Beyond a Mega Sports Event Capture, Qatar World Cup 2022: Dribbling Between Media Narratives

Abstract: Research on mega sports events often emphasizes the way hosting nations use these opportunities to showcase their positive national image to the global audience. This study, however, presents an intriguing example of blending politics with a major sports event, by examining the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022—hosted for the first time in an Islamic, Arab, and non-Western country. A qualitative critical analysis was conducted to compare media narratives surrounding the event, focusing on Arab versus Western media coverage beyond the soccer matches themselves. Data were collected from November 18, 2022, to December 20, 2022 (i.e., the FIFA tournament time frame), using keyword searches on the Factiva database, which includes all international daily media in both English and Arabic. No content was excluded from the search, covering all sections of the media, including but not limited to news articles, opinion pieces, and commentaries. Results showed that the coverage went indeed beyond a mere mega sports event, with media focusing on human rights and the conditions of migrant workers in Qatar. Meanwhile, Arab media highlighted the double standards in coverage issues of alcohol consumption, human rights, and sexual orientation, emphasizing discourses on nationalism, Islam, Palestine, and Orientalism.