Negotiating tradition and modernity

Qatari women’s roles in the 2022 Fifa World Cup

Bibliographic Data

ID24230299
AuthorsMustafa Altıntaş (0000-0002-7365-692X, Qatar University), Mustafa Selman Yaylalı (0000-0002-6375-4964, Qatar University), Ashour (0000-0002-3326-4702, Qatar University)
Year2026
Pages1-16
Publication date2026-05-15
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueCulture Sport Society (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1461-0981 • E-ISSN: 1743-0445
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/17430437.2026.2670386
OpenAlexW7161309348
LanguageEN
References cited40

This study investigates how the 2022 Qatar World Cup has influenced Qatari women’s participation in public, professional, and sporting spaces. The thematic analysis of the qualitative data collected during interviews with 15 Qatari women engaged with the 2022 FIFA World Cup as volunteers, audience members, or event professionals revealed important changes in societal perceptions, institutional practices, and personal experiences surrounding women’s involvement in sport-related roles in Qatar. More specifically, three interrelated shifts were identified: (1) normalization of women’s attendance and participation in stadium events; (2) increased acceptance of female visibility in managerial and organizational roles; and (3) state-driven initiatives encouraging female employment and volunteerism as part of Qatar’s broader modernization goals. The results also demonstrated that the World Cup 2022 functioned not only as a sporting event, but also as a social catalyst, challenging traditional gender norms and offering new spaces for women’s inclusion albeit within negotiated cultural boundaries.

2022 FIFA World Cup · gender norms · Qatar · Qatari women · state-led modernization · tradition and modernity · women in sport · women volunteers · women's employment · women's sports participation · Physical Education and Sports Studies · Sport and Mega-Event Impacts · Sports, Gender, and Society

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