SKEMA Business School in France has just released its first-ever Sport and Soft Power Ranking, highlighting which countries are gaining global clout through sport.

Unsurprisingly, the United States takes the top spot, followed by the UK and France. The UAE ranks 21st — a sign of just how far this country has come in using sport to project influence on the world stage. Katie Chambers speaks with the report author, Simon Chadwick, Professor of Sport and Geopolitical Economy at Skema Business School.