Olympic Diplomacy and Peacebuilding in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games: Evaluating the Potential of Sport to Promote International Dialogue, Conflict Prevention, and Global Cooperation

Abstract

The Olympic Games constitute one of the world’s most prominent platforms for international interaction, bringing together states, athletes, institutions, and diverse communities within a shared framework of peaceful competition. In an increasingly fragmented international environment characterized by geopolitical rivalry, armed conflict, diplomatic tensions, and declining trust among states, the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games provide an important opportunity to examine whether Olympic diplomacy can contribute meaningfully to peacebuilding, conflict prevention, and international cooperation. This study critically evaluates the potential of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games to function as a platform for international dialogue and peacebuilding through the mechanisms of Olympic diplomacy, the Olympic Truce, intercultural exchange, diplomatic engagement, and sport-based soft power. Rather than assuming that a mega-sport event can independently resolve complex political conflicts, the study conceptualizes Olympic diplomacy as a complementary instrument capable of creating temporary spaces for communication, confidence-building, symbolic reconciliation, and relationship development among actors experiencing political disagreement. The research adopts a qualitative analytical framework integrating perspectives from international relations, sports diplomacy, peacebuilding, conflict transformation, and Olympic studies. Previous Olympic experiences are examined comparatively to identify patterns, opportunities, and limitations that may inform the peacebuilding potential of Los Angeles 2028. Particular attention is given to the United States’ position within contemporary international relations, the global visibility of the Los Angeles Games, the diversity of participating nations, and the capacity of the Olympic Movement to facilitate dialogue across political, cultural, and ideological boundaries. The study further considers critical challenges that may constrain the effectiveness of Olympic diplomacy, including geopolitical polarization, politicization of sport, human-rights controversies, competing national interests, diplomatic boycotts, security concerns, and the gap between symbolic Olympic commitments and sustained political action. The analysis argues that the peacebuilding significance of Los Angeles 2028 should be assessed not simply according to whether political conflicts are resolved during the Games, but according to whether the event creates measurable opportunities for dialogue, cooperation, mutual understanding, and continued diplomatic engagement. The study proposes that Olympic diplomacy can have greater peacebuilding value when supported by inclusive governance, human-rights principles, transparent institutions, intercultural initiatives, and sustained diplomatic engagement before and after the Games. Consequently, Los Angeles 2028 represents not merely a sporting spectacle but a potential diplomatic arena in which sport can complement conventional international diplomacy and contribute to broader efforts toward peaceful international relations. The study contributes to Olympic and international-relations scholarship by developing a forward-looking framework for evaluating the conditions under which mega-sport events can transform Olympic ideals of peace into meaningful diplomatic practice.