaments politics often manifested itself through football and is continuing to do so.

In the 1930s, authoritarian regimes were on the rise in Europe. Once again, the European countries were in intense economic, military and political competition and this atmosphere was also reflected in sporting events. Leaders were using sports, especially football, as a tool to demonstrate the “success" of their regimes, and the power of their nation to the rest of Europe and to the world. That is why these international matches carried a high importance. After World War II, nationalism was not welcomed in international politics as everyone feared another disastrous world war. With international organizations, values like solidarity, cooperation and humanism were reinforced to maintain peace between nations.

Although nationalism is not welcomed in the political arena especially after World War II, it is always acceptable in a football stadium. Football fields become the battlefields of the nations where 22 men fight to win the game with blood, sweat and tears. The matches open with the national anthems of each team where the opponents, both the players and the viewers, sing their anthems as loud as they can to intimidate each other. People watching the game cover themselves with the colors of their flags and blend into the crowd that shares the same passion and enthusiasm for their team. More national flags are seen in the stadium on the day of the match than even on the independence day of a nation. As chants get louder, players run faster and kick harder. All these excessive demonstrations of patriotism that wouldn't be acceptable in other contexts are even encouraged at the international football matches.

While there is a rivalry between nations, there is unison within nations through football more than ever. Today, the football teams reflect the concept of modern nation states. Being a member of the national football team is solely based on citizenship. Therefore, most of the football teams reflect the multicultural nature of a nation-state where people from different ethnicities, religions or races live side by side as these football players with different backgrounds play side by side on the field. After the 1998 World Cup victory of France, the face of Zinedine Zidane was projected onto the Arc de Triomphe in red, white and blue. The crowds chanted for the son of an Algerian immigrant at times when National Front (FN), a far right-conservative political party was on the rise in France. Like at times of war, at these football matches all the people regardless of their origin or background unite under one flag. Without a doubt, these football matches can even be more unifying than wars.(Gheerbrant, 2016)

Today the political atmosphere in Europe is mostly shaped by the migrant crises. The European countries are stricter than ever on their immigration policies. They are ready to do whatever it takes to keep the migrants away and preserve the so-called order and homogeneity in their countries. The immigrants who are lucky enough to get inside, are living in the ghettos usually far from sight, in order not to ruin the purity of the European cities. In such an atmosphere, let us look at some of the teams which are going to take part in Euro 2016.

One of the most valuable players on the German team is Mesut Özil, a practicing Muslim born to Turkish parents. The highly experienced star of the Swedish team, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the son of Bosnian Muslim refugees. Most of these European teams consist of players who are children of immigrant parents. Ironically, the same leaders who treat migrants as criminals, applaud their children on feet when they score a goal for their country. Multiethnic football teams show politicians how all these people from different origins can unite and achieve great things. This exemplifies how multiculturalism and immigrants can move the country forward with the right tactics and social policies.(Gheerbrant, 2016)

Related to the migrant crises as a result of the Syrian war, terrorism is another thing that highly influences the political atmosphere not just in Europe, but in the world, at the moment. Europe, especially France, was alarmed after the November 2015 attacks in Paris which resulted in the death of 130 people. One of the targets of this terrorist attack was Stade de France where a friendly match between France and Germany was taking place during the incident. Seven months later the same stadium hosted the opening match of the Euro 2016 tournament.

The threat to Euro 2016 is more severe than for any other international sporting event. As I am writing these lines the opening match hasn't started yet, so I don't know the atmosphere in the stadium. However, I am sure that football fans will not be deterred by the threats. They will probably not be comfortable and even constantly think of how to leave the stadium in the quickest way. “What if" and “in case" will always occupy their minds during the game but they will make a decision to come to the stadium and support their team and protect the spirit of football no matter what. Their decision to sit on those seats in the stadium will be a political statement, saying that “I am here and I'm not afraid".

In the 20 century, football has united people within the nations against other nations. In the twenty-first century, football will hopefully unite the nations in the world against the shared enemy, terrorism!