How The World Cup Is Complicating U.S. Soft Power

BusinessSportsMoneyHow The World Cup Is Complicating U.S. Soft PowerBySimon Chadwick ,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Professor of AfroEurasian Sport, geopolitical of sport specialist.Follow AuthorApr 24, 2026, 11:37am EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.US's Max Arfsten and Belgium's Nathan De Cat fight for the ball during a friendly soccer game between the United States national team and Belgian national soccer team Red Devils in Atlanta, on Saturday 28 March 2026, in preparation for the 2026 World Cup. BELGA PHOTO DIRK WAEM (Photo by DIRK WAEM / BELGA MAG / Belga / AFP via Getty Images)BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty ImagesThe U.S. has long been a soft power behemoth, often appearing at the top of global rankings.In Brand Finance’s 2026 Global Soft Power Index, the accompanying report notes how the country continues to have unmatched familiarity and influence, which is underpinned by traditional strengths in fields such as popular culture, technological innovation and space exploration.This also extends to sport, with rankings in the sector by French think tank Publika in 2025 and the Polish Institute of Sport Diplomacy in 2026 both placing the U.S. first.Sport and soft power dominanceUsing measures such as a record of successful event hosting, the global influence of a nation’s athletes, and the maturity of each countries’ sport industry, the U.S. again came out on top.It’s easy to understand why.For instance, among Sports Pro Media’s top-50 most marketable athletes in the world, seventeen of them are American, the likes of Simone Biles and Stephen Curry appealing to audiences around the world through a combination of successful performances, strong image and reputation, and attractiveness.MORE FOR YOUThe latter is the essence of soft power, often referred to as attractive power, whereby seductive appeal and reassuring presenc...