Analysts: Qatar managed to fend off World Cup criticism to score diplomatic victory

Sports sociology specialist says people will remember emir putting traditional Arab cloak on Messi more than country’s treatment of foreign workers and LGBTQ people

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani (back) wraps an abaya around Argentina's forward #10 Lionel Messi on stage next to the FIFA World Cup Trophy after Argentina won the Qatar 2022 World Cup final football match between Argentina and France at Lusail Stadium in Lusail, north of Doha on December 18, 2022. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP)
Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani (back) wraps an abaya around Argentina's forward #10 Lionel Messi on stage next to the FIFA World Cup Trophy after Argentina won the Qatar 2022 World Cup final football match between Argentina and France at Lusail Stadium in Lusail, north of Doha on December 18, 2022. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP)

DOHA (AFP) — Qatar fought a “culture war,” corruption claims and accusations over rights abuses in hosting the World Cup, but experts say the Gulf state has reinforced its image everywhere except parts of Europe.

The emirate went into the tournament under scrutiny for its treatment of foreign workers and LGBTQ people but one of the final images to emerge from the event was Qatar’s emir putting a traditional Arab cloak over the shoulders of Argentina star Lionel Messi.

“That is what people will remember,” said Carole Gomez, a sports sociology specialist at the University of Lausanne, in Switzerland.

She highlighted fears over the event’s organization and safety, and condemnation faced by Qatar before the World Cup started.

“The politicization was not as bad as it could have been, and if there were problems they did not get much coverage,” Gomez said.

The energy-rich state spent at least $200 billion on infrastructure projects ahead of the World Cup which rights groups claim were built by exploiting low-paid foreign laborers, who faced dangerous working conditions.

Argentina’s captain and forward #10 Lionel Messi holds the FIFA World Cup Trophy next to FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani (R) as he celebrates with teammates after they won the Qatar 2022 World Cup final football match between Argentina and France at Lusail Stadium in Lusail, north of Doha on December 18, 2022. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP)

Qatar insists it has since made serious reforms to workers’ rights.

Its ruler, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, declared at the end of the competition “we have fulfilled our promise to organize an exceptional championship” — the first in an Arab nation.

As a major global supplier of natural gas and an intermediary in conflict zones such as Afghanistan, Qatar already possessed diplomatic clout but it struggled to gain public recognition.

However, the World Cup has left an impression on the Arab world and beyond.

Scarf diplomacy

Images of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman wearing a Qatari scarf on opening day, and Qatar’s emir later draped in green Saudi colors, sealed the neighbors’ reconciliation after Prince Mohammed led a regional blockade of Qatar from 2017 to 2021.

The public airing of the Palestinian cause in stadiums and Morocco’s surge to the tournament’s semi-finals also boosted feelings of Arab pride.

Argentina’s forward #10 Lionel Messi is greeted by Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani as French President Emmanuel Macron looks on while receiving the Golden Ball award during the Qatar 2022 World Cup trophy ceremony after the football final match between Argentina and France at Lusail Stadium in Lusail, north of Doha on December 18, 2022. (FRANCK FIFE / AFP)

Qatar has already lined up more sporting events to keep it in the international eye. It is also reportedly preparing a bid for the 2036 Olympics, as well as hosting summits and other events including Formula One in 2023.

Western media and international rights groups took aim at Qatar over labor and gender rights before the football gala.

Andreas Krieg, an associate professor of security studies at King’s College London, said Qatar had been caught in “a culture war” in Europe, but he thinks the criticisms had little impact in most of the world.

“Qatar has been able to use the World Cup effectively to establish its brand, especially in the Global South,” said Krieg.

“This has made Qatar a rallying point for the Arab and Islamic world which has mobilized in support for Qatar as a champion of regional issues, such as Palestine or anti-colonialism,” he added.

Since world football’s governing body FIFA named Qatar host in 2010 allegations of corruption surfaced. But the organization says nothing relating to Qatar has been proven and has shrugged off the controversy.

Argentina’s Lionel Messi celebrates at the end of the World Cup final soccer match between Argentina and France at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar, December 18, 2022. Argentina won 4-2 in a penalty shootout after the match ended tied 3-3. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

The World Cup “gave Qatar a chance to cleanse its image as a country of scandals,” said Raphael Le Magoariec, a specialist on sports geopolitics at the University of Tours, in France.

Simon Chadwick, professor of sport and geopolitical economy at the SKEMA Business school in Paris, said the Gulf state has “witnessed a net soft power benefit” in Asia, Africa and the Arab world from its World Cup campaign.

Attitudes have even changed in some parts of Europe, added Chadwick, although he believes “there is still some considerable resistance” in countries such as Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands.

But with a new Belgian investigation into allegations Qatar tried to buy support within the European Union parliament, some experts say Doha will now have to start a lot of the hard work on public relations again.

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