How Qatar Distracted You: The Problem with Sportswashing

The year was 2010. In a large meeting room, some of the
world’s most important faces in soccer gathered for the
announcement of the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup
hosts. When Sepp Blatter, the FIFA president, proudly announced
Qatar’s name, he was met with cheers and applause from the Qatari
delegation, who excitedly embraced each other. However, it was
clear that the rest of the world did not feel the same way. Qatar is
not only a country about the size of Connecticut, it suffers from
the sweltering heat in the summer and at the time had only two
stadiums that could be used for the World Cup.
So why did Qatar want to win the World Cup bid? The main
reason for their campaign to host the World Cup was to improve
their image and reputation. To do this, they used a practice known
as sportswashing. Sportwashing is a way to minimize or normalize
wrongdoing through engagement with sports, such as hosting
tournaments or events and centering the focus of the public on
athletics. This has become a significant problem, especially in
soccer, because it is a sport that can be found across the world.
The process of selecting the 2022 World Cup host lasted
through multiple rounds of voting by FIFA’s Congress, with Qatar
winning the final vote 14-8 against the United States. Blatter
claimed he was excited to spread the major football event into new
regions. However, in later years, he stated that Qatar “is a mistake
… the choice was bad. It is too small of a country. Football and the
World Cup are too big for it.” Also, it officially came out in 2020
that Qatar had used bribery to secure their spots as host of the
World Cup. This was following a long investigation by the U.S.
Department of Justice into FIFA’s corruption, which culminated in
2015 with the indictment of fourteen top FIFA officials for
bribery.
Qatar is one of the wealthiest countries in the world, and they
spared no expense for the construction and preparation of the 2022
World Cup. Qatar spent over 200 billion dollars on the World
Cup, mainly on infrastructure. It had to undertake the enormous
challenge of building enough stadiums, highways, and hotels to
host the tournament. However, due to Qatar’s small size, it had to
rely on a large number of migrant workers during the
construction process. Migrant workers make up almost ninety
percent of Qatar’s population. These immigrants are mostly men
from South Asian countries who are promised employment and
money for their families. However, migrant workers have reported
wage theft, unsuitable living conditions, and excessive hours. With
dangerous working conditions, around 6,500 migrant workers
died in creating the 2022 World Cup, according to a report done
by The Guardian that compiled data from the home countries of
the migrant workers. Qatar originally stated that forty migrant
workers died in the process of building the World Cup, with only
three of those recorded as work-related deaths. Recently, a Qatari
official stated the number was somewhere around four hundred to
five hundred, but that was quickly retracted as a mistake.
Qatar’s human rights record isn’t as nice as its bank accounts. A
report made by Human Rights Watch, intended as a guideline for
reporters, outlines discrimination against women and LGBTQ+
people, the criminalization of same-sex and non-marital relations,
and restrictions on freedom of expression. Qatar uses a male
guardianship system, which limits the control and action women
have in their lives, such as being unable to marry or travel without
the consent of a husband or father. Laws against non-marital
relations also make it possible for women who come forward about
rape to be prosecuted for it, and LGBTQ+ people are harassed,
discriminated against, and criminalized simply for who they are.
On the opposing side, some believe Qatar is only coming under
criticism because it is an Islamic country. FIFA is one such
supporter, repeatedly firing back at critics for “hypocrisy.” This is
an understandable viewpoint, and it would be interesting to see if
opposers to the Qatar World Cup continuedtheir efforts when the
2026 World Cup is held in the US, a country facing record levels
of gun violence, restrictions placed on reproductive health for
women, and many anti-trans politicians in power.
Broadening the lens, sportswashing is not a new phenomenon,
and occurs in sports other than soccer. The 1936 Olympics, right
before the outbreak of World War II, was held in Berlin,
Germany, with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party overseeing the
ceremonies. The 1934 World Cup was hosted in Italy under the
shadow of Mussolini and his fascist regime.
Current examples include the LIV Golf Tour, financially
supported by the Saudi Arabian government, which angered both
the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) Tour and those against
the multitude of human rights issues. Saudi Arabia’s PIF or Private
Investment Fund (the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia) also
purchased majority ownership in an English Premier League soccer
club, Newcastle United.
So, how do we stop countries and people with billions of dollars
and power from using sports to clean up their images? It’s simple.
Don’t get distracted. Sportswashing only works if we allow
ourselves to be taken in by the spectacle.