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Football and power

Women’s football is on the rise, but it’s not the only part of the world game where power is shifting. : Reece Hooker, 360info Image: LittleBlinky via Wikimedia Commons Illustration: Michael Joiner

Sport has always been a powerful political tool, but the hundreds of billions being splashed in the Gulf is changing how we think about football forever.

5 perspectives
Football and power

The changing field of football and power

Sport has always been a powerful political tool, but the hundreds of billions being splashed in the Gulf is changing how we think about football forever.

Special Report
Qatar’s World Cup was condemned, whereas Australia and New Zealand have avoided sportswashing criticism. : Markus Spiske via Unsplash (https://unsplash.com/photos/0pKXTZSxqW4) Unsplash Licence

Many in the west accuse Gulf nations of sportswashing when they spend big on major events — so, what will they say about World Cup host Australia?

Football and power

Accusations may catch World Cup hosts offside

Many in the west accuse Gulf nations of sportswashing when they spend big on major events — so, what will they say about World Cup host Australia?

Politics
Glossy, digitally-enhanced images of sport victories often hide a sad truth of the countries hosting such events. : ‘Messi on laptop’ by Zesan H is available at https://tinyurl.com/2cwujx5v Licence by Unsplash

Sportswashing’s goal is to distract from a nation’s dark deeds but it can corrupt the sport in the process.

Football and power

Unforgettable images help fans forget the dark side

Sportswashing’s goal is to distract from a nation’s dark deeds but it can corrupt the sport in the process.

Culture
The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup has been a rousing success to date, but how much of that can FIFA take credit for? : United States Embassy Australia, Wikimedia Commons Public domain

FIFA is proud of its hugely successful 2023 Women’s World Cup, but momentum could evaporate if issues around pay and player safety aren’t properly addressed.

Football and power

Women’s football closing the gap, but it’s not all down to FIFA

Culture
Countries host major sporting events as a way to boost their image but how effective this is needs more research. : ‘Soccer Net’ by Mustang Joe is available at https://tinyurl.com/mubzsuwz CC0 1.0

While the media paints sportswashing as evil, more research is needed to evaluate whether it is really changing attitudes on the ground.

Football and power

Does sportswashing even work?

Culture
Football fans may have opinions about sportswashing but their voices are unlikely to be heard. : ‘Soccer field’ by Michael Lee is available at https://tinyurl.com/5n6ar3ma Copyright License: Unsplash

Fans care about their clubs’ accomplishments more and if new owners can pour in big money to achieve this, then all is good.

Football and power

Fans care about trophies, not how they’re won

Culture