One of the most well-documented sources for understanding and explaining the development of international sport in recent decades is the book “Autocracy Inc. – The Dictators Who Want to Run the World”, which was published last summer. The book, written by internationally renowned historian and political commentator Anne Applebaum, describes two frightening trends: the increasing dominance of autocracies in the world order and the autocracies’ contempt for and hatred of core democratic values such as freedom of speech and assembly, the separation of legislative, executive and judicial institutions, and democratic control through free elections for all citizens.
Autocracies use sports as a tool for domestic and foreign policy
Autocracy is a form of government in which power is concentrated in one dictatorial leader or groups of leaders who are backed by powerful networks. The networks consist of advanced economic systems, security services such as the military, paramilitary groups and police, and technological experts in surveillance, propaganda and disinformation. It is obvious that great powers such as China and Russia have these characteristics, but also countries such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Hungary and Rwanda are modern autocracies, characterized by corruption and the persecution of political opponents who want democracy. It is equally obvious that autocracies are increasingly consciously, strategically and systematically using sports as a tool for domestic and foreign policy.
Modern autocracies are not governed by ideology, but by self-interest and profit maximization. Globalization has meant that autocracies, often with state-controlled companies as “ambassadors”, are part of economic networks both with other autocracies and, not least, with commercial partners in Western democracies, multinational investment funds and global tech and media companies.
Almost ¾ of the world’s population lives in autocracies
It is estimated that among the world’s more than 200 countries, there are almost equal numbers of democracies and autocracies, and that 71 percent of the world’s population lives in autocracies – a proportion that has increased from 48 percent in 2013. The anti-democratic currents are a global challenge, which is particularly pronounced in Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe. More autocracies and fewer democracies among the world’s countries have a great influence on international sports organizations. The vast majority of international federations’ general assemblies are based on each member country having one vote, regardless of how many athletes the country has, and each vote counts equally. This means that autocracies – countries where principles of transparency, open dialogue, human rights and democratic control are either limited or completely absent – are gaining greater and greater influence on the crucial decisions of international federations. This applies, for example, to the composition of the political leadership of the federations and the allocation of hosting international championships.
It is noteworthy that the world’s two biggest sporting events – the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup in football – have in recent decades mainly been held in autocracies: the 2008 Olympics and the 2022 Winter Olympics in China, the 2014 Winter Olympics and the 2018 FIFA World Cup in football in Russia, the 2014 FIFA World Cup in football and the 2016 Olympics in Brazil and most recently the 2022 FIFA World Cup in football in Qatar.
Is the US on the way to dismantling democracy?
The geopolitical role of the US in the world has changed radically with the election of Donald Trump as president, just as American democracy is seriously threatened by Trump’s countless decrees and orders, which are often in direct conflict with the US Constitution. Trump’s failure to recognize court decisions, violation of migrants’ rights and persecution of political opponents are also weakening democracy in the US. It is well known that the US president has been extremely passionate and financially involved in sports for a number of years. There is also no doubt that Trump will largely use both the 2026 FIFA World Cup in football and the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles as a domestic and foreign policy platform for personal profiling. This was emphasized by several speakers at Play the Game 2025, which was recently held in Finland.
The notion of sport’s autonomy is becoming more and more tragicomic
Over the past few decades, international sport has been challenged by a number of serious threats to the integrity and credibility of sport: doping, match-fixing, illegal gambling, corruption and the absence of good governance, to name just a few. At the same time, international sports organizations such as the IOC, FIFA and WADA have tried, with varying degrees of success, to maintain sport as an autonomous sector without interference from states and private companies. With the rapid rise of autocracies at the expense of democracies, the challenges facing sport seem only to increase in the coming years, just as the notion of sport’s autonomy is becoming more and more tragicomic.
Sources:
Anne Applebaum: Autocracy Inc. – The Dictators Who Want to Run the World (Allen Lane, 2024)
Democracy Winning and Losing at the Ballot – Democracy Report 2024 (V-Dem, University of Gothenburg, Sweden).
Steve Menyra: Sportswashing turns inward as the US faces criticism ahead of major global events (Play the Game 2025 – 6.10.2025) – Sportswashing turns inward as the US faces criticism ahead of major global events
