Soccer: The Beautiful Game
2026 Spring Lecture Series in Washington
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.
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 descretion of the GHI. Registration does not guarantee access once event capacity is reached.
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
Fireside Chat with 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)