Sport, soft disempowerment and the 1966 FIFA World Cup

Sport is increasingly acknowledged as a vital component of the United Kingdom's arsenal of soft power assets. However, the UK's attempts to wring soft power from sport have met with mixed success. Many of the UK's experiences align with an embryonic literature suggesting that sport, as well as enabling the production of soft power, is simultaneously capable of eroding it, a phenomenon dubbed 'soft disempowerment'. Drawing upon original archival documents, this article examines how the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) commandeered the 1966 World Cup and England's victory in the competition in a doomed attempt to communicate positive messages about the UK to foreign audiences. Instead a proliferation of alternative narrations of the event by opposing actors ultimately resulted in disempowerment. The case of 1966 also reveals previously overlooked sources of disempowerment, particularly the paradox of credibility. This arises when governments, to enhance the credibility of their messaging, delegate responsibilities to independent actors and institutions-only for these entities to undermine that credibility through actions that spark controversy or cause offence.