My article in Revue Conflits: The 2026 World Cup, a tournament shaped by energy
I published an article in Revue Conflits on the energy dimension of the 2026 World Cup.
Since South Africa in 2010, the World Cup has stayed within the orbit of the major hydrocarbon producers: Brazil and its offshore oil in 2014, Russia in 2018, Qatar in 2022, and now the North American trio led by the world’s leading producer of oil and gas. The game has become a matter of energy.
The article distinguishes three uses of energy rent: energy as a weapon, which Russia experienced before being excluded after its aggression against Ukraine; energy as charm, with Qatar and Saudi Arabia buying clubs and sponsoring FIFA to build durable soft power; and energy as law, with the United States setting its own terms. It closes on the French paradox: a tournament favourite, France has world-class energy companies — EDF, Engie, TotalEnergies — without depending on domestic hydrocarbons, relying instead on technical excellence and innovation.