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General view of the fans inside the stadium during the FIFA World Cup third place play-off match at Saint Petersburg Stadium, July 14, 2018
AS THE European football championships continue in Germany, new research has revealed that “sportswashing” — the practice of using sporting events or teams to improve a country's reputation — is still highly effective, despite increased awareness of the issue among fans.
Dr Vitaly Kazakov of the School of Environment, Education and Development at the University of Manchester is currently undertaking a research project in Iceland, the nation with the same population as Stoke-on-Trent which surprised everyone by beating England and reaching the semi-finals at Euro 2016.
He has conducted in-depth interviews with a range of football stakeholders there including fans, sport and international affairs journalists, sports club administrators and academics.
Joao Pedro’s emotional goals against Fluminense captured the magic of an international club competition. But even as fans bring colour and passion, the Club World Cup’s deeper issues loom large, writes JAMES NALTON
JAMES NALTON discusses how Fifa claims to be apolitical, but as Infantino and Juventus players stood behind Trump discussing war, gender, and global politics, the line between sport and statecraft vanished
JAMES NALTON discusses the use of dynamic ticket pricing at the 2026 World Cup and how it amplifies a culture already set up to squeeze as much money from fans as possible