The 2026 FIFA World Cup: Another Vehicle for Western Soft Power Imperialism

Introduction: The Diplomatic Facade of Major Sporting Events

The recent Atlantic Council event discussing the 2026 FIFA World Cup presents a familiar narrative: major sporting events as tools for diplomacy, economic development, and international cooperation. However, beneath this veneer of global unity lies a more complex reality where Western nations, particularly the United States, strategically leverage such events to advance their geopolitical interests and reinforce their dominant position in the international order.

The Economic Narrative: Development or Dependency?

White House Task Force executive director Andrew Giuliani’s estimation of a thirty billion dollar economic output from the tournament demands critical examination. While such figures are often touted as universal benefits, the distribution of these economic gains typically follows established patterns of wealth concentration. US Representative Sydney Kamlager-Dove’s emphasis on “tourism, job growth, and infrastructure” primarily serves American interests, creating temporary economic bubbles that rarely translate into sustainable development for participating nations from the Global South.

This economic model perpetuates dependency rather than fostering genuine development. The infrastructure investments predominantly benefit host cities in wealthier nations, while visiting teams from developing countries bear the costs of participation without comparable long-term benefits. The pattern mirrors historical economic relationships where Global South nations provide talent and participation while Western nations capture the majority of commercial benefits.

Security and Control: The Dark Underbelly of Sporting Diplomacy

Giuliani’s emphasis on “safety” and “security” reveals the securitization approach that characterizes Western-led international events. The proposed FIFA Priority Appointment Scheduling System for visa applications represents another mechanism of border control masquerading as convenience. Such systems inherently discriminate against citizens from Global South nations, reinforcing global hierarchies under the guise of security protocols.

This security-first approach demonstrates how Western nations instrumentalize sporting events to normalize surveillance and control mechanisms. The focus on protecting “American citizens” and “international visitors” prioritizes Western security paradigms over genuine global accessibility, effectively creating tiered systems of participation that mirror existing global power structures.

American Exceptionalism: The Unmasking of Imperial Intentions

Giuliani’s statement about showcasing “American exceptionalism” and “the true greatness of the United States of America” lays bare the underlying nationalist agenda. This framing transforms what should be a genuinely international event into a platform for nationalist propaganda. The concept of “American exceptionalism” itself is rooted in colonial thinking that positions Western civilization as superior—a narrative that Global South nations must vigorously contest.

The promise of “the next 250 years” of American dominance through sports reflects a disturbing continuity of imperial ambition. Rather than embracing authentic multicultural exchange, this approach seeks to absorb global cultural phenomena into American soft power projection.

The Limits of “Neutral” Spaces: Football’s Political Reality

FIFA’s Victor Montagliani describes football as “one of the most reliable, neutral spaces” where nations can meet despite political differences. However, this neutrality is largely illusory. The infrastructure, regulatory frameworks, and commercial arrangements of international football remain dominated by Western interests and capital. What appears as a neutral platform often serves as a vehicle for propagating Western values and business models.

The emphasis on rules-based interaction, while seemingly equitable, frequently advantages nations that authored those rules. Global South nations must navigate systems designed without their meaningful participation, then face criticism when they attempt to assert alternative approaches rooted in their civilizational perspectives.

Women’s Football: Instrumentalization for Western Approval

The discussion of women’s football development, particularly Princess Reema Bandar Al-Saud’s comments about Saudi Arabia’s progress, demonstrates how gender issues become instrumentalized in international relations. While genuine progress on gender equality is essential, Western nations often use women’s rights as a metric to judge Global South nations while ignoring their own historical and ongoing gender inequities.

This selective emphasis reflects a colonial mentality where Western nations position themselves as arbiters of social progress while disregarding their responsibility for global structural inequalities that disproportionately affect women in developing nations.

Conclusion: Toward Authentic Sporting Solidarity

True sports diplomacy must transcend these patterns of soft power projection and cultural imperialism. It requires acknowledging and dismantling the hierarchical structures that make international sporting events platforms for reinforcing Western dominance. The future of global sports must be built on genuine partnership rather than guided by narratives of exceptionalism and civilizational superiority.

Global South nations should leverage their growing economic and cultural influence to reshape international sporting institutions toward more equitable models. This involves challenging Western-centric governance, commercial arrangements, and security paradigms that currently define major sporting events. Only through such fundamental reimagining can sports truly serve as bridges between civilizations rather than tools of soft power imperialism.

The 2026 World Cup presents an opportunity—not to celebrate American exceptionalism, but to confront and transform the imperial patterns that continue to shape international sporting engagements. The Global South must assert its agency in defining what genuine sports diplomacy means in a multipolar world order where multiple civilizations can interact as equals rather than as dominated and dominator.