2024/09/08 by Rasmus K. Storm, Tor Georg Jakobsen, Jo Jakobsen · 1 voice · 1 citation
Social Sciences · Economics, Econometrics and Finance · #Sport and Mega-Event Impacts #Sports, Gender, and Society #Sports Analytics and Performance
paper · doi:10.1080/02614367.2024.2400891
openalex publication_date 2024/09/08 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Research has long aimed to identify the effects of international sporting success or event hostship on nations. Overall findings suggest that tangible benefits are marginal at best. Still, some studies find that sport may have significant intangible effects, such as bolstering (short-term) feelings of national pride or happiness. Following this strand of research, the present research note asks whether international sporting success and/or hostship affects people’s willingness to fight for their country. The connection between sport and international conflict is a plausible one, which scholars have debated for decades. Yet, this is also an issue that is underexplored, especially empirically. To expand on existing research, we analyse time-series cross-sectional survey data. The output from our estimations suggests that citizens’ willingness to fight decreases slightly when their country is hosting a major sport event. Similar effects do not apply to sporting success, even if additional analysis suggests a context-dependent positive relationship. To form a future research agenda, our approach and results are discussed to invite new and alternative research perspectives to improve the understanding of the relationship between sport and (the absence of) conflict.