---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The World Cup is not just a great global…"
description: "\"The World Cup is not just a great global sporting event, it is also inscribed with much deeper cultural and political importance.\" — Martin Jacques"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/84a/martin-jacques-6623_cup_the-world-cup-is-not-just-a-great-global_2855834.png"
---

#  The World Cup is not just a great global sporting event…

![“The World Cup is not just a great global sporting event, it is also inscribed with much deeper cultural and political importance.” quote by Martin Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/84a/martin-jacques-6623_cup_the-world-cup-is-not-just-a-great-global_2855834.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/84a/martin-jacques-6623_cup_the-world-cup-is-not-just-a-great-global_2855834.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/84a/martin-jacques-6623_cup_the-world-cup-is-not-just-a-great-global_2855834.png)

> “The World Cup is not just a great global sporting event, it is also inscribed with much deeper cultural and political importance.”

[Martin Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-jacques/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The World Cup carries deep cultural and political significance beyond sport

**In simple terms:** Soccer reflects global culture and politics

Key Takeaway

Consider sports as cultural lenses

Themes

sports culture politics

Mood

analytical critical

Type

academic observational

When to use this quote

- International tournaments
- media analysis
- political discourse

Key Concepts

Soft power national identity

Questions to Reflect On

- How does the World Cup influence national identity?
- What political messages emerge in global sports?

A Different Perspective

May overstate political impact of sports

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [World cup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-cup/)

## Related quotes

> [“Building a culture is neither a one-time injection nor a sheep dip; it requires connection to the deep layers of the culture—it necessitates going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-wiseman/building-a-culture-is-neither-a-one-time-injection-nor-a-sheep-dip-it/)

[Liz Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-wiseman/)

> [I started traveling out of curiosity, but I have come to believe in travel's political importance, that encouraging a nation's citizenry to travel may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-solomon/i-started-traveling-out-of-curiosity-but-i-have-come-to-believe-in/)

[Andrew Solomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-solomon/)

> [Leonid Brezhnev did not understand the enormous political importance of the decision to produce and afterwards deploy the SS-20s.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helmut-schmidt/leonid-brezhnev-did-not-understand-the-enormous-political-importance/)

[Helmut Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helmut-schmidt/)

> [In the Communist era, excrement took on political importance, because Party policy decided excrement was essential for the Great Agricultural Leap Forward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-george/in-the-communist-era-excrement-took-on-political-importance-because/)

[Rose George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-george/)

> [I am interested in the political economy of institutional power relationships in transition. The question is one of "reconstructive" communities as a cultural, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gar-alperovitz/i-am-interested-in-the-political-economy-of-institutional-power/)

[Gar Alperovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gar-alperovitz/)

> [We saw, then, journalists and researchers being arrested. And so this is sort of the latest expansion they say - cultural targets where young…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leila-fadel/we-saw-then-journalists-and-researchers-being-arrested-and-so-this-is/)

Leila Fadel

> [“The 20th century has been characterised by three developments of great political importance. The growth of democracy; the growth of corporate power; and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-hartmann/the-20th-century-has-been-characterised-by-three-developments-of/)

[Thom Hartmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-hartmann/)

> [The 20th century has been characterized by three developments of great political importance. The growth of democracy; the growth of corporate power; and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-carey/the-20th-century-has-been-characterized-by-three-developments-of/)

[Alex Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-carey/)

> [The two great cultural and political currents of Italy have always only been concerned with the masses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-bonino/the-two-great-cultural-and-political-currents-of-italy-have-always/)

[Emma Bonino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-bonino/)

> [I'm fighting back against years and years and years of the cultural and the political left telling people to sit down and shut up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-breitbart/i-m-fighting-back-against-years-and-years-and-years-of-the-cultural/)

[Andrew Breitbart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-breitbart/)

> [The constitutional and political importance of the law office of the Attorney General is such that you can't just job share, and you can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suella-braverman/the-constitutional-and-political-importance-of-the-law-office-of-the/)

[Suella Braverman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suella-braverman/)

> [If we don't believe in moral absolutes and then we get into a cultural-political debate, how are we going to win?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-terry/if-we-don-t-believe-in-moral-absolutes-and-then-we-get-into-a/)

[Randall Terry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-terry/)

