LALIGA and CESEDEN sign an agreement to promote sport as a tool for diplomacy and soft power

LALIGA, through its Educational Department, LALIGA Business School, and the Ministry of Defence, through the Higher Centre for National Defence Studies (CESEDEN), of which the Spanish Institute for Strategic Studies (IEEE) is a part, have signed an educational collaboration agreement with the aim of promoting the exchange of knowledge and joint reflection in key areas such as national and international security, diplomacy, soft power and international alliances.

This agreement reinforces LALIGA's commitment to the development of strategic knowledge and the role of sport as a tool for positive influence in the global context, contributing to Spain's international projection and strengthening its reputation and leadership abroad.

For CESEDEN, this collaboration represents another step forward in defence culture. The complexity of today's multifaceted scenario allows for many and varied approaches. Lieutenant General Miguel Ballenilla y García de Gamarra, director of CESEDEN, highlighted that "sport is a vector of soft power of the first order, capable of reinforcing Spain's international profile, its values and its capacity for influence at the international level".

The president of LALIGA, Javier Tebas, pointed out that "sport has established itself as a key tool for diplomacy, reputation and positive influence on the international stage. Through education and strategic thinking, we can structure this potential and put it at the service of Spain's global positioning. This agreement with CESEDEN reinforces LALIGA's commitment to knowledge and the role of sport in major national and international challenges."

A first seminar on diplomacy and sport:

The first initiative resulting from this agreement will be the conference "Diplomacy and Sport: Soft Power in Spain's international projection", to be held on 20 April at the CESEDEN facilities in Madrid.

The seminar will analyse the role of sport as an element of soft power, cultural diplomacy and international reputation, as well as its contribution to Spain's strategic objectives in a global context marked by growing geopolitical challenges.

"LALIGA's international experience shows that sport can be a key lever for building alliances, generating trust and projecting a country's values. This seminar is the first step in a collaboration that aims to consolidate itself over time and generate high-value knowledge," added Javier Tebas.

The conference will be structured around two panel discussions. The first will address sports diplomacy in contemporary geopolitics, the role of hard power and soft power, and the role of leagues and federations as actors in public diplomacy. The second will focus on the 2030 World Cup as a project of international cooperation and multilateral diplomacy, as well as its impact on the Spain Brand, security and the geopolitical and social legacy of major sporting events.

The meeting will be attended by institutional representatives and experts from the fields of sport, diplomacy and strategy, and will conclude with an executive summary of the day and the presentation of a future proposal for the Executive Course in Diplomacy and Sport, which will be developed within the framework of the agreement between LALIGA and CESEDEN.