UEFA Champions League

• Paris hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games this summer provides France with a huge geopolitical opportunity.
• Former French president François Hollande was credited with instigating the successful bid to stage the 2024 Games, 100 years after Paris was last host in 1924.
• But it is Emmanuel Macron who has enjoyed taking up the mantle in his quest to present a new vision of France.
• Some believe Macron being president was just what the Games needed, given his apparent quest to transform France into a more outward-looking, progressive nation.
• Indeed, Macron has proved adept at playing soft power games through sport (including his efforts to keep the footballer Kylian Mbappé playing in France).

City of light (and dark)

• Elsewhere, in a city that struggles to cope with traffic density, transport arrangements and problems with accommodation are worrying some officials as the Olympics approaches.
• By the end of September, it could be that many people across the world have a much more positive view of France and its capital city.
• Problems are mounting that could well undermine one of the president’s cornerstone projects in projecting his vision of a new France.

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.