Uploaded December 2022 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
The 2022 FIFA World Cup recently kicked off in Qatar, a country ruled by a monarchic authoritarian government. FIFA and Qatar’s government have promoted the event as a celebration, uniting humanity around tolerance, equality, and respect. In reality, this glosses over FIFA’s corruption scandals — allegations that Qatari officials bribed FIFA officials to secure hosting rights — and Doha’s dire human rights record.
Qatar’s government has invested hundreds of billions to host the World Cup as part of a decade-long strategy of sportswashing — also common under other wealthy authoritarian Gulf States, such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. This strategy exploits the appeal of sports to distract from human rights abuses, promote a favorable image, and increase global influence.
HRF’s latest report, “Qatar’s Human Rights Record in the World’s Spotlight,” highlights the country's worst human rights abuses, including those against political prisoners, and provides policy recommendations for reform within Qatar and action points for the global community.
#HRF #HumanRightsFoundation #FIFAWorldCup #qatarworldcup
Learn more about our work at the Human Rights Foundation!
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Join us in promoting freedom where it’s most at risk!
Donate today: hrf.org/?form=donate
The 2022 FIFA World Cup recently kicked off in Qatar, a country ruled by a monarchic authoritarian government. FIFA and Qatar’s government have promoted the event as a celebration, uniting humanity around tolerance, equality, and respect. In reality, this glosses over FIFA’s corruption scandals — allegations that Qatari officials bribed FIFA officials to secure hosting rights — and Doha’s dire human rights record.
Qatar’s government has invested hundreds of billions to host the World Cup as part of a decade-long strategy of sportswashing — also common under other wealthy authoritarian Gulf States, such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. This strategy exploits the appeal of sports to distract from human rights abuses, promote a favorable image, and increase global influence.
HRF’s latest report, “Qatar’s Human Rights Record in the World’s Spotlight,” highlights the country's worst human rights abuses, including those against political prisoners, and provides policy recommendations for reform within Qatar and action points for the global community.
#HRF #HumanRightsFoundation #FIFAWorldCup #qatarworldcup
Learn more about our work at the Human Rights Foundation!
Website: hrf.org
X (formerly known as Twitter): twitter.com/HRF
Instagram: instagram.com/hrf
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/hrf
Subscribe to HRF’s Substack: humanrightsfoundation.substack.com
Join us in promoting freedom where it’s most at risk!
Donate today: hrf.org/?form=donate