> [So the same cultural and political issues that divided us in 1968 are still dividing us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-banks/so-the-same-cultural-and-political-issues-that-divided-us-in-1968-are/)

[Russell Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-banks/)

> [The fact that poetry is not of the slightest economic or political importance, that is has no attachment to any of the powers that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-hough/the-fact-that-poetry-is-not-of-the-slightest-economic-or-political/)

Graham Hough

> [Avant-garde, jazz, pop, classical, country and western, rock, free, straight-ahead, etc. are ultimately meaningless terms in the face of the music being discussed at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/avant-garde-jazz-pop-classical-country-and-western-rock-free-straight/)

[Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/)

## More by Martin Jacques

> [There may be little practical difference between a Ford Mondeo and a BMW three series, but in terms of perceptions of who you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-jacques/there-may-be-little-practical-difference-between-a-ford-mondeo-and-a/)

[Martin Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-jacques/)

> [No one likes to admit they are racist or bear prejudices. Nor do they even like to be open and honest when they witness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-jacques/no-one-likes-to-admit-they-are-racist-or-bear-prejudices-nor-do-they/)

[Martin Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-jacques/)

> [If the truth be told, we are a society that is dripping in racism. This is not in the least surprising. For the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-jacques/if-the-truth-be-told-we-are-a-society-that-is-dripping-in-racism-this/)

[Martin Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-jacques/)

> [In Formula One, the car can make a difference in a way that a driver cannot. Whereas Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna spent their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-jacques/in-formula-one-the-car-can-make-a-difference-in-a-way-that-a-driver/)

[Martin Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-jacques/)

> [In the aftermath of 9/11 and in the build-up to the invasion of Iraq, few questioned the idea that the United States was likely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-jacques/in-the-aftermath-of-9-11-and-in-the-build-up-to-the-invasion-of-iraq/)

[Martin Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-jacques/)

> [At the heart of globalisation is a new kind of intolerance in the West towards other cultures, traditions and values, less brutal than in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-jacques/at-the-heart-of-globalisation-is-a-new-kind-of-intolerance-in-the/)

[Martin Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-jacques/)

> [Our leaders increasingly see fit to lecture the ethnic minorities on the need to integrate, including of course the need to speak English. What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-jacques/our-leaders-increasingly-see-fit-to-lecture-the-ethnic-minorities-on/)

[Martin Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-jacques/)

> [If one wanted to find a modern symbol of personal freedom, the motor car is right there near the top of the list. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-jacques/if-one-wanted-to-find-a-modern-symbol-of-personal-freedom-the-motor/)

[Martin Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-jacques/)

> [Blair - except at the edges - was a Thatcherite. Brown, in contrast, regarded Thatcherism as something that had to be taken on board…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-jacques/blair-except-at-the-edges-was-a-thatcherite-brown-in-contrast/)

[Martin Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-jacques/)

> [Western countries are thoroughly accustomed to being the centre of global attention, which they have come to regard as their natural birthright. Not so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-jacques/western-countries-are-thoroughly-accustomed-to-being-the-centre-of/)

[Martin Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-jacques/)

> [The American model was celebrated by Thatcherites and New Labour alike, California worshipped as the model of the future, 'Anglo-Saxon' embalmed as the fitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-jacques/the-american-model-was-celebrated-by-thatcherites-and-new-labour/)

[Martin Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-jacques/)

> [One of the characteristics of New Labour - and Miliband is irredeemably of that species - is that, in the guise of a new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-jacques/one-of-the-characteristics-of-new-labour-and-miliband-is-irredeemably/)

[Martin Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-jacques/)

> [The two ethnic groups that remain fundamentally different from the Han Chinese - in terms of history, culture, language, religion and physical appearance -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-jacques/the-two-ethnic-groups-that-remain-fundamentally-different-from-the/)

[Martin Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-jacques/)

> [Sport is increasingly played according to the tune, and rules, of those with the biggest bucks, whether their practices be legal or illegal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-jacques/sport-is-increasingly-played-according-to-the-tune-and-rules-of-those/)

[Martin Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-jacques/)

> [Following the end of the Cold War, there was much discussion concerning the point of NATO. In the event, it was reinvented as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-jacques/following-the-end-of-the-cold-war-there-was-much-discussion/)

[Martin Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-jacques/)

[Explore all 98 Martin Jacques quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-jacques/)

