What happens when sports puts a country at the center of the global conversation?
From the FIFA World Cup to the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, global sporting events are about far more than competition. They are powerful stages for storytelling, national identity, cultural exchange, economic opportunity, and diplomacy.
Next in Sports explores what countries and cities can do with that moment. Major sporting events increasingly shape global perceptions, drive policy decisions, attract investment, build community, and create a legacy that extends far beyond the field of play.
Drawing lessons from the 2026 FIFA World Cup and other major global sporting moments, the conversation will ask: What does successful sports diplomacy look like? How can host cities turn global attention into meaningful and sustainable impact? And as the spotlight shifts from World Cup 2026 toward the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles, what lessons can Southern California carry forward?
Admission/Cost: $15
Location:
UCSD Division of Extended Studies
8980 Villa La Jolla Drive
La Jolla, CA
Saturday, November 14 - 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
