Authors: Aleksander Olech PhD, Witold Repetowicz PhD, Michał Banasiak, Mieszko Rajkiewicz
This report is a map of relationships demonstrating that politics and sports have always gone hand in hand
Qatar is the first Muslim and Middle Eastern country to host the World Cup. It is estimated that, during the event, between 1.2 million and 1.5 million fans will visit the country which, itself, only has a population of 2 million. By mid-August 2022, 2.45 million tickets had been sold for tournament matches.
The aim of this report is to familiarise readers with Qatar’s international position by analysing its foreign policy and the use of sport for its own needs. The authors have tried to answer a number of questions posed not only by sports fans, but also by politicians and others interested in geopolitics:
- How did it happen that a country 27 times smaller than Poland is to host one of the largest sporting events in the world?
- Why did the Qataris care so much about hosting the World Cup?
- Does the hugely controversial decision taken by FIFA have any way to justify itself in sporting terms?
- Will it be possible to create the right conditions to ensure the safety of those arriving?
- Are energy resources the only form of leverage and pressure?
- Can this World Cup host surprise us not only athletically, but also politically?
The World Cup is the ideal opportunity to broaden geopolitical horizons especially in the context of Qatar, the cradle of “sportswashing”. An extremely professional report that shows how the ball has become a tool in the hands of the sheikhs.
Tomasz Ćwiąkała, reporter for Canal+ Sport
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