O esporte como ferramenta política: megaeventos esportivos e o soft power em governos autoritários

Abstract

This study explores how sports can be used as a political tool, especially by authoritarian governments using mega-sporting events to boost their international image, demonstrate prestige, and promote ideology. Using the concept of soft power as a framework, this research adopts a case study approach to identify common patterns and strategies in four distinct events: the 1936 Berlin Olympics, the 1978 FIFA World Cup in Argentina, the 1980 Moscow Olympics, and the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The study examines the impacts and outcomes of these events, evaluating both the diplomatic and image benefits as well as the associated criticisms and controversies, providing a critical and comprehensive view of the political use of sport in authoritarian contexts. It concludes that, although the institutions organizing mega sporting events attempt to separate politics from sport, this is impossible in practice, as sport is also a political phenomenon. The analysis and the implicit comparison of these cases demonstrates that such association represents a historical trend that remains present today.