The World Cup held in Qatar was one of the most controversial in recent decades. Ever since FIFA awarded the emirate the premier event in 2010, the tournament has been surrounded by suspicions of corruption. The election focused on the situation of women, the LGTBI community and human rights in general, in addition to the harsh conditions of the migrant workers who built the necessary infrastructure for the World Cup: independent investigations speak of the deaths of thousands of people in recent years, but the organizers have acknowledged the deaths of only 40 workers in the specific jobs of the tournament.
Cinzia Bianco is an expert on European relations with the Persian Gulf at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) Training Center, she has been studying the region for years and has also worked on a European Commission project.
How to remember the 2022 World Cup?
This World Cup has been surrounded by controversy almost on a daily basis and will remain a World Cup of controversy. Qatar’s goal was to organize it to influence the general public, the average viewer who watches football matches, and it didn’t happen.
They also praised the good organization and development of the World Cup, the first in an Arab and Muslim country…
Who will remember a good organization? I think we have to distinguish between East and West: in Asia it is seen as a success because society has paid more attention to good organization, beautiful stadiums, opening and closing ceremonies… in countries like China, Malaysia. The Philippines was a success, and certainly in the Arab world.
Qataris and the Gulf states were very upset and reacted strongly to the confrontations, blaming racism and an inability to accept cultures other than Western culture. But cultural dominance cannot be established by force, soft power is not forced, it cannot be imposed: we must welcome it, accept it, accept it, but we have seen closure and total rejection.
Does this mean that Qatar will change its strategy and look east?
He will focus more on the East, at all levels, but this does not mean that he will stop negotiations on gas trade or other issues related to very pragmatic and specific strategic interests. Now, if Doha has to choose between investing $4 billion or $5 billion in London or Beijing in a major soft power operation, it will choose Beijing. If he was spending that money to advertise on the London Underground or Harrods (a Qatari-owned department store in London), I think he would now be doing it in Singapore, Hong Kong or even Buenos Aires. The money they invest must go where it will make an impact: For years, Qatar has poured that money into the West and, before its first World Cup at home, has only met with opposition and criticism from the West.
Was it not profitable for you to organize the FIFA World Cup, the most expensive in history?
Qatar bought Harrods, The Shard (the tallest building in Great Britain), Paris Saint-Germain and invested in Germany, but what benefit did it bring? When it came time to pay attention, all the attention was mostly negative – in the French, Spanish, German, Italian or British press.
Despite the cost of the World Cup (estimated at more than $200 billion), Qatar continued to invest heavily in Europe, but the difference is the impact: becoming the protagonist of the public discourse, buying Paris Saint-Germain is not enough – and when they did, they received criticism .
And will the West change its position on Qatar?
I’m not saying London doesn’t want Qatar’s millions anymore, but they also don’t want 20 negative articles in The Guardian. Apart from the German interior minister, no government official has openly criticized Qatar, but the problem is public opinion. The money invested in “Paris Saint-Germain” was not only an investment, but a softer word should be said about Qatar, and it did not happen. So Doha will spend its money where the press is kinder.
I was surprised to see so much negativity in Europe, it was an absolute failure. In the United States, they are much milder. Indeed, European public opinion is not bought even in the countries where Qatar has invested a lot of money. Racism against Arabs and Muslims played a role, we can’t be hypocritical and ignore that factor, but there were many others.
Source: El Diario
