👟0️⃣5️⃣8️⃣ Océane Cardoso
By Océane Cardoso
Meet Océane Andrea Cardoso, a Master's student at NYU in Sports Business and sports content creator who found her passion through endurance sports and a desire to challenge herself.
I grew up in Versailles, France, during the early 2000s, where I first explored sports through horseback riding and developed a deep love for football, inspired by my Portuguese and French heritage. After the pandemic, seeking a sense of purpose and emotional reconnection, I turned to running—pushing myself through marathons and eventually into triathlon—and began sharing my journey online.
My connection to the United States began in childhood through entertainment, and my dream of studying there led me to a double degree at UC Berkeley, and then to NYU. I chose the United States for its advanced sports industry, aiming to gain expertise to one day bring back to France, where the sports business field is still developing.
“Growing up, I saw sport not just as entertainment but as a powerful social connector—something that could make people feel alive, proud, and part of something bigger.”
In France, sport—especially football—is one of the few things that can truly bring the country together. While the country isn’t known for strong displays of nationalism, everything changes when the national football team, Les Bleues, are playing. Whether it's the World Cup or the Euros, the energy, pride, and unity that emerge during those moments create a rare feeling of collective joy.
However, beyond those big national moments, France’s day-to-day sports culture doesn’t run as deep as in the United States. There’s no widespread system of school sports teams, fewer community clubs, and not as much integration of sports into education and everyday life.
This contrast became even more clear to me when I attended my first American football game while studying at UC Berkeley. The energy, the school spirit, and the sheer scale of the event—centered around a university team—was something I had never seen before. It was a turning point that sparked a bigger goal: to learn from the U.S. sports system and bring that knowledge back home.
That experience helped shape my path. I decided to pursue a Master’s in Sports Business at NYU, driven by a desire to deeply understand the U.S. sports industry—widely seen as one of the most developed and influential in the world. My goal isn’t just personal growth, but to one day contribute to building a stronger, more integrated sports culture in France—one that celebrates not just elite competition but also grassroots development, school involvement, and community engagement.
My time in the United States has been eye-opening. From the business side of sports to the culture surrounding it, I’ve immersed myself in an ecosystem that treats sport as both passion and profession. For me, this journey is about more than just running marathons or making content—it's about reimagining what sport can mean to a country and how it can inspire the next generation.
My journey through sport has naturally placed me at the intersection of two cultures—France and the United States—allowing a unique opportunity to engage in what I now recognize as sports diplomacy…even if I didn’t have the words for it at the time. Competing, training, and learning alongside U.S. peers, I began to see how sport was more than a personal challenge: it was a powerful, unspoken exchange of values, traditions, and perspectives.
As a French person who had never lived in the United States before, I am struck by how much quiet, everyday collaboration and cultural exchange takes place between the two countries. Often, this happens without anyone explicitly naming it. Discovering this has become a source of deep pride.
“Whether through post-run conversations, classroom discussions, or shared team moments, I help build small bridges between cultures. For me, sports diplomacy isn’t about policy—it’s about people, perspective, and passion.”
As a sports business student at NYU, I also feel like a diplomat in a more formal sense. I represent French ideas and perspectives in one of the most globally influential sports education systems. In classrooms, group projects, and networking spaces, I bring a different cultural lens that helps my peers understand how sport is viewed and structured in France, and at the same time learning how the U.S. system works from the inside out.
My story is an example of how sport can go far beyond performance: it can educate, connect, and inspire across borders. From the streets of Versailles to the stadiums and classrooms of the United States, I have used sport not just as a personal pursuit, but as a platform for cultural exchange and mutual understanding. By living, learning, and training in a foreign system while proudly carrying my French roots, I embody the essence of a modern sports diplomat.
My goal is clear: to bring back what I’ve learned and help build a stronger, more inclusive sports culture in France—one that reflects the passion, unity, and possibilities she’s experienced abroad.
Mapping the Connection
From France to New York, New York
Further Reading/Resources
Océane Cardoso on LinkedIn
How to Cite This Entry
Cardoso, Océane. “Voices: Océane Cardoso,” FranceAndUS, https://www.franceussports.com/voices/058ocane-cardoso. (date of consultation).