World Cup controversy: A sportswasher's dream or a tool for peace?

Electrifying upsets, Argentina’s storybook ending, Arab unity – some of the top stories that made the 2022 World Cup so unique were also overshadowed by criticisms of Qatar using the international spectacle to “sportswash” its tainted image.

A wide audience of soccer fans and analysts weren’t so quick to chastise the host country, though, and instead pointed to the immediate and potential long-term effects of peace that resulted from what many considered to be the best World Cup ever. 

Sportswashing – a concept that is almost as old as sport itself. Apart from the recently concluded international soccer tournament, it has been used to describe the 1936 Summer Olympics in Nazi Germany, Saudi Arabia buying English soccer clubs, or even Israel hosting Miss Universe.

It is widely considered as using sport to “distract, normalize, or minimize moral violations,” according to Alfred Archer, an assistant professor of ethics at Tilburg University in the Netherlands and co-author of a study on the ethics of sportswashing from a philosophical perspective.

“If it’s successful, it helps facilitate continued wrongdoings,” he told i24NEWS, “and allows regimes and its leaders to present sanitized versions of themselves.”

Double-edged sword

Since the decision to award Doha hosting rights for this year’s World Cup 12 years ago, it was constantly marred by controversy – including allegations of corruption and human rights violations.

Concerns were mostly targeted at how Qatar treats its migrant workers, who human rights activists claim face serious exploitation and abuse. Last year, it was reported that over 6,500 migrant workers died in or connected to preparations for the event over the past decade, yet only “400 to 500” of them were corroborated by the Qatari government.

“How many people would have known about migrant workers' plight if not for the World Cup, or have heard of Uyghurs before the Beijing Olympics?” asked Tim Elcombe, an associate professor of Kinesiology at Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario, Canada. “If it’s a conscious attempt to wash your image, it’s always a double-edged sword. You’re inviting scrutiny,” he told i24NEWS.

To make matters worse, Qatari officials were accused of multiple rights abuses in the leadup and during the World Cup, including against the LGBTQ+ community, women, and protestors. 

Yet, world leaders felt no shame in commending Qatar – like U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who said he appreciated the “work Qatar has done” and voiced his hopes that the “progress that’s been made continues and expands” – or even attending the tournament, like French President Emmanuel Macron who, after taking the field to console his national team’s players after their loss to Argentina in the final match, said this World Cup was “a sign of tangible changes underway.”

“Qatar seems to want to be part of world order and show everyone ‘we are here.’ But it’s also a struggle in how ‘Western’ they are willing to go to get full acceptance,” Elcombe continued. “Sport at its core is tension – who will win or lose, both on the field and the political arena.” 

‘Exactly what a sportswasher would want’

Despite the myriad of criticisms hammered on Qatar, ethics professor Archer noted the abundance of rationalization by those who got behind FIFA in its plea to “focus on the football.”

“People who normally never raise any objections to Western wrongdoing, like colonialism, suddenly brought up those things as a way to rationalize Qatari wrongdoings,” he said, suggesting that this was the sportwashing effect in this case.

“It’s exactly what a sportswasher would want – people justifying what Qatar has been accused of so they don’t feel moral qualms about enjoying the spectacle,” Archer urged.

There is a legitimate point to be made about how people are quick to point the finger at rights abuses abroad when they aren’t willing to consider their own homes. We should think about whether sportswashing goes on elsewhere in the world – especially among Western nations, who most certainly make use of this geopolitical tool – but that doesn’t mean it’s right for Qatar to do it, Archer continued.

“The World Cup is one of the most valuable pieces of sporting heritage that there is. Some of the greatest moments have happened at it, and all that history was used to cover up and protect Qatar’s reputation.”

The professor further insisted on how the contest was a “distinct” case of sportswashing compared to past events.

“Washing its image was so clearly linked to Qatar’s intention in hosting this World Cup,” he urged, pointing to reports that emerged shortly before the first match accusing Qatari authorities of paying European fans to attend and portray their experiences as positive on social media, while also reporting any people spreading negative messages.

Archer suggested that this “made it absolutely clear it was Qatar’s essential goal of using the World Cup to change its reputation on the world stage.”

Peace, advocation, unity

But others had a different impression.

Smooth logistics, memorable matches, and Arab fans from across the Middle East rejoicing in triumph – mostly over Morocco’s Cinderella run – all contributed to what some might say redeem Doha.

“Qatar has proved its critics wrong,” Danyel Reiche, a visiting associate professor at Georgetown University Qatar, said in a research paper sent to i24NEWS. “The small state showed it was capable of successfully organizing the world’s biggest sporting event” despite widespread criticism.

Reiche, who attended 13 World Cup matches this year, recalled being impressed by the “excellent organization” and the “safe and peaceful” atmosphere. But the most striking result, he said, was the “peace-building” and “solidarity” among the Arab world.

“Successes of Arab countries turned the tournament into a revival of Pan-Arabism,” Reiche suggested, “especially when it came to celebrating Morocco’s success,” referring to the first African nation to make it to the World Cup semifinal round.

Matches were also used “as a platform to demonstrate solidarity with Palestine, the World Cup’s 33rd team,” as The New York Times dubbed it.

Throughout the tournament, fans waved Palestinian flags, interviewees brought up the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the Moroccan team even posed for a picture with the Palestinian flag following a victory.

“The years prior to the tournament were full of tension between Arab countries, including… some Arab countries normalizing relations with Israel and the ongoing wars in Syria and Yemen,” Reiche said.

“A better understanding of the Arab world was demonstrated by the solidarity shown toward Arab teams. Sports could become a tool for peacebuilding.”

All the while, headlines about migrant workers, LGBTQ+ rights, and corruption did not disappear throughout the tournament, and since the last goal of the final match, they seem to only be gaining more steam.

Albeit, it remains to be seen how long the invocation of Arab unity will last in the aftermath of the World Cup, how dedicated the media and rights groups will be in berating Doha’s misdeeds, and ultimately, whether the mega soccer event will have a lasting washing effect on the heavily criticized Qatari monarchy.