Sports Diplomacy

Sports diplomacy is seen as global diplomacy, focusing on increasing influence, economic development, regulating globalization and communication in order to support French sport internationally.

As France will host the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, sport is more than ever a major issue for our country, in terms of image, international influence and economic and social development.

France is actively preparing to welcome the world for the Olympics in three years’ time, and the entire Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs is fully involved in preparations. It is an exciting adventure in which I am proud to take part with all actors from the French sports movement! Laurence Fischer, Sports Ambassador

The five top priorities of French sports diplomacy

• Making French regions more attractive in order to host major international sporting events, particularly by supporting French candidacies;
• Supporting the work of Business France in order to promote the businesses and expertise of the French sports sector and strengthen their position on international markets;
• Promoting French expertise in the areas of:
  • training and education,
  • sport as a tool for health and gender equality,
  • sport as a lever for the development and structuring of civil society,
  • promoting projects which make a lasting impact on the population;
• Encouraging the use of French at sporting events, especially the Olympics, in collaboration with the International Organisation of the Francophonie (OIF);
• Implementing the provisions of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Legacy Plan in collaboration with the Interministerial Delegate for the Olympic and Paralympic Games (DIJOP).

Promoting French positions
In collaboration with the Sports Ministry, the Sports Ambassador will continue to support and promote French positions on major sports-related issues such as governance and ethics, as well as combating drug use, match fixing and discrimination in sport. This action takes place within international sporting bodies but also international bodies where these themes are debated: UN, UNESCO, European Union, OECD, Council of Europe.

Organizing high-level international sporting events in France

Organizing major sporting events opens up huge opportunities for France. Sports competitions are big events in terms of economic attractiveness and outreach. They attract many tourists and new clientele to tournament host cities.

Before the Olympics and Paralympics in Paris in 2024, France will stage many world championships, including the School Summer Games in 2022 and the Rugby World Cup in 2023. All these events will showcase the best of France’s regions to the world. They will also be an exceptional window into French innovation and expertise in many sectors (e.g. public services, transport, environment, buildings, sport, digital technology, tourism, healthcare).
These competitions also demonstrate the diversity of France’s regions and promote sporting values, particularly to young people.

What future events will France be hosting?

2023

• Alpine Ski World Championships | Méribel-Courchevel | 6 - 19 February
• Virtus Global Games (Intellectual Impairment Sport) |Vichy | 4 - 10 June
• Motocross of Nations | Ernée | September
• Rugby World Cup | 9 French cities | 8 September - 21 October

2024

• Olympic and Paralympic Games | Paris, Île-de-France, Marseille | 26 July - 11 August; 28 August - 9 September
• World Tennis Championships (Intellectual Impairment Sport) | Annecy

^{Updated: June 2021}