The soccer soft power contrast between Qatar and Iceland speaks volumes. A comparison of the strategies of both countries demonstrates that it takes more than money to leverage soccer to create political, geopolitical and economic opportunity. Money and world soccer body FIFA’s desire to take one of the world’s foremost sporting events beyond Europe and the Americas helped Qatar win the right to host the 2022 World Cup.

This week, espnW and U.S. Department of State launched the fifth year of the Global Sports Mentoring Program (GSMP) [...] During the program, the mentors will share valuable business leadership skills and assist the emerging leaders in developing strategic action plans aimed at creating sports opportunities for underserved women and girls in their home countries.

A month earlier, the blossoming mood of rapprochement was given a sprinkling of goodwill when a New York Cosmos team including Brazilian legend Pele in their delegation traveled to Havana to face Cuba in a friendly. It highlighted the role sport has played to thaw hitherto chilly relations between the two nations, a strategic tool the United States has made use of repeatedly for decades. 

United World talks to Indonesia’s Minister of Youth and Sports Imam Nahrawi to discuss the country’s success at the 2016 Rio Olympics, as well as the importance of Indonesia’s youth-demographic bonus. [...] In principle, sport is a tool of unifying a nation, sport is unity, it also means diversity, and sport is a way to eliminate all differences. 

Sports are an intrinsic part of the American life — bringing folks together on the field, in the backyard and around the TV. But sports are also bringing people together in an even bigger way — people from different continents, cultures and walks of life — thanks to a concept called sports diplomacy.

The Global Center for Sport Diplomacy, [...] is focused on using sports to connect people and empower them with confidence, health and wellness, and visibility. "For women and girls in particular, sport can build confidence, and for those with disabilities it can do that and more," Mushett said.

This year’s Super Bowl had more than 15 million Chinese viewers, [...] Live NFL games are routinely streamed in China, and grassroots organizations like the American Football League of China have helped spread awareness by teaching adults how to play. In March, the NFL announced plans to play its first actual game in China in 2018.

The Kyrgyz Republic is home to the pearl of Central Asia – Lake Issyk-Kul, a government protected biosphere reserve and recognised by UNESCO as the second-largest high mountain lake in the world. [...] Cholpon-Ata, a city in the heart of this region, is host to the Second World Nomad Games. Around 10,000 people were present at its spectacular opening ceremony.