The World Cup's historical role in national identity

From national pride to fascism: how countries have used the World Cup to build identity

Every World Cup, from Uruguay and Italy in 1930 and 1934, to Russia and Qatar in 2018 and 2022, has been to an extent about presenting an image to the world This was originally published in the newsletter The World Behind the Cup. Sign up for it here. Football fans will be well aware that in 1930 Uruguay both hosted and won the first World Cup, but less well known is the diplomatic backstory of the country’s entry on to the international sporting stage. In the 1920s, Uruguay’s foreign minis...

By Jonathan Wilson