Nation Branding and Sports Diplomacy: Country Image Games in Times of Change

This book critically discusses the role of sports in nation branding and public diplomacy during the years 2020 and 2022, as the world was going through a global pandemic and health, economic, social, and political crises. The book argues that the use of sports for nation branding and public diplomacy goals is not new, but the changes the world went through required nations, places, communities, and individuals to modify and adapt the ways they use sports for country image purposes. After discussing global changes, the book outlines the theoretical frameworks of nation branding and public diplomacy, and discusses their manifestations through the evolution of the FIFA World Cup, the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, the role of Title IX in American sports, the European Super League, the Oregon22 World Athletics Championships, the emergence of sport-tech diplomacy, and though the role of sports and the global order in an ever-changing world.

Yoav Dubinsky is an Instructor of Sports Business in the Lundquist College of Business at the University of Oregon, researching sports, nation branding and public diplomacy. As a global scholar and a former journalist, Dubinsky covered or researched international sports for almost 20 years, including from four Olympic Games.