Description
During this webinar, the SKEMA Publika team presents the results of the 2025 edition of its ranking on sport and soft power. A discussion follows around three questions that are key to understanding the relationship between sport and soft power:
- Why is soft power important?
- Why do Northern countries dominate the ranking?
- What is the impact of soft power on countries’ citizens?
The speakers
Frédérique Vidal Director of development SKEMA Publika
Simon Chadwick Professor of AfroEurasian sports
Claude Revel, specialist in international strategic intelligence and influence
Brian Wesaala, Founder & CEO at The Football Foundation for Africa
Edith Montes, faculty member at Universidad Anáhuac
Dr Paul Widdop Professor in Sport, Culture and Consumption
Sean Scull Project officer SKEMA Publika
Key takeways
- Introduction by Frédérique Vidal, in which she presents the SKEMA Publika think tank, its mission and its global academic footprint.
- Keynote by Simon Chadwick, where he presents the results of the ranking and the methodology that involved expert panels across three phases: country selection, criteria-based ranking, and validation. Simon highlights that the ranking emphasized the role of sport in projecting national soft power, especially in a geopolitical context.
- The panel discussion is between Claude Revel, Edith Montes Incin, Simon Chadwick, Paul Widdop and Brian Wesaala. Claude Revel emphasizes soft power as a counterbalance to rising hard power. Brian Wesaala highlights Africa’s strategic use of sport for global influence, citing Morocco and Rwanda. Edith Montes Incin discusses Mexico’s evolving approach to sport diplomacy and institutional challenges. Paul Widdop explores the convergence of sport, fashion, and entertainment as a new frontier of soft power.
- The questions from the audience address the methodology of the ranking, the role of cities in their ability to project soft power, gender perspectives, and the future of soft power research.
