'Sportswashing’: a tactic to cover up human rights abuses

Saudi Arabia: the king of ‘sportswashing’
Sportswashing
What is “sportswashing”?
A prestigious victory against Argentina at the World Cup
The steady progress of the selection
A football victory turned into a holiday
Cristiano Ronaldo joining a Saudi football club
Ronaldo praised the Saudi League
A big media hit
Lionel Messi appointed Tourism Ambassador of Saudi Arabia
The takeover of Newcastle United
A surprising choice
An ambition in the Premier League?
Other failed takeovers
A world-record offer for Mbappé
Not limited to football
Asian Winter Games 2029
Games in a futuristic megalopolis
The 2034 Asian Games
A tool to develop turism
Criticism doesn’t mean “sportswashing” is not working
“One love” armband controversy
UK press and politicians have deterred criticism
What can fans do about “sportswashing”?
Saudi Arabia: the king of ‘sportswashing’

Saudi Arabia spent at least $6.3 billion in sports deals since early 2021, according to an analysis made by The Guardian in July, in what critics have labelled an effort to distract from its human rights record.

Sportswashing

Much like Qatar, also known for its human rights abuses, Saudi Arabia has been known for using “sportswashing” to try to distract the world from them.

What is “sportswashing”?

“Sportswashing” is a phenomenon in which sports are used by a state or non-state actor to launder the actor’s reputation.

A prestigious victory against Argentina at the World Cup

Saudi Arabia’s victory over Argentina in the Qatar World Cup wasn’t as surprising as conceived by the audience then.

The steady progress of the selection

The Saudi selection has been growing steadily for several years. Victorious against Egypt at the 2018 Russian World Cup and finalist of the Gulf Cup of Nations in 2019, Saudi Arabia has gradually established itself as one of the important teams in Asian football.

A football victory turned into a holiday

The day after the historic victory against Argentina, the country declared the date of the match a holiday despite their elimination in the first round of the World Cup.

Cristiano Ronaldo joining a Saudi football club

After that, Saudi Arabia made headlines at the end of December 2022, when Portuguese legend Cristiano Ronaldo signed up for Saudi club Al-Nassr.

Ronaldo praised the Saudi League

During his presentation conference at the club, CR7 praised the Saudi championship: “In Europe the work has been done, I have won everything and I am proud to have made this decision. (...) The Saudi League is very competitive. But people don't know that."

A big media hit

The arrival of the Portuguese player was therefore a huge media stunt for Saudi Arabia. The presence of the five-time Ballon d'Or winner, even at the end of his career, gave the country an unprecedented opportunity to draw attention to their football team.

Lionel Messi appointed Tourism Ambassador of Saudi Arabia

Furthermore, Saudi appointed Lionel Messi as tourism ambassador for the country in May 2022, managing to relate to the two biggest football players of the moment.

The takeover of Newcastle United

The main power of the Arabian Peninsula pursues an all-out development strategy in football. The English club Newcastle United was bought in 2021 by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund Public Investment Fund (PIF).

A surprising choice

The choice of Newcastle, which is neither one of the main cities nor the most exclusive clubs in England, may have come as a surprise, but it seems like the Saudis wanted to make them succeed.

An ambition in the Premier League?

By taking over the Newcastle club, Saudi Arabia has set foot in the richest, most followed and most prestigious football league in the world. Enough to promote its future development in Europe.

Other failed takeovers

Saudi investors had also communicated their interest in Olympique de Marseille. The country had also made an offer of four billion euros to buy Manchester United, but the proposal had been deemed insufficient by the owners of the Red Devils.

A world-record offer for Mbappé

In July, they offered Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappé a world-record $1.1 billion deal, but he turned it down, Forbes reported.

Not limited to football

Saudi Arabia’s “sportswashing” however is not limited to football; the country is also developing its international presence and visibility through other sports.

Asian Winter Games 2029

The organization of the 2029 Asian Winter Games has been awarded to Saudi Arabia. A highly contested decision given the incompatibility of the country's climate with the organization of winter games.

Games in a futuristic megalopolis

Proof that sport is part of a more global development strategy, the Asian Winter Games of 2029 will take place in the futuristic megalopolis of Neom, currently under construction.

The 2034 Asian Games

Saudi Arabia will also host the 2034 Asian Games. The country is also a candidate for the organization of the Football World Cup in 2030, and therefore intends to play the leading roles in the organization of major sports competitions at a global level.

A tool to develop turism

Through sport, Saudi Arabia also seeks to develop tourism in its territory.

Criticism doesn’t mean “sportswashing” is not working

High-profile sportswashing often attracts a great deal of critical attention. However, the existence of criticism does not mean that “sportswashing” is not working. What “sportswashers” seek is the support of powerful voices from within sports governing bodies.

“One love” armband controversy

Proof of this, is the controversy around the “One love” armbands. When seven football captains wanted to wear a rainbow armband to promote a message of LGBTQ+ inclusion in the Qatar World Cup, FIFA stopped them.

UK press and politicians have deterred criticism

Furthermore, recent UK research showed Gulf investment funds and ownership of football clubs have been sufficiently powerful enough to deter criticism of their human rights record from the local press and politicians, who fear displeasing fans and advertisers.

What can fans do about “sportswashing”?

Scholars argue that fan and athlete activism has an important role to play in resisting “sportswashing,” because when they draw attention to abuses, particularly within the emotionally charged atmosphere of a stadium, they undermine this separation and limit the event’s ability to distract.

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