Why the U.S. Needs a Better Strategy for Sports Diplomacy

Friday’s draw was the opening act of the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The event, held in Washington D.C., was the latest act in the “Decade of American Sports” — in which the U.S. will host a string of elite tournaments and mega-events, including the 2028 and 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Games. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] This ambitious agenda puts the spotlight on the country’s sports diplomacy, in which athletic endeavors serve as an arena for gaining influence, cultivating international leadership, interacting with foreign audiences, and facilitating conversations that can lead to better understandings.  A slate of bipartisan co-sponsors has introduced H.R. 5021 “The American Decade of Sports Act,” to create a U.S. sports diplomacy strategy to capitalize upon these hosting duties. The U.S. has engaged in sports diplomacy for more than a century. Yet, the country has never had a coherent, clearly articulated, officially recognized game plan to guide these efforts. This history suggests that developing one will be crucial to maximizing the positive impact of the country’s decade at the center of the sports universe.  The earliest U.S. sports diplomats from the government were two African American consuls stationed in France in the early 20th century. George H. Jackson and William H. Hunt both used rugby as a means to engage on a personal level in their consular districts. They secured fields for practice, recruited players, and served as founding fathers of two rugby clubs.  Other American diplomats and officials during this…

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