Why Globalization Hurts Football

To most people, issues related to globalization revolve around open economies and free trade. Yet the effects of globalization can be felt in many more arenas, including in the world of professional football. From a certain standpoint, globalization may be said to be the enemy of the distinct styles of play that have traditionally made the sport a theatre for the display of national character. Major European football clubs have recently emphasized a new policy of importing foreign talent to build their rosters rather than fostering the identities of homegrown players. As a result, the distinctively Spanish style of play, for example, is becoming muddled. Fans are no longer witness to epic battles between cultures when games are played. Instead teams are playing versions of the game that have become homogenized into a hazily defined “international style” with no precedent, tradition or essential aspects. Football ironically paid more tribute to diversity before globalization obscured the considered expression of cultural difference. If globalization’s avowed purpose is to bring disparate peoples, influences, and cultures together, it must also respect the boundaries of their essential characters. A “world culture,” is only truly exciting when it exemplifies the diversity of its sources. To do this, some level of purity and differentiation must always remain. – YaleGlobal