Global Stage: Sport, Influence, and the Politics of Mega-Events

Global sporting events are not only moments of competition—they are platforms where politics, power, and international influence are on full display.

As Seattle prepares for the FIFA World Cup 2026, it will become part of a global system in which sport is used to project influence, shape reputation, and advance strategic interests. From public investment and governance decisions to debates over labor, human rights, and global perception, these events reveal how deeply sport is intertwined with international affairs.

This conversation will examine the role of mega-events in today’s geopolitical landscape. How do countries use sport to signal power and legitimacy? What are the political and economic stakes of hosting? And how do these global spectacles reflect broader tensions and alignments in the world today?

Join us for a discussion that goes beyond the pitch to explore how sport operates as a tool of global politics—and what it means for Seattle to take part in this high-stakes arena.

About our Speakers:

Dr. Lindsay Sarah Krasnoff is a globally-recognized sports diplomacy expert, speaker, and consultant who helps industry professionals be more effective communicators to international audiences by drawing on her deep expertise in sports, communications, and diplomacy.

Lindsay’s pioneering work as a scholar-practitioner of basketball diplomacy and Franco-American sports diplomacy inscribed the power of individual lived experiences into the public record. Thanks to these blueprints, citizens worldwide can be empowered to be better sports diplomats – or to take inspiration from a sports diplomat’s playbook – in leveling-up their leadership, engagement, and storytelling abilities.

Krasnoff has worked with institutions like the UT Center for Sport, Peace & Society, Laureus Foundation, FIBA Foundation, the NBA Players Association, NBPA Foundation, as well as French and American government representatives and ambassadors, to demystify sports diplomacy and use it as a slam dunk for humanity in their strategic communications, storytelling, professional training, and leadership development efforts.

More speakers to be announced.