Talk: Football in Colombia: a decade of meaning by Dr Pete Watson

Dr Pete Watson discusses the various meanings, symbolisms and power of football in Colombia over the last decade, from the 2014 Men’s World Cup to the 2023 Women’s World Cup and asks: “What power does football really have?”

Colombia still struggles to shake off imaginaries associating it with violence and drugs. Football is a symbol charged with attempting to change these negative narratives, with the performances of male and female teams and fans on a global stage showing a different side of the country.

From the 2014 Men’s World Cup to the 2023 Women’s World Cup, new stars and new meanings have emerged. Dr Pete Watson (University of Leeds) looks back on a decade of how football in Colombia has been imbued with different messages and transformative potential by different political and social actors, including presidents, guerrilla organizations and fan groups. Football in Colombia is more than just a game.

Dr Pete Watson

Speaker Biography: Dr Pete Watson, expert on Latin American football history and society, is author of the book “Football and Nation Building in Colombia: The Only Thing that Unites Us”. He is a regular podcast guest on the likes of These Football Times, Outside Write and Soccernostalgia. Copies of the presenter’s book will be on sale from the author at the event.

This event is part of Leeds City of Languages. View the full event programme here https://leedscityoflanguages.leeds.ac.uk/programme/ to check out the wide range of events happening across the city.