When people think about power in international relations, their minds often go straight to armies, weapons, and trade deals. Hard power dominates headlines because it feels more dramatic and measurable. But quietly, another kind of influence has shaped global politics for centuries—soft power. It is the ability of a country to attract and persuade, to inspire admiration rather than enforce obedience. And nowhere does soft power become more visible than through culture, media, and sports.
Take the example of American movies. For decades, Hollywood has done something the Pentagon could never do: shape the imagination of millions across the world. A teenager in Cairo or Karachi may never meet an American diplomat, but they know Batman, Disney characters, and Marvel superheroes. These stories carry more than entertainment. They subtly project values of freedom, individuality, and consumer culture. Whether one agrees or not, they plant images that last longer than policy speeches. Culture, when wrapped in music, film, or literature, has a way of bypassing political filters and speaking directly to human emotions.
Sports offer another fascinating lens. The Olympics, for instance, are more than games. They are a stage where nations showcase talent, unity, and identity. Think about the Cold War years. Every medal between the United States and the Soviet Union felt like a symbolic victory of one system over the other. Even today, hosting the Olympics or the FIFA World Cup is not only about sports infrastructure. It is a declaration: “We belong to the world stage. We have something to offer.” Qatar’s investment in the 2022 World Cup illustrates this well. Beyond football, it was about visibility, prestige, and positioning itself as a cultural hub in the Middle East.
Media adds another dimension. News outlets like BBC, Al Jazeera, or CNN are not just businesses. They are instruments of narrative power. They frame conflicts, highlight some stories while ignoring others, and influence how the world perceives regions or crises. During the Arab Spring, social media amplified voices of protesters in ways that old diplomacy never could. Platforms like Twitter and Facebook suddenly became geopolitical actors, reshaping how governments engaged with both citizens and the international community. Even memes, often dismissed as silly internet jokes, sometimes carry political weight. A viral cartoon or video can embarrass leaders, spread resistance, or create solidarity across borders.
Soft power is not always intentional. Sometimes a cultural wave spreads without careful planning. Take South Korea’s K-pop and dramas. What started as local entertainment exploded into global phenomena. BTS concerts in Europe or America turn into cultural festivals, bringing Korean language, fashion, and values to foreign audiences. This was not forced by policy. It grew organically, but the South Korean government quickly realized its diplomatic value and started supporting the “Korean Wave.” Now it’s part of their foreign strategy, drawing tourists, investments, and goodwill.
Contrast this with countries that ignore or suppress their cultural assets. They may build tanks and rockets, but without stories, symbols, or sports heroes, they struggle to win hearts. People rarely fall in love with a missile, but they can fall in love with a song, a film, or an athlete’s triumph. That emotional connection creates goodwill, which later translates into diplomatic leverage. A student who first admired a country’s music might later choose to study there, bringing long-term economic and political ties.
At the same time, soft power is fragile. Cultural exports can backfire if they appear too forced or inauthentic. Propaganda dressed as art rarely convinces. Audiences are quick to sense manipulation. A balance between genuine creativity and strategic support is necessary. The Soviet Union once invested heavily in ballet and space exploration as symbols of prestige. They inspired awe, but when the political system collapsed, much of that aura faded. Authenticity, it seems, outlives propaganda.
It’s worth asking why soft power matters at all in a world still shaped by military alliances and trade wars. The answer lies in persuasion. Hard power can force compliance, but it cannot create loyalty. A country admired for its culture often faces less resistance when pursuing its policies. France invests heavily in preserving its language abroad through cultural institutes. China spends billions promoting Confucius Institutes to spread language and philosophy. Both efforts are about creating familiarity that smooths over political differences.
Yet soft power does not always equal soft politics. Sometimes it can clash with governments’ hard actions. The United States projects freedom and democracy through its culture, but wars and interventions often undermine that image. Similarly, China’s rich cultural heritage and rising media presence sometimes collide with concerns about censorship and human rights. Soft power thrives when it aligns with reality; it stumbles when there is a gap between the story and the truth.
Sports diplomacy shows this tension too. Athletes often become informal ambassadors, whether they want to or not. Muhammad Ali, adored worldwide, gave America a unique cultural capital, but his criticisms of war also reflected contradictions within the U.S. system. Recently, Russian athletes faced bans due to geopolitical conflicts, showing how quickly the symbolic world of sports can be politicized. What was once a unifying spectacle can turn into an arena for disputes.
Still, the enduring lesson is clear: culture, media, and sports speak a universal language. A Bollywood movie in Nigeria, a Turkish drama in Latin America, a Brazilian footballer celebrated in Europe—these are forms of diplomacy beyond embassies. They do not require translation because they tap into emotions shared by all humans: joy, pride, grief, aspiration.
In today’s digital world, soft power travels faster and wider. A TikTok dance trend can reach more people than a presidential speech. A documentary on climate change can spark more activism than a diplomatic summit. That does not make hard power irrelevant. Military and economic strength still shape borders and treaties. But without soft power, even the strongest nations often find themselves isolated or misunderstood.
Perhaps the best way to see this balance is to remember how people form opinions. Most of us do not read policy documents. We remember songs, movies, victories, and images. When a child wears a football jersey of another country’s team, that country gains a silent fan. When a university offers scholarships that change a life, the goodwill lasts decades. That is the hidden strength of soft power—it lives in memories and emotions, not just headlines.
So, in the arena of international relations, culture, media, and sports are not side shows. They are central stages. They win battles not of territory but of imagination. And in the long run, imagination often outlasts armies.