What is the Role of Sport in Society and International Relations?

Values, competition and cooperation: the anthropological foundation of sport

This theme examines competition as a shared pursuit shaped by common rules and cooperation, rather than conflict.

• Competition in sport is fundamentally cooperative: Sport is grounded in a shared pursuit toward a common goal, where rules enable cooperation rather than conflict.
• Excellence depends on equality, not exclusion: When sport is based on shared rules and equal conditions, competition produces recognition and merit, not exclusion or inequality.
• Sport’s values are lived practices with relevance beyond the field of play: Respect, reciprocity, fairness, and responsibility are operational values that can be transferred to social and institutional life.

Sport and social cohesion: well-being, inclusion, and education

This theme highlights sport’s role in strengthening individual and collective well-being while fostering inclusion, trust, and a sense of belonging.

• Sport strengthens well-being and social capital: Widespread participation in sport is closely linked to improved quality of life, physical and psychological health, confidence, and social capital.
• Sport functions as a public asset and social safeguard: When supported through infrastructure, clubs, and public policy, sport helps communities become more resilient and inclusive, particularly in contexts of marginality, inequality, and urban decay.
• Sport creates inclusive spaces for belonging and participation: By offering an “inclusive tribe,” sport enables multiple identities to coexist without conflict and strengthens civic sense, participation, and collective engagement.

Sport and its economic and technological dimensions: supply chains, events, media and AI

This theme explores sport as a powerful economic engine shaped by global supply chains, major events, and evolving media ecosystems.

• Sport is a significant economic driver: Sport feeds into structured industrial supply chains, generates employment, mobilizes public and private investment, and contributes meaningfully to national economies.
• Major sporting events create unprecedented global impact: Events such as the Olympic Games concentrate global attention and generate economic, media, and symbolic value, while also raising important questions about financial, environmental, and social sustainability.
• Technology and AI are transforming performance and access: Artificial intelligence and analytics are redefining training, injury prevention, and performance models, while also creating opportunities to democratize excellence by expanding access to advanced tools.

Sport and international relations: soft power and sports diplomacy

This theme explores sport’s role as a powerful form of soft power and an increasingly structured tool of international relations.

• Sport functions as a strategic tool of soft power: Historically, sport has contributed to the construction of nations’ image and identity, with athletes and teams acting as informal ambassadors of values and expertise.
• Sport reflects and amplifies geopolitical dynamics: Phenomena such as sportswashing, boycotts, and political instrumentalization highlight both the non-neutrality of sport and its extraordinary symbolic relevance.
• Sports diplomacy can open channels for dialogue: Initiatives like the Olympic Truce demonstrate sport’s ability to create spaces for communication even in conflict situations, where traditional diplomacy faces limitations.