Sportswashing Flashcards
What is Sportswashing?
use of sports events, teams, or sponsorships by states or corporations to improve their reputation and deflect attention from human rights abuses, corruption, or authoritarianism.
Why is sportswashing used?
rebrand national identity, gain international legitimacy, attract foreign investment, and promote soft power.
What football team had Saudi Arabia bought?
Newcastle United
How much has Saudi Arabia pledged to fund towards their football team?
£500bn
What UK product was deemed unlawful to sell to Saudi Arabia in 2019?
Military equipment
What war is Saudi Arabia active in?
Yemen Civil War
How much did Qatar spend on the 2022 FIFA World Cup
$220bn
What major concern was there amongst people with Qatar hosting the world cup?
Exploitation of migrant workers
How many workers died building football stadiums in Qatar?
37
What % of Saudis supported sports investments?
60%
Why are Saudis in favour of sport investment?
modernizing efforts.
What is the global market size for sports sponsorship (2023)?
$60 billion annually
Realism
strategic soft power tool used by states to enhance their influence and prestige, while maintaining hard power behind the scenes.
Liberalism
international institutions (like FIFA/IOC) can be co-opted, but also how interdependence and global norms may expose abuses.
Constructivism
sports shape national identity, and how meanings of legitimacy, modernity, and prestige are constructed through global visibility.
Postcolonial Theory
former imperial powers or rising powers use sports to reassert dominance, while marginalizing dissent or colonial legacies.
What Norwegian football team called for boycotts for the Qatar World Cup?
Tromsø IL
What is “performative inclusion”?
Superficial displays of diversity or equality by regimes during events that don’t reflect domestic reality.
