World Cup in Qatar: Sport and Political Power in the Middle East and North Africa

The Men’s World Cup will be held in Qatar this year. For the first time in FIFA’s history, the tournament will be held in an Arab country. Football has a long history in the Middle East and North Africa, even if national and local traditions as well as the social anchoring of the sport in the region differ significantly from case to case. This GIGA Forum addresses the social and political significance of football in the region and also asks what impact participation – or non-participation – has on societies, national associations, and governments. This also includes the question of how football is used by the region’s largely authoritarian regimes to legitimise their rule and enforce political goals.

Speakers: Dr. Jan Busse is political scientist at the Universität der Bundeswehr München and co-editor of the book Das rebellische Spiel. Die Macht des Fußballs im Nahen Osten und die Katar-WM (2022, Verlag Die Werkstatt).

Ivesa Lübben is lecturer at the Center for Near and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Marburg; from 2017 until 2020 she led the North Africa regional office of the Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung in Tunis.

Dr. Jens Heibach is Research Fellow at the GIGA Institute for Middle East Studies and expert of the Gulf.

Commentator: Alina Schwermer is a freelance sports journalist (e.g. „taz“) and author of the book Futopia. Ideen für eine bessere Fußballwelt (2022, Verlag Die Werkstatt).

Moderator: Dr. André Bank is Senior Research Fellow at the GIGA Institute for Middle East Studies.