OU Sporting Americanization Essay

On June 13th, 2018, at the 66th Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Congress in Moscow, the hosting rights of the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup (MWC) were awarded to a joint bid of the United States (US), Mexico, and Canada. The North American effort—known as the ‘United Bid’—will be one of firsts. It will be the first time the tournament has a 48-team format (up from 32 teams), the first to use already existing stadiums, facilities, and infrastructure, and the first time three countries have shared the world’s most prestigious and widely viewed soccer tournament. The United Bid received unexpected public and private support from then-President Donald Trump, despite political relations between the U.S. and North American allies being at an historical low-point. Critically examine the United Bid as a soft power strategy and explain how the United Bid was used to advance the political and economic interests of the Trump administration, American corporate multinationals, and the U.S. government. How and why might FIFA have benefited from awarding hosting rights to the United Bid? In other words, how was the awarding of the 2026 MWC to the United Bid a mutually dependent and beneficial arrangement for the United States and FIFA?