Potential superpower

A potential superpower is a sovereign state or other polity that is speculated to be or have the potential to become a superpower (a sovereign state or supranational union that holds a dominant position and can exert influence and project power on a global scale through economic, military, technological, political, or cultural means).

The United States is currently the only country whose status as a superpower finds broad consensus, with some accounts explicitly calling it the only one. China, the European Union, Russia and India have been discussed as potential superpowers of the 21st century; Japan was a candidate in the 1980s. The US remains a superpower primarily due to its alliances and economic influence, despite power decline and recent international reputation.