Global soft power and local effects of the World Cup in Russia, Brazil, and South Africa

Abstract

This chapter analyzes the “soft power” aspect of World Cup 2018 in Russia compared to the recent championships hosted by other BRICS members-South Africa and Brazil. I examine the ways in which World Cup events appeal to national and international audiences and explore the effects of the championships. It begins by reviewing academic and policy scholarship on the effects of World Cups in Brazil and South Africa, focusing on the perceptions and assessment of the championships’ impacts on national football, infrastructure, domestic politics, and international soft power. The chapter then turns to World Cup Russia, highlighting similarities and contrasts with the Brazilian and South African contexts. I examine how this media event was framed for domestic and global audiences in Russian promotional, political, and media materials. Methodologically, the chapter draws on ethnographic interviews in Russia in the summer of 2018, Russian opinion polls, and national/international coverage of the event. World Cup 2018 was perceived as an international success, contributing to the country’s global soft power, yet had more ambivalent effects in Russia’s domestic political context.