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Global Events Are Redesigning National Identity in Real Time

As the 2026 FIFA World Cup and LA28 Olympics approach, event identities are shifting away from traditional nationalism toward more flexible, inclusive forms of cultural storytelling.

Growing up in Canada, there was a piece of travel advice you’d hear before almost any trip abroad: sew the maple leaf flag onto your backpack. It was a way to signal who you were, and just as importantly, who you weren’t. Sometimes, you’d see Americans do the same. It was an early lesson in the power of symbols. They carry meaning, and that meaning can be easily borrowed. That very tactic has long been used by the world’s biggest sporting events. Embedding national symbols into event identities used to be a shorthand for recognition, pride and belonging. But what once functioned as a creative shortcut has become a risk. As the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2028 Olympic Summer Games prepare to arrive in the United States, those shifting strategies are playing out on the global stage.

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These events are bigger than sport. They are rare global moments that are still capable of commanding collective attention across borders, language and political divides. The identities of these events elevate the matches and competitions to moments in culture. They influence how audiences see the host, how nations see each other and whether those moments ultimately earn their place in public memory and history. When they work, they create a sense of belonging at a global scale. When they fail, they push us further apart.

For much of modern sporting history, getting that identity right was relatively straightforward. Event branding leaned on national........

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