Soft power, Arab media and Sports Mega Events

Coverage of Fifa 2022 and lessons for future Arab hosting

Bibliographic Data

ID24230313
AuthorsLynne Kennedy (0000-0002-4699-2602, Zayed University), Maaira Shahbaz (Qatar University), Ala Al Rajabi (0000-0003-2426-6279, Qatar University)
Year2026
Pages1-13
Publication date2026-05-22
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueCulture Sport Society (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1461-0981 • E-ISSN: 1743-0445
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/17430437.2026.2665187
OpenAlexW7162102671
LanguageEN
References cited38

Sport mega-events (SMEs) increasingly transcend athletic competition, functioning as strategic instruments for national identity formation, statecraft, and soft power projection. This dynamic is particularly pronounced in the Gulf, where Qatar’s successful hosting reignited regional rivalries and attracted unprecedented global scrutiny. While existing scholars have extensively examined Western media portrayals of SMEs, a notable gap remains for academic engagement with Gulf media. Dismissed as state-controlled and analytically lacking, we contend that such media offer a rich site for exploring how small states use media as soft power, to construct and contest legitimacy, identity, and global influence. This analysis suggests how state-aligned Arab media is not a passive instrument of state rhetoric, but strategic communicative arenas where legitimacy, modernity, and cultural pride are actively constructed. As Morocco and Saudi Arabia prepare to host FIFA World Cups, understanding the strategic use of regional media becomes increasingly relevant.

Arab media · cultural pride · Legitimacy · National identity · regional rivalry · Soft power · sports mega-events · state media · statecraft · Physical Education and Sports Studies · Sport and Mega-Event Impacts · Sports, Gender, and Society

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