Middle East

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.

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[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.

Just like in 1996, the Taliban have conquered almost all of Afghanistan and have captured the capital of Kabul. The Taliban, roughly translated as ‘seekers’ or ‘students’, ruled Afghanistan from 1996 until October of 2001 when the United States War on Terror began. The Taliban’s biggest mistake was harboring the culprits of the events of 9/11 and failing to cooperate with the United States as they sought justice. The Taliban will be well advised to not repeat the mistakes of their past to secure their future longevity and lower their global security threat to the international community.

The Taliban’s first government, The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, believed in a policy of isolationism, “The Taliban believe in non-interference in the affairs of other countries and similarly desire no outside interference in their country’s internal affairs”.[1] Meaning they have little to no outside interest in attacking, participating with, or endangering other countries. A common misconception is to identify the Taliban, ISIS, and Al-Qaeda as all similar terrorist groups. While all three have terrible track records, operate within the Middle East, and believe in some form of Islam; they could not be more different. ISIS and Al-Qaeda both have global aspirations, actively attack the West at home and abroad, and would love to see the fall of countries like the United States, England, and many others. On the other hand, the Taliban has been at war with the U.S. and its NATO allies solely because they are the occupying foreign force in their land. It is possible that we will see a cooling of relations between the two entities once all foreign troops are withdrawn, in accordance with the recent treaty signed by the Taliban and the U.S.[2]

To lower their global security threat to the international community the Taliban must make sure to not harbor terrorist groups within Afghanistan borders as they did pre-9/11. Allowing groups like ISIS or Al-Qaeda to operate in Afghanistan would allow these groups to build training camps, recruit more men, create bases to conduct attacks, allow them more mobility, and overall increase the global security threat in Afghanistan. The upcoming months will show the world whether the Taliban’s new government has the will and the capability to complete the task of stopping these terrorist groups from operating within their borders. The Taliban has been at war with both ISIS and Al-Qaeda for years fighting to control areas of Afghanistan. Plus, their new government will face harsh international sanctions if they refuse to cooperate with counter-terrorism efforts in their country, so the will to act should be present. However, whether they can govern such a vast, rugged, and untamed land is the question.

Will the Taliban learn from its past mistakes to try and remain off the radar of international community? Only time will tell, but it is the world’s hope that they do better when it comes to humanitarian efforts, women’s rights, counter-terrorism efforts, and with international relations as they get a second chance of governance.  

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[1] Matinuddin, K. (2002). The Taliban phenomenon: Afghanistan 1994-1997. Oxford University Press.

[2] “Agreement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan between the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Which Is Not Recognized by the United States as a State and Is Known as the Taliban and the United States of America,” February 29, 2020. https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Agreement-For-Bringing-Peace-to-Afghanistan-02.29.20.pdf.