Quasi-Recognition through Sport: Football as an Informal Diplomatic Tool

This article aims to analyze if global football can be used as an effective, yet informal, diplomatic tool. The impact of football consists in building a quasi-recognized identity for a state that lacks the official status and the UN membership. The case chosen to illustrate this argument is represented by Kosovo and its diplomatic journey. While Kosovo remains outside the United Nations, it was officially recognized in 2016 as a member with full rights of FIFA and UEFA. Existing literature focuses on the process of accession into UEFA and FIFA, examining relevant elements regarding the legal and sporting criteria, while neglecting the post-admission dynamics and challenges. This article addresses the gap, focusing on the post-admission strategy, by analyzing how Kosovo leveraged its football complete recognition and transformed it into a comprehensive mechanism able to support the journey of becoming an independent state, with universal recognition. Through qualitative empirical analyses (in-depth case study and cross-case comparison), this article offers a wider perspective into the ways that quasi-recognition can boost the national brand, improve bilateral relations and enforce the status of an independent state in some complex environments marked by political tension. This study reveals that while football driven quasi-recognition is not fully capable to replace traditional state recognition, it helps controversial states with incredible international awareness and represents a perfect example on how non-state actors and informal diplomacy influence the present political environment. It’s a soft power tool that can support comprehensive strategies on getting the full recognition of an independent case, even in bilateral relations with countries that are hostile to the topic.