Sportswashing Works: The 2026 FIFA World Cup
· Yahoo Sports
Readers of this site will no doubt be aware of this TLO’s long history of stressing the evils of sportswashing in world football.
Whether it be from corrupt, human rights absuing regimes owning Manchester City, Newcastle, or PSG, or FIFA hosting its most prestigious tournaments in countries with corrupt, human rights abusing regimes like Russia, Qatar, and the US, global football is rife with terrible people using the glory of football to help foster a positive public image for themselves.
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Unfortunately, sportswashing works.
Four years ago, any criticisms of Qatar’s many human rights abuses—up to and including 6500 migrant workers dying to construct the World Cup stadiums in terrible, deadly working conditions—were swept under the rug.
This year, despite all the reasons why we should be boycotting FIFA and the World Cup, the stadiums are still full, and viewers are still tuning in. Instead of the Trump Administration being put under a microscope, its corruption laid bare for the world to see, they get to associate themselves with one of the most joyous, celebrated global events. They get to show people from all over (well, other than the ones detained at the border for being non-white) having fun and celebrating the global game, with any and all justified criticisms of the regime, of FIFA, and even of sporting integrity drowned out by the overwhelming positivity of it all.
Moreover, the sportswashing is working the most on the people who care the least about football. I’ve gotten several messages from Trump-supporting family members—ones who will openly mock soccer and its supporters—talk in glowing terms about how much fun foreign fans are having in the US. How these fans are absolutely loving their time in the US.
Once again, this ignores all the problems with fans, players, and even FIFA appointed referees entering the US. Obviously they do not factor into this discussion. Their problems are not televised. They do not get primetime coverage. But Scottish fans having a great time and drinking Bostonian bars dry? There is no shortage of positive coverage for them.
I have no answers here. But it is depressing how reliably sportswashing works. And it is depressing how the world’s worst, most corrupt people are in charge of the this beautiful game. We need to demand better. This is our game, not theirs. It is time that we, as a fandom, remember that.