Qatar 2022 and After: A Credible Threat for the FIFA Empire?

Abstract

The paper focuses on the FIFA World Cup organized in Qatar at the end of 2022, which has been the subject of multiple controversies since the decision was taken in December 2010. If it is nowadays admitted that Qatar invests in the world of high-level sports in order to consolidate its soft power, the holding of the most important sports competition in the world poses many problems, both societal and environmental. The objective of the paper is to recall the main controversies related to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which are expected to continue during the tournament itself, and to underline that it could threaten the FIFA empire financially, in case of withdrawal of powerful sponsors, as it happened in the recent past.