ABSTRACT
Globalization brought the world closer together during the 20th century. With it came global media coverage of major international news and events, included among which were sports such as the Olympic Games and the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup. Both were media successes, as over half of the world’s population watched these quadrennial international sporting events. They mesmerized the global public and for a few weeks every four years the symbiotic relationship between sport and the media became intense as both print and electronic media competed to attract readers, viewers, and advertisers. Both competitions highlighted rivalries among nation states that had come of age during the 20th century as decolonization released 140 new countries onto the global landscape (Alesina and Spolaore, 2003). All were eager to affirm their national identities on the global stage.
