The former Cameroonian internatonal Samuel Eto’o talks about his career and the strength of football fans in a column published by FIFA on Wednesday. He talks about the power of sport to get the world going. Extracts.

“Indeed, it is at times like this that the world of sport seems irrelevant. Leagues, tournaments and events have rightly been canceled around the world. While this is clearly a necessary measure, I think it is important – without ever wanting to trivialize things – to say that when it is all over, we must also look to the joy that sport can bring to our global community. While this virus has divided and isolated people, sport can unite and connect them .

During the pandemic, I thought about the wonderful memories that football brought to me during my childhood. I lived and breathed football but my parents were very hard on me. They did not accept that I play football because for them football was something that children played if they did not go to school. I was obviously going to school and I was not a bad student, but I had a passion, it was football

In the present, we need only think of going through this period together. There are many things that will help us overcome this. Small gestures towards neighbors, friends, relatives. Just letting them know they’re there, asking them how they’re doing. Call them to just say “hello, I’m thinking of you”. Small acts of kindness that would mean a lot to many people who may feel lonely, isolated, bored or inactive. Once things get better, sport – especially football – will play a huge role in uniting people together and boosting morale. “