Last week, as the World Cup started, I noticed something that made me smile. People who usually complain about being tired suddenly had enough energy to watch football late at night.

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Here in Africa, the time difference makes some games difficult to follow. Some matches happen when many people should be sleeping or preparing for another busy day. But for football lovers, that does not matter. They check the schedule, set alarms, join WhatsApp groups, and make sure they do not miss the game.

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The next morning, you can easily know who watched the match. Some come to work sleepy but happy. Others are quiet because their team lost. Some still have enough energy to explain every goal, missed chance, and referee decision.

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Even as someone who is not a strong football fan, I find that passion impressive. Football brings people together. It creates excitement, emotions, and memories.

But while watching this passion, I kept asking myself one question: what if we treated our responsibilities with the same seriousness we give match fixtures?

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As I was reflecting on this, I came across a story from Argentina that made me look at the World Cup from a different angle. Authorities reportedly shared a list of around 13,000 parents who had not fulfilled child-support obligations, with the aim of stopping them from entering World Cup stadiums.

That story stayed with me because it is not really about football. It is about priorities.

Imagine a parent planning to travel or spend money to watch a football match while their child is waiting for school support, food, clothes, medical care, or other basic needs. A child may not understand the World Cup schedule, but a child understands when support is missing. A child knows when promises are not kept.

Of course, life can be financially difficult. Not every unpaid obligation comes from bad intention. Some parents may be struggling or going through circumstances not visible to others. But when someone can find resources for entertainment while ignoring a child’s basic needs, society has reason to question those priorities.

This is not to say that loving football is wrong. Enjoying sport is not wrong. We all need moments of joy, rest, and connection. Football brings people together, and during big tournaments, it allows many people to feel part of something bigger.

The problem begins when entertainment consistently comes before responsibility.

A parent’s duty does not stop because there is an important game. A child’s needs do not wait because there is a tournament. Food, school, health, and emotional support should not be treated as optional when someone has people depending on them.

This lesson is not only for parents. It is for all of us.

Many times, we are more disciplined with what entertains us than with what can improve us. We remember match times, but forget commitments. We sacrifice sleep for football, but struggle to create time for goals, health, family, or growth.

The issue is not football. The issue is alignment.

Passion is powerful when it is placed in the right direction. It can push us to show up, make sacrifices, and remain committed. But if our passion is only visible in entertainment and not in responsibility, then we need to reflect.

The World Cup will end. Winners will be celebrated. Fans will move on. But life will continue, and people who depend on us will still need our presence, care, and support.

So enjoy the game, celebrate your team, and live the moment. But do not lose the bigger match, the match of responsibility.

The writer is an International Coaching Federation (ICF) certified coach and banking professional at Bank of Kigali.