## More Cup quotes

> [The World Cup was the biggest thing ever for the national team, but the Champions League is the biggest thing for clubs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-villa/the-world-cup-was-the-biggest-thing-ever-for-the-national-team-but/)

[David Villa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-villa/)

> [I like to sit down, relax, have a cup of coffee on the terrace and read a book. I like to travel the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-vos/i-like-to-sit-down-relax-have-a-cup-of-coffee-on-the-terrace-and-read/)

[Marianne Vos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-vos/)

> [People think that the Club World Cup is an easy competition, but it's not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keylor-navas/people-think-that-the-club-world-cup-is-an-easy-competition-but-it-s/)

[Keylor Navas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keylor-navas/)

> [I put hibiscus flower in every cup of tea I have. It's sweet, sexy, and cleansing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-batali/i-put-hibiscus-flower-in-every-cup-of-tea-i-have-it-s-sweet-sexy-and/)

[Mario Batali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-batali/)

> [My oldest daughter got married, she had a wedding in Hawaii and a reception in Nashville, and in between I had a Cup date…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-trotz/my-oldest-daughter-got-married-she-had-a-wedding-in-hawaii-and-a/)

[Barry Trotz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-trotz/)

> [Even a cup of coffee tastes so much sweeter because you've come once again out of the, literally, out of the edge of death,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-koch/even-a-cup-of-coffee-tastes-so-much-sweeter-because-you-ve-come-once/)

[Christopher Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-koch/)

> [I can't live without my cup of tea. When I was a judge on 'America's Next Top Model,' they had to put me in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twiggy/i-can-t-live-without-my-cup-of-tea-when-i-was-a-judge-on-america-s/)

[Twiggy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twiggy/)

> [I'm not your usual cup of tea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralphie-may/i-m-not-your-usual-cup-of-tea/)

[Ralphie May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralphie-may/)

> [I love the FA Cup.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kolo-toure/i-love-the-fa-cup/)

[Kolo Toure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kolo-toure/)

> [Some people with autism who don't talk, all they hear are vowel sounds. Like if I said 'cup,' they might just hear 'uh.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/temple-grandin/some-people-with-autism-who-don-t-talk-all-they-hear-are-vowel-sounds/)

[Temple Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/temple-grandin/)

> [I love Davis Cup. I respect it from my heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-tomic/i-love-davis-cup-i-respect-it-from-my-heart/)

[Bernard Tomic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-tomic/)

> [It's got to be harder in real life to win a World Cup. But depending on if you play World Class level on FIFA,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/landon-donovan/it-s-got-to-be-harder-in-real-life-to-win-a-world-cup-but-depending/)

[Landon Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/landon-donovan/)

> [I've missed out on a European Cup final because I was injured three weeks beforehand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-o-neill/i-ve-missed-out-on-a-european-cup-final-because-i-was-injured-three/)

[Martin O'Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-o-neill/)

> [FA Cup or league - we look to win every game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-oxlade-chamberlain/fa-cup-or-league-we-look-to-win-every-game/)

[Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-oxlade-chamberlain/)

> [I became an India player in January 2009 and was therefore paid Rs 40 lakhs. However, in my contract, my category continued as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravindra-jadeja/i-became-an-india-player-in-january-2009-and-was-therefore-paid-rs-40/)

[Ravindra Jadeja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravindra-jadeja/)

Browse all 477 Cup quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The World Cup is not just a great global sporting event, it is also inscribed with much deeper cultural and political importance.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Martin Jacques"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-jacques/the-world-cup-is-not-just-a-great-global-sporting-event-it-is-also/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Cup"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-jacques/the-world-cup-is-not-just-a-great-global-sporting-event-it-is-also/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/84a/martin-jacques-6623_cup_the-world-cup-is-not-just-a-great-global_2855834.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/84a/martin-jacques-6623_cup_the-world-cup-is-not-just-a-great-global_2855834.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/84a/martin-jacques-6623_cup_the-world-cup-is-not-just-a-great-global_2855834.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The World Cup is not just a great global sporting event, it is also inscribed with much deeper cultural and…” — Martin Jacques",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Martin Jacques",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-jacques/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The World Cup is not just...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-jacques/the-world-cup-is-not-just-a-great-global-sporting-event-it-is-also/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-jacques/the-world-cup-is-not-just-a-great-global-sporting-event-it-is-also/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
