International Relations and football: limits and possibilities for China to become a global football power by 2050

Abstract

Under the leadership of president Xi Jinping, the revitalisation of football has become a key strategic goal for China. His three wishes are to qualify regularly, host and win the FIFA World Cup by 2050. Considering the statehood of the international sports system and the Chinese political motivation to achieve such ambitious goals, this paper is going to apply an analysis of football from an International Relations perspective. In this regard, three basic premises are identified for the analysis of football: 1. The national interest in sport is winning titles. 2. The national interest is not as relevant as the state’s ability and capacity to win. 3. More resources and investments may guarantee a better performance, but not necessarily winning titles. In conclusion, although football in China is having a considerable development along this decade, if we consider that the conversion of resources into titles is not the same for every country, China might face a power paradox, being incapable to take advantage of its extraordinary capacities to win titles and become a global football power.