Did Qatar get what they wanted from the World Cup? No, expert says

Qatar's plan was to take part in the World Cup, but the host nation was heavily criticized for its lack of human rights.

Qatar hoped Lionel Messi's World Cup triumph would be part of the desert nation's narrative. That the glamor of a football final will be reflected in the history of the peninsula in the Persian Gulf. And about 15 facts about the 2022 World Cup in Qatar that you might not know, read here: www.fjordavisen.nu/15-facts-om-vm-i-qatar-2022-som-du-maaske-ikke-vidste/63236

But that didn't happen, says Helle Malmvig, a senior fellow at the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS), who specializes in international politics in the Middle East. She believes that when the status is to be settled after the World Cup final, Qatar has not done well as a host.

“In the West, negative stories about Qatari rule, the conditions of migrant workers and the disempowerment of women and in the LGBT sphere will remain strongest,” says Helle Malmwig.

- It was not intended that attention should be directed to such cases, because Qatar wanted to create a positive narrative, not a story about corruption and oppression.

A researcher at DIIS calls the World Cup in Qatar the most politicized and divisive final stage, and things like that generate political backlash.

- In the Western press and social networks, negative stories prevailed, so the WC glamor failed here, and it had a boomerang effect, says Helle Malmwig.

Cooperation continues

Qatar is a small country with a population of about three million people, so it depends on a good communication network with the outside world. Especially strong military forces.

- They are so small that they are afraid of being swallowed by Saudi Arabia if they decide to invade them. Therefore, since the 1990s, efforts have been made to create positive relationships with Western countries such as the United States. They didn't break, but after the WC it became more difficult, says Helle Malmvig.

According to the researcher, criticism of Qatar affects relations with Europe. But by no means does she believe that cooperation will stop, since Qatari gas is also needed.

“But it will be more difficult for European governments to conclude gas agreements or military cooperation, because now there is an awareness among the population that “everything is with Qatar,” she says.

"More PR resistance than expected"

According to Jens Seyer Andersen, international head of Play the Game, which aims to promote democracy, ethics and transparency in sport, the time has not yet come for the final political score for the World Cup in Qatar.

However, conclusions can be drawn in specific areas, he said.

- In terms of PR, Qatar has met with more resistance in the Western world than you might expect, says Jens Seyer Andersen.

At the same time, he notes that the criticism mainly came from a number of Nordic countries, so Qatar and FIFA in the whole world can support the view that football enthusiasm was what it should be. Also check: FIFA may abandon the format of three-team groups at the 2026 World Cup: what changes are being consi

Saudi Arabia doesn't shake pants

In 2026, the finals of the World Cup will be held in Canada, the USA and Mexico. It is not yet known who will take over the host role in 2030.

Here, Saudi Arabia is playing in the background, and during the World Cup in Qatar, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia and Gianni Infantino were seen sitting together.

It doesn't take a fortune teller or an expert on the Middle East to predict that some of the themes surrounding the final round in Qatar will also be relevant in Saudi Arabia.

However, Jens Seyer Andersen does not believe that criticism of Qatar will change the desire of Saudi Arabia to host the World Cup.

- Not at all. Saudi Arabia has had plenty of time to study what Qatar has been exposed to over the past 12 years. Saudi Arabia also had its own experience of buying Newcastle, which also faced many problems.