Sport at the heart of the international geopolitical debate

• LALIGA and CESEDEN host the seminar “Geopolitics and Sport”

LALIGA Business School, the official educational arm of LALIGA, and the Higher Centre for National Defence Studies (CESEDEN in Spanish), through the Spanish Institute for Strategic Studies (IEEE in Spanish), have hosted the seminar “Geopolitics & Sport”.

This is the first major joint project under a collaboration agreement, which aims to analyse the role of sport in the current international context with the help of high-level figures from institutions, diplomacy, security and defence experts, and leaders from the sporting ecosystem.

The seminar was opened by Lieutenant General Miguel Ballenilla y García de Gamarra, Director of CESEDEN, and by Javier Tebas, President of LALIGA, who highlighted the importance of integrating geopolitical analysis into the sports industry in the face of an increasingly global and complex environment. The opening address, delivered by Brigadier General Víctor Mario Bados, Director of the IEEE, focused the discussion on the current geopolitical situation and its impact on various strategic sectors, including sport.

The first round-table discussion, “Sport and Geopolitics”, brought together high-profile figures such as Juan Antonio Samaranch (First Vice-President of the IOC), Ignacio Cartagena (Office of His Majesty the King), Federico Aznar (Commander in the Spanish Navy and Senior Analyst at the IEEE) and Javier Tebas, President of LaLiga, who analysed the role of sport as an instrument of soft power, its influence on international relations and its role in shaping global narratives.

The second panel, “World Cup 2030: international cooperation, multilateral diplomacy and country branding”, focused on one of the major milestones in the global sporting calendar. It featured institutional and sporting representatives such as Ángel Losada (Spanish Ambassador), Alberto Bárez (RFEF Director General of Competitions), Ignacio Fuente Cobo (Army Colonel and Senior Analyst at the IEEE) and José Antonio Montero (Director of Institutional Relations at LALIGA), addressing the tournament’s impact in terms of international cooperation, strategic positioning and legacy. José Moya (Director of the LALIGA Business School) brought the day to a close with the seminar’s conclusions.

“LALIGA is now much more than just a competition: it is a global platform that acts as an ambassador for the Spain brand worldwide, reflecting the standard, professionalism and positive image of our football.

“We have built an international leadership position based on pillars such as training, the development of grassroots football, financial control, innovation and the pioneering adoption of AI. This recognition enables us to drive forward agreements and projects with federations, clubs and leagues across multiple countries, consolidating sport as a strategic tool for global influence and cooperation,” said Javier Tebas, president of LALIGA.

“Sport has established itself as a significant factor on the international stage, influencing countries’ global image and fostering opportunities for cooperation, which reinforces the importance of approaching it from a strategic perspective as well,” noted Lieutenant General Miguel Ballenilla y García de Gamarra, Director of CESEDEN.

This initiative forms part of LALIGA Business School’s commitment to offering training that is connected to the realities of the sector and aligned with major global challenges. The mission of LALIGA’s education department is to train the future professionals of sport and entertainment through practical, specialised education geared towards the professionalisation of the industry, with specialised courses and master’s programmes designed by industry professionals. Furthermore, it maintains agreements with international universities and provides training for executives from various sports organisations and federations across five continents.

For its part, the Higher Centre for National Defence Studies (CESEDEN), through the Spanish Institute for Strategic Studies (IEEE), promotes analysis, research and the dissemination of knowledge in the field of security and defence, contributing to the study of strategic environments and the debate on major global challenges from a multidisciplinary perspective.

About CESEDEN

The Higher Centre for National Defence Studies (CESEDEN) is the main joint military training centre of the Spanish Armed Forces, reporting to the Ministry of Defence. Through the Spanish Institute for Strategic Studies (IEEE), it promotes analysis, research and the dissemination of knowledge in the field of security and defence, contributing to the study of strategic environments and the debate on the main global challenges at national and international level.

About LALIGA 

LALIGA is the world’s largest football ecosystem. It is a private sports association comprising the 20 football clubs/SADs of LALIGA EA SPORTS and the 22 of LALIGA HYPERMOTION, responsible for organising professional football competitions at national level. It has over 268 million followers on social media globally, across 16 platforms and in 20 different languages. Headquartered in Madrid (Spain), it boasts the most extensive international network of any sports organisation, with a presence in 35 countries through eight offices. The association carries out its social initiatives through the LALIGA FOUNDATION and is the first professional football league in the world to run a competition for players with intellectual disabilities: LALIGA GENUINE Moeve.