{"id":612712,"date":"2025-12-05T00:30:21","date_gmt":"2025-12-05T00:30:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/612712\/"},"modified":"2025-12-05T00:30:21","modified_gmt":"2025-12-05T00:30:21","slug":"how-the-united-states-can-harness-its-sports-diplomacy-moment-as-the-fifa-world-cup-nears","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/612712\/","title":{"rendered":"How the United States can harness its sports diplomacy moment, as the FIFA World Cup nears"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>              <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-07-13T231311Z_607337183_RC2XLFAJIJET_RTRMADP_3_USA-TRUMP-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"How the United States can harness its sports diplomacy moment, as the FIFA World Cup nears\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Watch the event<\/p>\n<p>The 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will play out across the United States, Mexico, and Canada, will be \u201can overload, a true plethora of opportunities,\u201d said the White House\u2019s Andrew Giuliani on Thursday, \u201cnot just for American citizens that are traveling within the country, but also international visitors that are coming in to enjoy the World Cup.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Giuliani, the executive director of the White House Task Force on the FIFA World Cup 2026, spoke at an Atlantic Council <a href=\"https:\/\/www.atlanticcouncil.org\/event\/beyond-the-game-the-new-frontiers-of-sports-diplomacy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">event<\/a> on the importance of sports diplomacy on the eve of Friday\u2019s World Cup draw.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf we are able to nail this one,\u201d Giuliani said, \u201cI think this is going to be one of these recurring things where it\u2019s not just going to be a decade of major sports, but a century of major sports moving forward here in the United States.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Giuliani estimated the economic output of the upcoming tournament at thirty billion dollars. US Representative Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA) also pointed to the windfall the World Cup will bring, as well as the broader impact of the United States as a World Cup host.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen we talk about sports diplomacy,\u201d Kamlager-Dove explained, \u201cwe\u2019re really talking about a way to open the door to new opportunities,\u201d particularly economic opportunities around tourism, job growth, and infrastructure.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSport is a great equalizer in an incredibly unequal world,\u201d she added. \u201cAnd so we have got to engage with as many folks as possible and lean into the power of sports diplomacy.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Below are more highlights from the event, during which foreign diplomats, US officials, and figures from the world of soccer gathered at our studios to talk about the power of sports diplomacy and the opportunities sporting events bring to local communities.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>How the White House plans to \u201cnail\u201d the tournament<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-12-04T125928Z_41681508_MT1SIPA0009SIGAL_RTRMADP_3_SIPA-USA-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-892214\"  \/>White House Task Force on the FIFA World Cup 2026 Executive Director Andrew Giuliani delivers remarks during a fireside chat on December 4, 2025 at the Atlantic Councilin Washington DC. Photo via Lenin Nolly\/Sipa USA.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Giuliani explained that his task force\u2019s discussions focus closely on \u201csafety\u201d and \u201csecurity,\u201d from protecting people in stadiums to ensuring air travelers arrive safely. He said to expect an announcement in the coming weeks on the administration\u2019s security approach.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>He also talked about the United States\u2019 new FIFA Priority Appointment Scheduling System, which expedites visa applications for ticket holders. \u201cI think this is a perfect example of balancing the safety and security that we want,\u201d he argued, \u201cnot just for these games, but also for the country and for international tourists and visitors coming in, while also making sure that we are welcoming and opening a front door.\u201d\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>That welcome, he argued, is important. \u201cThis is a great opportunity,\u201d he said, \u201cto show off to the world American exceptionalism, our first 250 years, the true greatness of the United States of America, and the hope and promise of the next 250 years.\u201d\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber added that, with the World Cup, \u201cthe entire world is going to see that the world\u2019s game actually lives here in our country,\u201d as demonstrated by the growth of women\u2019s soccer and the high interest among the country\u2019s youth.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The world\u2019s equalizer<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Kamlager-Dove, who introduced the bipartisan <a href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/119th-congress\/house-bill\/5021\/text\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">American Decades of Sports Act<\/a> to create a US sports diplomacy strategy, explained that sports offer a doorway for connection with other people. On the other side, \u201cwe can then engage on other important issues like clean water, like solid infrastructure, like feeding starving children,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>FIFA\u2019s Victor Montagliani\u2014who leads the Confederation of North, Central America and the Caribbean Association Football\u2014added that \u201cfootball is one of the most reliable, neutral spaces,\u201d so \u201cnations that may disagree politically still meet on the pitch. Cultures that may clash still follow the same rules.