The Football and Society Podcast

Qatar, the 2022 World Cup and the country's status as a footballing 'other'

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Episode notes

Over the past 20 years Qatar has hosted international tournaments in a range of sports including tennis and golf, but it has never hosted a sporting mega event such as the football World Cup. The 2022 Men’s World Cup, to be held in Qatar next year, will be the first to be hosted by an Arab nation.

Preparations for the tournament have been surrounded by controversy, with allegations of bribery during the bidding process as well as the reported deaths of foreign workers employed to build the venues, but a recent study suggests that Qatar has demonstrated greater flexibility and sensitivity in its response to these controversies than many people think. In an article published in the Soccer & Society journal in 2019, Dr Thomas Ross Griffin focuses on the manner in which the Gulf State has addressed the concerns of its critics.

How will the Qatar side fare on the pitch, and to what extent is this a priority for the hosts?
To what extent will the Qataris' success embolden future bids from other countries of the Muslim world?
How should we read critical Western press coverage in the lead-up to the tournament?

...all this and more in the 28th episode of the Football and Society podcast.

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Follow Thomas on Twitter: www.twitter.com/RossGriffinQU

Each week, Ash, Chris and Norman explore societal issues through the lens of the beautiful game.

From the ethics of gambling sponsorship to what a stadium move means for fans, we’ll be covering it all each week with expert guests from the worlds of sports journalism and sociology.