Session 2: International politics and FIFA
Introduction
‘Football has been inscribed with tribalism, protest, military propaganda, political symbols and modes of masculinity since its inception’ (Power et al., 2020)
Within the previous session you were introduced to the concepts of politics and political themes. Both these terms will remain important throughout subsequent sessions.
In this session you are going to explore the impact and influence of international politics. This covers a multitude of themes, including conflicts and power relations between nations and multi-national bodies. FIFA and the World Cup are good examples through which to examine this, and you will learn how the developments of international football from the early 1900s emphasised how sport can become embroiled in wider political trends, arguments and struggles. You will discover how FIFA responded to global political issues, including the contentious issue of ‘sportswashing’ (i.e., cleansing reputations). Finally, you will see insights behind two examples of protest and boycotts of World Cup tournaments.