The men’s world cup in Qatar 2022 through the lens of the western media: soft power, sports diplomacy and sportswashing

Abstract

The chapter examines Western journalistic discourses from the perspective of culture, political values, and international relations during the coverage of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. We explore Soft Power, Sports Diplomacy, and Sportswashing concepts and analyze the discourses through a historical context about the Islamic and Arabic World, Qatari academics' perspectives, human rights issues, and international media placement. Considerations include the use of sports to position Qatar as an active player in development programs and to present positive facts to improve geopolitics in the region.