Geopolitical divides have created a world filled with nationalism, separation and a new low when it comes to international involvement. America, a country previously celebrated for its global relationships, has created unprecedented rifts with many of its diplomatic allies.

Within the United States, this statement, unfortunately, remains true as well. The current political climate has divided the country greatly. Topics ranging anywhere from government legislation to the NFL, in which players have recently kneeled in a display of protest, are actively separating Americans from one another.

While these issues have created a divide in the world, will other sporting events aid in unifying it? If so, 2018 would be the time for that to happen; both the FIFA World Cup and the Winter Olympic Games are scheduled to take place next year.

The World Cup has always prioritized unity in its marketing, often creating a song for each tournament that represents these values. As countries all over the world battle it out on the pitch, we, as spectators, often times come together, unifying as a nation, and even as a globe. Through sports, nations are able to display both raw dominance as well as sportsmanship. Victory incites celebration and pride for one’s country. Loss similarly brings nations together, acknowledging defeat while encouraging fans to support their neighboring countries.

Unfortunately, this dream will not include the United States, who for the first time in decades, did not qualify for the World Cup. While this is disheartening it may aid in obtaining a bigger political goal, allowing Americans to put their own nationalism aside, and instead, root for another nation within the tournament.

Outside of the World Cup, the globe will turn its attention to PyeongChang the site of the next Winter Olympic Games. The Olympics have become well known for both the sports involved as well as the overall spectacle of the event. Celebrations like the opening ceremony introduce hundreds of millions of people to nearly every nation in the world. In addition to this, the host country is able to showcase its own unique cultural history, a privilege that doesn’t go unnoticed.

This especially true considering that PyeongChang is in South Korea, a nation at the forefront of an issue that involves nearly every world superpower, the dictatorship of Kim Jong Un in North Korea.

The athletic side of the Olympics also remains crucial to world unity as a much larger variety of countries are allowed to participate in the available sports. This gives smaller countries a platform to highlight their best talent, something that is unique to the Olympics as many other programs like this simply aren’t as large.

Outside of these elements, the Olympic games are at its core, a symbol of globalization. Everything from its logo, consisting of interconnected rings, to its message, aims to remind the world just how astonishing the human spirit can be.

Sports demonstrate undebatable aspects of human nature, athleticism, and competitiveness. While we all enter these competitions with the objective of winning as a nation, we are reminded that together we prosper, and through conflict, we fail.

Hopefully, the world will leave the games more united than when it entered.