Does Sportswashing Work? First Insights from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar

• In Event: Strategies of Incumbent Survival: New Tradeoffs

Abstract

Can autocrats use major sports tournaments to shift public opinion abroad? This short article conducts the first systematic test of whether authoritarian host regimes win the desired image boost through sports mega events. We analyze original data from a two-wave public opinion survey in Germany fielded before and right after the start of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. We find that among German respondents, the tournament start i) did not improve Qatar's image, but ii) increased sympathies for the Arab world, and iii) heightened criticism of Germany's media, inclusion of minorities, and democratic quality. Our findings reveal that international sporting events may benefit an autocrat's entire region, while heightening polarization in foreign democracies. Together, this short article offers the first insights into the various effects of sports-washing and autocratic image campaigns.

Authors

• Christian Gläßel, Hertie School Berlin

• Adam Scharpf, University of Copenhagen

• Pearce Edwards, Texas Christian University