Tag: Lionel Jospin

Whether devout football fans or opportunists profiting from the mass exposure the World Cup provides, leaders of countries participating in the tournament are using football as a means of communication, and even propaganda. The World Cup in Russia has been under way for over a week now, and despite some of the games not living up to the event's expectations, politics have dominated the pitch. Russian President Vladimir Putin, his Senegalese and French counterparts, Macky Sall and Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and even the Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei and his regional arch-rival, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, have all shown interest, albeit to varying degrees, in this year's World Cup. "Besides the Russian national team's results, winning the bid to organise the World Cup is considered a victory for the Kremlin. For instance, French leaders will be able to reap the political benefits of winning the bid to host the Olympic games in 2024.” Former French president Jacques Chirac and his prime minister Lionel Jospin also benefited from the mass exposure that the 1998 World Cup provided. France was the host nation and proceeded to win its first ever World Cup. Japan's Shinzo Abe posted a video on Twitter where he wore the dark blue jersey of the national team, before Japan played Colombia in its opening game. The clips featured the national team and its supporters, while encouraging speeches they prepared played in the background. Iran’s Ali Khamenei used Twitter to congratulate the Iranian team for its level of play, despite its defeat against Spain (0-1). In a bid to dispel rumours about his lack of appearance, Saudi's Mohammed Bin Salman chose to attend his side’s opening match against Russia.