How Sport Shapes Soft Power

Using measures such as a record of successful event hosting, the global influence of a nation’s athletes, and the maturity of each countries’ sport industry, the U.S. again came out on top.

It’s easy to understand why.

For instance, among Sports Pro Media’s top-50 most marketable athletes in the world, seventeen of them are American, the likes of Simone Biles and Stephen Curry appealing to audiences around the world through a combination of successful performances, strong image and reputation, and attractiveness.

The latter is the essence of soft power, often referred to as attractive power, whereby seductive appeal and reassuring presence serve as the basis for engaging people and organizations in other countries.

For some observers, soft power can be a somewhat nebulous, intangible concept although it does have a hard bottom line, enhancing what others think about you, boosting relations with other nations, and ultimately driving global sales of everything from team merchandise to media rights.

The U.S. Could Face Problems Ahead

Cracks are nevertheless beginning to appear in U.S. soft power. Brand Finance’s 2026 report highlights the inconvenient truth that over the last twelve months the country’s soft power has declined more sharply than any other country in the world.

Meanwhile, the U.S. only takes third place in Portland Communications’ soft power league table, behind the U.K. and Germany. France follows in fourth, nearly bumping the U.S. from its spot in the top three.

In theory, this summer’s hosting of the FIFA World Cup should provide a timely boost to the U.S. Indeed, Monocle’s annual soft power survey routinely notes how important hosting mega-events—and major football tournaments —is helps countries boost their global standing.

But this is not guaranteed, indeed most of the above soft power reports include cautionary notes that highlight how fractiousness and the unpredictability of U.S. government are undermining the country’s trustworthiness, public sentiment, and global attractiveness.

The situation is being exacerbated by public concerns about safety and security, U.S. interventions in the Middle East, and recently by the reported lobbying by officials in Washington DC to have Italy play in the tournament with Iran being excluded.

It remains unclear how plausible the latter might be, but it implies the U.S. is willing to ignore international rules and instead strike a deal for Italy to compete thus portraying the country as being dismissive and arrogant.

FIFA And U.S. Soft Power

At the same time, a franchised erosion of U.S. soft power is being perpetrated by world football’s global governing FIFA, which has always seen this summer’s tournament as a major revenue generating opportunity.

This has resulted in all manner of concerns being raised by fans and observers; for instance, that ticket prices are too high and are discouraging people from attending games.

In the pursuit of commercial gain, as well as tournament stability, FIFA’s president Gianni Infantino has been a regular visitor to the Oval Office and is often seen in the company of Donald Trump.

Last December, this culminated in the president receiving FIFA’s newly inaugurated Peace Award, which even now is still viewed cynically and is subject to widespread derision.

Why The 2026 World Cup Feels Inauthentic To Fans

The collateral effect of FIFA’s actions is that in the minds of many people worldwide, the U.S. has been complicit in creating an inauthentic World Cup which betrays the roots of football and the ignores the needs of its fans.

Perhaps the U.S. national team will play attractive football this summer, engaging new fans and admirers overseas.

Maybe stadium experiences will be something enticing that many people have never encountered before, after all U.S. venues are unlike most others anywhere else.

It could be that the hospitality and friendship that people in the U.S offer to visitors from around the world will promote positive perceptions and attitudes of the country.

So, the World Cup hasn’t yet become an American soft power apocalypse, there are still some potentially significant wins to be had.

However, the pressure’s on and the year-end soft power rankings will ultimately reveal to us whether the World Cup has helped or hindered U.S. soft power.