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The English Premier League represents a contemporary stage of intense rivalry, yet the 1999 encounter between West Ham and Everton stood out. With the score at 1-1 in a tightly contested game, Everton’s goalkeeper suffered an injury. West Ham took advantage, launching a ball toward the opposing goal. It was a prime chance to score with a header, but the player halted the play by catching the ball with his hand. When questioned about why he passed up the opportunity to score, he replied, “There is something more significant than a goal in football.”

▶At the Daejeon World Cup Stadium on the 14th, there was a round of applause for the Bolivian goalkeeper who stopped a South Korean player from getting hurt. When Lee Jae-sung’s head almost hit the goalpost while he was going for the ball, the goalkeeper seemed to use his hand to push Lee’s head away from the goal. Although it is not clear if the Bolivian goalkeeper did this on purpose, his action probably avoided a severe injury. Social media was filled with comments such as “true sportsmanship” and “wonderful teamwork that even protects rival players.”

▶Even with numerous fouls and trickery in sports, moments of fair play frequently captivate spectators. During a 2012 international track and field event in Spain, a runner who was significantly ahead mistakenly halted at an incorrect finish line. The competitor in second place informed him, enabling him to reach the actual finish line. The athlete who missed his opportunity to claim first place stated, “I wanted to be proud of coming in second.” Miroslav Klose, a former German national team striker, was known as an “honest striker” throughout his career. On one occasion, when a ball bounced off his body into the net and was declared a goal, he voluntarily reported, “It touched my hand, so it should be canceled.”

▶In domestic professional baseball, risky slides into second base are no longer seen, and it has become common practice for pitchers to remove their hats and apologize if they hit a batter. At the 2019 Doha World Athletics Championships, a runner who was behind helped a fallen competitor run hundreds of meters to the finish line. The crowd gave a standing ovation—a moment that would not have occurred if only winning was the priority.

▶ Audiences are also not solely focused on victory. In a survey asking why people felt happy watching games, only 14% mentioned “because we won,” whereas 47%—the highest percentage—stated, “because it was inspiring to watch players give their best.” A field of study known as “sports philosophy” has developed, highlighting the significance of fair play and teamwork. It defines unethical actions, such as fouls, as “behaviors that damage the integrity of competition.” Maradona, who won the World Cup with the “Hand of God,” was simply fortunate.