Routledge Handbook of Sport and Soft Power

This is the first book to fully examine - in depth and breadth - the topic of sport as soft power.

With nation states increasingly realising the potential of sport as a geopolitical tool, and with sporting organisations becoming increasingly visible and influential as political actors on the global stage, this book explores the international politics of sport and the geopolitical trends that are likely to shape international sport for decades to come. The book begins by defining ‘soft power’ and looking at how international relations theory can help us to better understand the geopolitical significance of sport. The book then takes a close look at how sport has been used as soft power around the world, offering detailed case studies of more than thirty countries, including the US, the UK, China, Russia, the Gulf states, Brazil, Australia, Turkey, and South Africa. A final section examines some important key themes and contemporary issues in the geopolitics of sport, including sportswashing, human rights, the power of transnational corporations, and gender in sporting mega-events.

Representing an unparalleled resource on one of the most important issues in contemporary sport, this book is essential reading for anybody with an interest in the politics of sport, sport governance, sport development, event studies, international relations, diplomacy, or international organisations.

Paul Michael Brannagan is Reader in Sport Policy and Management at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK. His research focuses on the political role of sport and major sporting events in national policy contexts, and international relations. He is one of the foremost scholars on sport and soft power, having published extensively on the topic. Paul has regularly provided expert comment on the politics of sport to numerous major media networks, including The Sunday Times, BBC World Service, Sky News, The Guardian, and the New York Times.

Jonathan Grix is Professor of Sport Politics and Policy and Head of the Sport Policy Unit in the Business and Law Faculty at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK. He is a global leader in the field of sport and politics having published widely on sport politics, sports policy, and soft power and sports mega-events. Jonathan is the Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics.

Danyel Reiche is Associate Professor in the Department of Government and Society at United Arab Emirates University (UAEU). He was previously a Visiting Associate Professor at Georgetown University in Qatar, where he led a research initiative on the FIFA World Cup 2022. For the Journal of Arabian Studies, he edited a special issue on Qatar’s World Cup goals, and for Soccer & Society, he co-edited a special issue on FIFA’s North American World Cup. Danyel also chairs the Political Studies Association (PSA) Sport and Politics Group.