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The Politics of Soccer

In this section we explore some of the areas where politics became enmeshed with soccer at this World Cup. We asked UVA students for their opinions regarding some of the more polarizing political aspects of this World Cup. Below are some of the main controversies, and various UVA student perspectives of them. 

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What were some of our questions?

What is the role of soccer in politics? 

  • Personal responsibility and role of FIFA, teams, players, fans?

  • What is the role of governments, players, and fans?  – who is getting punished? 

  • What does it mean to support your national team?

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Recurring Perspectives of UVA Students on politics and the 2022 World Cup.

  • Some weren’t aware of the controversy regarding Qatar as a host.

  • Many recognized human rights issues, but planned to watch the World Cup anyways, as they didn't think there was much they could do.

  • Some drew comparisons to other sporting events with controversial host countries (ex. Beijing Olympics).

  • Many identified a difference between the people of a country and the government of a country when discussing politics in soccer.

Case Study: Iran

Iran has been an interesting case study in the politics of soccer at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The political climate in Iran presently is tense in the midst of large scale protests against the current regime. These protests are being violently silenced. Although many Iranians believed that the national team members were puppets to promote the oppressive regime, the national team remained silent during their anthem before their World Cup match against England in support of the protesters. When asked about this, many UVA students voiced their admiration for the support of the protests by the national team. â€‹

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Case Study: Qatar

Qatar hosting the World Cup involved a lot of controversy regarding the use of the kafal system and mistreatment of migrant workers during the construction of stadiums, which led to many deaths. While Qatar intended to bring about positive publicity from hosting the World Cup, these controversies may cast a shadow over the country for years instead. Most UVA students expressed knowledge of what was happening in Qatar, and many acknowledged that it's a tough situation. Some students said that there will inevitably be problems with any host country for major sporting events. All of the students interviewed will be watching the World Cup, regardless of their opinions on Qatar hosting. 

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Student, 4th Year

"I'm weary of the cultural ad hominem attacks that stem from the broader issues of national politics and sporting events. Because the takes that you see on Twitter are not about the nuances of the government versus people."

Student, 4th Year

"Me personally, I'd prefer if major sporting events are not held in locations that perhaps don't deserve it. Especially ones that could funnel a lot of money to governments that are corrupt and that money might not find its way to the local population."

Student, 4th Year

"I think there are ways around this. You hold the Olympics in Beijing and Russia, there's always going to be problems with the host country. So if they're willing to host it and it won't be a complete disaster, I say let them host it."

Sample Interviews

Here are two interviews that highlight UVA student perspectives on political topics surrounding the 2022 World Cup, such as the host country being Qatar, the Iranian national team, and their opinion on politics in soccer. 

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