At a time when the United States runs the danger of being perceived as an arrogant, self-obsessed superpower, the nation’s newfound enthusiasm to both share its football with new markets and to adapt the world’s version of the sport provides a powerful counter-narrative. Geopolitical strategists dismiss the power of sport at their own peril; it is arguably the most potent form of what the political scientist Joseph Nye famously termed “soft power.” That’s why regimes including Putin’s Russia, Communist China, and the wealthy monarchies of the Persian Gulf have invested so heavily through the years to associate themselves—much in the same way automakers or beer brands do—with sport.
To wit, Roger Goodell isn’t a U.S. diplomat, but he is doing more than his fair share to make the United States more relatable and likable to people around the world as he pursues commercial growth for his business.