Qatar’s Sportswashing Strategy: What the Latest Headlines on European Soccer Didn’t Tell You

Paris’ Stade de France stadium appeared more like a fortress than a soccer arena ahead of the UEFA Nations League match between France and Israel on November 14. French authorities increased security across Paris ahead of the game following the antisemitic violence that erupted in Amsterdam on November 7 when Maccabi Tel Aviv played Dutch club Ajax in the UEFA Europa League competition. Aside from a minor scuffle between fans, the France-Israel match proceeded without incident. But Paris remains ground zero for another trend sweeping European soccer: Qatar’s use of international sports to buy influence and launder its public image in the West, or “sportswashing” — a strategy set to intensify as Qatar formalizes its bid to host the Olympic Games in 2036.  

One week before the Paris match between France and Israel, fans of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) — a soccer club majority-owned by Qatar Sports Investments (QSI), a subsidiary of Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund, Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) — unfurled an enormous banner that declared “Free Palestine” in apparent violation UEFA’s prohibition against the “promotion or announcement” of “political messages.” However, PSG escaped disciplinary action “because the banner that was unfurled cannot be in this case considered provocative or insulting,” a UEFA spokesperson stated.

French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said the display was “unacceptable” and that “of course the club president is responsible.” PSG’s president is Nasser Al-Khelaifi, the chairman of QSI.

Qatar’s Investment in European Sports

In 2011, QSI purchased a 70 percent stake in PSG. QSI acquired the remaining 30 percent in 2012, then sold a minority share of the French soccer club in December 2023. However, QSI maintains “full control of all decisions at PSG.” QSI also owns Portuguese club Braga, while Sheikh Abdullah Al-Thani, a member of the Qatari royal family, owns the Spanish club Malaga. Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al-Thani, the son of Qatar’s former prime minister, was also in talks to purchase Manchester United for upwards of $6 billion but withdrew his bid in October 2023. Beyond the soccer pitch, the emirate is rumored to be negotiating the purchase of a stake in Audi’s Formula 1 racing team.

2022 World Cup Put a Spotlight on Qatar’s Sportswashing Tactics

Qatar allegedly bribed FIFA, soccer’s governing body, with $800 million in cash and contracts to secure hosting privileges for the 2022 World Cup. Hosting the world’s largest sporting event provided Qatar with an opportunity to attract positive attention and distract from its record of corruption, human rights abuse, and terror finance. Doha reportedly spent more than $200 billion on this public relations exercise, making the 2022 World Cup the most expensive on record. Now, Doha has its sights set on the Olympics: Qatar is reportedly a contender to host the 2036 Summer Games, which are likely to be awarded to an Asian host.

Qatari Sportswashing Arrives Stateside

In 2023, QIA acquired approximately 5 percent of the parent company that owns the NBA’s Washington Wizards, NHL’s Washington Capitals, and WNBA’s Washington Mystics. The $4.05 billion transaction made QIA the first foreign sovereign wealth fund to own a share of a major American sports franchise. In 2018, Qatar sponsored late-night metro service in Washington, DC, during the Capitals’ Stanley Cup run. The Gulf emirate has also sponsored the annual congressional baseball game and contributed millions of dollars to youth sports across America. Despite this largesse, Washington should not let Qatar’s venture into American sports shield the emirate from accountability.  

Natalie Ecanow is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). For more analysis from Natalie and FDD, please subscribe HERE. Follow Natalie on X @NatalieEcanow. Follow FDD on X @FDD. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on foreign policy and national security.