FIFA World Cup 2022

Qatar 2022: Political Legacies, Cultural Dimensions & Future Impact — Research, commentary and publications.

Research Overview

The 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar was a landmark event that reshaped global football politics and placed the Gulf region at the centre of international sport diplomacy. Dr. Amara has been a leading scholarly voice on its political, cultural, and social dimensions — from the bidding process and labour governance debates to its legacy for Qatari society and regional sport development.

His research examines Qatar 2022 as a prism through which to understand broader questions of sport nationalism, the Gulf developmental state, postcolonial aspirations, Islam and global sport, and the geopolitics of mega-event hosting.

As co-editor of the first comprehensive academic volume on the tournament, and through keynote addresses at major international forums, Dr. Amara has shaped the scholarly conversation around the tournament's legacies.

The 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar

Co-edited by Kozhanov, Amara & Zweiri. London: Routledge, 2024.

View on Routledge →

Publications on Qatar 2022

Edited Volume

Book Chapters

  • 2024 Amara, M. and Bouandel, Y. Why Qatar's hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup matters. In Research Handbook on Major Sporting Events. DOI: 10.4337/9781800885653.00048
  • 2022 Mahfoud Amara and Youcef Bouandel. Culture and the World Cup: The Case of Qatar. In Chadwick, Widdop, Anagnostopolous & Parnell (eds.), The Business of the FIFA World Cup. Routledge.
  • 2021 John McManus and Mahfoud Amara. Sport at Home, Sport in the World: Evaluating Qatar's Sports Strategy from above and below. In Zweiri & Al Qawasmi (eds.). Springer Singapore.
  • 2021 Mahfoud Amara and Wadih Ishac. Sport and Development in Qatar. In Tinaz & Knott (eds.), Sport and Development in Emerging Nations. Routledge.
  • 2021 Amara, M. Place and Space of Global Sport in the Gulf Region: Promotion, Development and Identity Narratives. In Azzali, Mazzetto & Petruccioli (eds.), Urban Challenges in the Globalizing Middle-East. Springer.

Journal Articles & Essays

  • 2022 Mahfoud Amara and Youcef Bouandel. The 2022 FIFA World Cup, between Soccer and Faith. Bulletin de l'Observatoire international du religieux N°40.
    English version | Version française
  • 2021 Mahfoud Amara. What lessons we can take from the 2021 FIFA Arab Cup. Gulf Insights No. 53. Download PDF

Conference Contributions on Qatar 2022

2023
"The 2022 FIFA World Cup and Its Legacy for Gulf Sport Governance"
Invited keynote / symposium presentation — various international venues
2022
"Qatar 2022: Sport Nationalism and the Politics of Hosting"
International academic symposia — pre/during tournament period

See the full Conferences page for a complete list of Qatar 2022-related presentations and symposia.

Media Commentary on Qatar 2022

Dr. Amara provided expert commentary on Qatar 2022 for international and regional media. See the full Media page for details.

2022
Commentary for international outlets on the political and cultural significance of the first World Cup in the Arab world and the MENA region's sporting ambitions.
2022
Analysis of the debates around labour rights, legacy, and the broader geopolitical framing of Qatar 2022 in Western and Arab media.