The Beautiful Game – Globalizing Soccer
May 13, 2026 | 6pm ET
Fireside Chat at GHI Washington | Speakers: Dee Kundra (FC Bayern Americas) and Steven Goff (Yahoo Sports). Moderator: Samuel Jackisch (ARD German Radio and Television)
2026 Spring Lecture Series: Soccer: The Beautiful Game
Globalizing Soccer: Clubs, Leagues, and Fan Culture between the Local and the World
This event brings together practitioners and media voices to examine the complex relationships between international club branding, league expansion, and the cultural identities of fans. Together, they will explore how soccer has evolved into a truly global phenomenon while remaining deeply rooted in local contexts. Focusing on the intersections of sport, business, and media, the discussion will address how clubs and leagues navigate global markets, build transnational audiences, and respond to the challenges of commercialization and cultural diversity. The event will also highlight the enduring importance of local traditions and community connections in shaping the game's global appeal.
Doors will open at 5:30 pm and will close promptly at 6:00 pm with the beginning of the lecture. Access to the lecture after doors close will be at discretion of the GHI. Registration does not guarantee access once event capacity is reached.
The lecture will be recorded and made available for viewing.
About the Series
Soccer: The Beautiful Game
Soccer, the world’s most popular sport, unites people across continents, cultures, and languages. For over a century, the game and its institutions have been inherently global in nature, with clubs, leagues, national teams, and tournaments drawing people together from around the world, while local aspects such as fan culture have contributed significantly to soccer’s global success. The (hi)story of the “beautiful game,” however, is not only a positive one. Corruption, scandals, and discrimination have plagued the sport since its early beginnings and form a significant part of the game’s story.
On the occasion of this summer’s men’s soccer World Cup, hosted across Mexico, Canada, and the United States, the GHI Washington’s 2026 Spring Lecture Series, “Soccer: The Beautiful Game,” will explore the sport’s impact from multiple perspectives: popularizing soccer, globalizing soccer, and paying for soccer. The series will feature leading scholars and seasoned practitioners offering diverse insights into the sport’s popularity, globality, and financial aspects.
Organized by by Sarah Beringer, Andreas Greiner, and Ulrike von Hirschhausen German Historical Institute Washington in cooperation with the German Embassy Washington.
Popularizing Soccer - Soccer in the United States before 1950: The First Golden Age?
March 26, 2026 | 6pm ET
Brian D. Bunk(University of Massachusetts Amherst)
Globalizing Soccer - Clubs, Leagues, and Fan Culture between the Local and the World
May 13, 2026 | 6pm ET
Dee Kundra (Managing Director FC Bayern Americas) and Steven Goff (Yahoo Sports). Moderator Samuel Jackisch (ARD German Radio and Television)
Paying for Soccer - The Financial Hole in the Beautiful Game
June 4, 2026 | 6pm ET
Stefan Szymanski (University of Michigan)