Paul Rouse: Autocrats have their own end game with the sporting world

Identification with sport is invaluable for autocratic regimes. There is nothing new in this.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (L) watches U.S. President Donald Trump shake the hand of a young fan as he attends the NFL football game between the Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium on November 9, 2025 in Landover, Maryland. Trump attended the game to honor military veterans during halftime of the game. (Photo by John McDonnell/Getty Images)

Anne Applebaum’s recent book Autocracy, Inc: The Dictators Who Want to Run the World was published to rave reviews. It is set out as a study of the way autocratic leaders around the world are linked together “not like a bloc but like an agglomeration of companies, bound not by ideology but rather by a ruthless, single-minded determination to preserve their personal wealth and power.” And not just “reserve their personal wealth”, but add to it in amounts that are obscene.

In a piece in the Guardian newspaper, John Simpson wrote that the book is “clear-sighted and fearless.” A review in the Financial Times described the book as a call to arms, and simply “excellent”.