Soccer Scholar to Speak on World Cup and National Images

Oliver Knabe of the University of Dayton will give a public talk Monday titled "FIFA World Cups and National Images: A German Perspective" in celebration of the annual induction ceremony of Delta Phi Alpha National German Honor Society.

With the 2026 FIFA World Cup fast approaching, we might ask how these global sporting events can shape national images. Through the lens of Germany's rich football history, Knabe looks at three tournaments (1954, 1966, and 2006) and at the processes that helped collectives to imagine their own but also other nations.

While examining the media discourses surrounding these events, the audience will be invited to reflect on the upcoming tournament co-hosted by the United States. (How) will this tournament be linked to U.S. history? (How) will it impact our own self-perception? Can the tournament help us shape a desired image of the United States? And how might other nations perceive the U.S.?

The talk, which is sponsored by the German Program, will be held from 5-6 p.m. March 9 in Kimpel 112 and is open to the public.