ABSTRACT
On 2 December 2010, football’s global governing body, FIFA, awarded the small Persian Gulf state of Qatar the right to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Numerous observers viewed the decision with much scepticism, given that Qatar is one of the world’s smallest states, has little football history and regularly exhibits searing climates. Yet, to Qatari authorities, the tournament epitomised the state’s desire to been seen as a truly global sporting destination, a fundamental driver of Qatar’s wider international strategy. Indeed, the acquisition of the 2022 World Cup – one of the globe’s premier sporting events – significantly added to the state’s continuous development of elite-level sport, both at home and abroad, all financed by Qatar’s abundant wealth from oil and natural gas.
