After four weeks, 64 games and more than a decade of controversy, Argentina has won the Fifa men’s World Cup in Qatar. And as Lionel Messi and his teammates celebrate victory over France, another competition has also reached its conclusion – the battle for “soft power”.
Soft power is a foreign policy tool. It’s about shaping global perceptions and attitudes using things like music, fashion and sport. The Fifa World Cup is perhaps the ultimate soft power platform, with 32 countries on show to billions of people.
During the event, three types of soft power could be observed: “brilliant” soft power, which comes from high performance levels and generates feelings of admiration; “beautiful” soft power, which inspires hope and a sense of togetherness; and “benign” soft power, which is found in positive attitudes and altruism.
