World Cup watch parties unite U of A clinicians around the ‘beautiful game’

Soccer — or “football” as the rest of the world calls it — invaded physician and resident lounges at Banner – University Medical Center Tucson just in time for the 2026 World Cup semifinal matches between Spain and France, and Argentina and England, this past week.

Watch parties were hosted Tuesday, July 14, and Wednesday, July 15, at noon in the lounges where lunch is served for physicians. The celebration, heightened by the fact the U.S., Canada and Mexico were hosting the tournament, was brightened with decorations, a soccer ball pyramid, bowls of treats, flags and flyers.

All of this was the brainchild of Abd Qannus, MD, an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine’s Division of Nephrology. A Syrian native, he’s admittedly a big “football” fan and only too glad to share that fandom with others.

“Yesterday, the group was split evenly, with half rooting for Spain and half for France. We had about 10 to 15 people who watched the full match, while others dropped in throughout the game,” said Dr. Qannus late on July 15. “Today, it seemed like the majority of us were cheering for England.”

Muhammad Husnain, MBBS, a Division of Hematology & Oncology associate professor, was one of those disappointed by England’s loss. Like-minded were Internal Medicine Residency Program – Tucson members Faissal Stipho, MD, and Emily Tishkoff, DO, who were watching the game in the nearby residents lounge with Robert Koch, MD, a hospitalist with the Division of Inpatient Medicine who’s been on faculty as an assistant professor since 2018. Another hospitalist, Sorabh Sharma, MD, and the Division of Infectious Diseases’ Alex Perry, MD, MPH, didn’t say for whom they were rooting July 15.

Anna Morenz, MD, MPH, a Division of General Internal Medicine, Geriatrics & Palliative Medicine assistant professor, said she watched a few minutes of the Argentina versus England match while eating lunch in the physicians lounge Wednesday.

“But I appreciated the camaraderie and generally festive vibe in the lounge and also the opportunity to take a distracting break during the day to celebrate world soccer,” Dr. Morenz said.

She was on the fence about who to support, hoping a different country might have made it to this round for a chance at a World Cup victory.

“I didn’t want to just see two European countries in the final,” Dr. Morenz added. “I can't believe Argentina was able to pull off a comeback like that, and Sunday’s game is sure to be a nail biter. Cheers!”

Serena Scott, MD, MBA, the DOM vice chair of faculty development & wellness, said the watch parties were part of the Beyond the Badge program of the U of A and Banner wellness council that grew out of the department’s WellDOM initiative.

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“This initiative was supported by our Beyond the Badge Tucson wellness initiative,” she said. “Dr. Qannus came to me with the idea. In my wellness role, I was able to help execute it with the gracious support and funding from CHIM, the Cultivating Happiness in Medicine program, and Banner leadership. It was a team effort!”

Dr. Qannus added, “There is no doubt that such activities are a fantastic way to build connections and bring some fun to our physicians’ days.”

He said that, generally, everyone would have been happy with any outcome in either semifinal game, “though there might be a slight preference for Spain to win it all.”

That World Cup championship matchup with Argentina will be played Sunday, July 19, at noon (MST).

NOTE: Soccer, or football, also is known as “the beautiful game” since Brazilian star player Pelé popularized the phrase in the 1970s.

ALSO SEE:
“DOM Blog: New initiative takes wellness among health care professionals ‘beyond the badge’” | Posted Aug. 12, 2025

(Photos courtesy of David Mogollon, Department of Medicine)

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