Reassessing the Institutions, Actors and  Politics of International Sport amidst  Global (Dis)-Order

Abstract. Modern sport has evolved into an international institution increas ingly and intrinsically intertwined with the dynamics of global politics. This  article traces the historical internationalisation of sport, from the universalist  ambitions of the early Olympic movement to contemporary geopolitical re configurations reflected in the shifting geography of mega-events, showing  how transformations in global power are inscribed into sporting arenas. It  also examines the mounting challenges to the Olympic ethos posed by com mercialisation, technological transformation, and intensifying politicisation.  By analysing these developments, particularly in light of the recent Olympics  and the upcoming Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Games, the article fore grounds the key tensions, actors, and normative struggles that the subse quent contributions in the volume explore in greater depth. In doing so, it  underscores how sport has become an ever more tightly interwoven compo nent of the contestation and rearticulation of the emerging world order.  

Keywords: International sport; international politics; global order