\u201d\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>\u201cFootball is not just entertainment, it\u2019s not just business, and it\u2019s not just competition,\u201d Montagliani said. \u201cIt really is . . . the most diplomatic platform that this globe has.\u201d\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Princess Reema Bandar Al-Saud, the Saudi ambassador to the United States, agreed, adding that soccer is \u201cabout human engagement.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>\u201cThere are wars all around the world, but this is the pitch where people can come and forget all of that and say, \u2018I\u2019m your equal,\u2019\u201d she explained.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>A global unifier<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Giuliani noted of the 2026 World Cup participants: \u201cYou have three countries that might have different politics, different beliefs, different ideas, but they all banded together.\u201d Montagliani similarly argued that \u201cthrough a football-first philosophy,\u201d the type of collaboration that seemed \u201claughable\u201d became \u201centirely achievable.\u201d\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>\u201cThe beauty about North America,\u201d Montagliani argued, is that attendees from around the world have \u201ca piece\u201d in the region: \u201cThey may have a relative, they may have a friend, somebody that\u2019s come here and immigrated here,\u201d he explained. \u201cFootball is a sport of immigrants, no different than the countries that were built by immigrants.\u201d\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Moroccan Ambassador to the United States Youssef Amrani highlighted how the 2030 World Cup will see, for the first time, two countries on different continents (Morocco and Spain) co-hosting. \u201cIt is a strong message,\u201d he said, adding that the cooperation \u201cis important for as far as security, migration issues, [and] economic development.\u201d\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>But soccer also \u201cunites the people inside the same country,\u201d Amrani argued. Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas echoed that message, explaining how his city snagged a spot as a World Cup host thanks to collaboration between \u201cpolitical figures from across the political aisle\u201d\u2014and Lucas said such collaboration is continuing to prepare the city for the global sporting event.\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>With the World Cup preparations, \u201cwe have seen commonalities and relationships that don\u2019t exist regularly in American politics,\u201d Lucas said, \u201cand I think foundationally it shows the power of the World Cup, and it shows the power of sports.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>A propeller for economies<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The legacy of this World Cup, Garber argued, \u201cwill be all the great things that\u2019ll happen in the community,\u201d including the expansion of job opportunities.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Al-Saud explained how the opportunity to host the World Cup in 2034 has required her country to invest more in Saudi soccer teams, programs, and infrastructure\u2014and, ultimately, in young people. \u201cThis industry is an industry that uplifts people everywhere it goes,\u201d she argued.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Amrani agreed, saying that the soccer industry in Morocco has unleashed \u201copportunity for jobs, for investment, for infrastructure,\u201d such as more modern trains and solar panels. He also highlighted the sport\u2019s role in fostering \u201csocial inclusion.\u201d\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Montagliani pointed out that women\u2019s soccer is growing \u201cat a record pace,\u201d which has created additional pathways for sports diplomacy.\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Al-Saud noted that regulatory shifts and investments have played a role in accelerating women\u2019s soccer in Saudi Arabia, but she argued that the most powerful force has been an \u201cunderstanding as a nation that a young woman\u2019s right to compete is equal to a young man\u2019s right to compete.\u201d\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>She appealed to the private sector for more investments in women\u2019s soccer: \u201cHelp us catch up,\u201d she said. \u201cThe young ladies deserve it. They have the skill, they have the talent, they are just seeking the opportunity.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Katherine Golden is an associate director of editorial at the Atlantic Council.<\/p>\n<p>Watch the event<\/p>\n<p>                            Further reading<\/p>\n<p class=\"ac-single-post--marquee--caption\">Image: US President Donald Trump looks on as he presents Paris St. Germain&#8217;s Ousmane Dembele the runners up medal after Chelsea won at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on July 13, 2025. Photo via REUTERS\/Kevin Lamarque\/Pool.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Watch the event The 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will play out across the United States, Mexico, and&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":612713,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5311],"tags":[49,978,659],"class_list":{"0":"post-612712","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-united-states","8":"tag-united-states","9":"tag-us","10":"tag-usa"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115664141387641282","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/612712","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=612712"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/612712\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/612713"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=612712"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=612712"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=612712"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}