On December 18, 2022 the biggest game in all of soccer will be played as two international teams take part in the next World Cup final. However, the biggest story does not involve those teams on the field, but the location of the field they will be playing on. Lusail Iconic Stadium, located in the Gulf country of Qatar, will host that final in what will be a proud day for the Emir of Qatar. Even though it is far off, the 2022 World Cup, this stadium, and most importantly the hosting country Qatar have been shrouded in controversy ever since winning the bid to host the World Cup years ago.
Never has an Arab country won the bid to host a World Cup and Qatar managed it by what many believe to be corruption and bribes.[1] After winning the bid through nefarious means, Qatar has been building stadiums such as the Lusial Iconic Stadium on the back of migrant workers. Sadly, these migrant workers have had their passports confiscated, forced into labor, denied freedom of movement, and have died working on the stadiums at an alarming rate.[2] This is the backdrop of Qatar’s soccer ambitions; and ambitions is an ap a pro term as Qatar has been investing heavily into the world of soccer for over a decade. These investments have culminated in the super star signing of Lionel Messi to Paris Saint Germain (PSG) last week.
Qatar uses Qatar Sports Investments, Qatar Airways, and other companies/organizations to invest in soccer around the world.[3] Some of these investments include purchasing the now powerhouse of a soccer club PSG in 2011. Buying on and off the field super stars including Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, and now Lionel Messi. While also becoming a key sponsor of soccer’s global governing body FIFA and a sponsor of Germany’s biggest club, Bayern Munich. Qatar is investing for not only financial gains, but also to achieve more soft power in today’s international sphere. As a small Gulf country with a heavy dependence on its natural resource deposits to hold up its economy, Qatar is looking for economic and political alternatives to flex its muscles. Investing in soccer allows Qatar to improve its domestic infrastructure, boost tourism, diversify its economy, and gain the ability to garner more influence (soft power). This master plan is subject to the game of soccer and reliant on players like Lionel Messi participating in Qatar’s investment club PSG.
We cannot be naïve enough to believe that Lionel Messi did not know what he was signing up for when switching from his former club FC Barcelona to PSG. Qatar now not only has claim to one of the world’s biggest soccer stars but can blast his image ahead of the World Cup as he also plays for Argentina’s national team. In the short-term Messi brings financial advantages to PSG and Qatar (shirt sales, commercial partnerships, sponsorships, etc.). In the long term, Messi is now beholden to Qatar as they essentially pay his salary and facilitated his transfer to PSG. It is likely that Qatar will continue to use Messi as an ambassador for not only the 2022 World Cup, but to improve the image of Qatar long after he hangs up his boots in retirement. Notably to Qatar, the acquisition of Messi also improves their reputation and serves as a distraction to its domestic policies. This is similar to when PSG signed Neymar in 2017 for 222 million euros while Qatar was in the midst of a dispute over terrorism with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.[4] Today, Qatar is struggling with multiple PR crises’, including the 2022 World Cup, climate irresponsibility, human right violations, and more. Fortunately for Qatar, those weren’t trending on twitter all last week, but their new golden boy was.
When signing for PSG, Lionel Messi reportedly earned a $30 million dollar signing bonus and will earn a salary of $35 million a year.[5] Not a bad investment for Qatar when considering all the soft power and influence he will furnish for years to come.
[1] Panja, Tariq, and Kevin Draper. “U.S. Says FIFA Officials Were Bribed to AWARD World Cups to Russia and Qatar.” The New York Times. The New York Times, April 6, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/06/sports/soccer/qatar-and-russia-bribery-world-cup-fifa.html.
[2] “Reality Check: Migrant Workers’ Rights in Qatar.” Amnesty International, May 18, 2021. https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/campaigns/2019/02/reality-check-migrant-workers-rights-with-four-years-to-qatar-2022-world-cup/.
[3] Newsource, CNN. “For Qatar and UAE, Investment in Soccer Has Been ‘Worth Its Weight in Gold’.” KVIA, April 28, 2021. https://kvia.com/sports/2021/04/28/for-qatar-and-uae-investment-in-soccer-has-been-worth-its-weight-in-gold/.
[4] Uddin, Rayhann. “Lionel Messi, Qatar and the Gulf’s Battle for Football Soft Power.” Middle East Eye, August 14, 2021. https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/qatar-gulf-lionel-messi-psg-soft-power.
[5] Cooper, Sam. “Soccer Goat Lionel Messi Has Officially Joined Paris SAINT-GERMAIN in Arguably the Sport’s Biggest Signing Ever.” Insider. Insider, August 10, 2021. https://www.insider.com/lionel-messi-joins-paris-saint-germain-deal-soccer-biggest-transfer-2021-8.
“Lionel Messi: Why His Arrival in Paris Is a Key Part of Qatar’s Game Plan.” The Conversation, August 11, 2021. https://theconversation.com/lionel-messi-why-his-arrival-in-paris-is-a-key-part-of-qatars-game-plan-165982.