The greatest theatre on earth? World Cups as spaces to represent political causes

This article examines world cups as spaces to represent political causes, with particular reference to the Palestinian-Israeli issue. The Qatar World Cup witnessed several expressions of support for the Palestinian cause by both fans and players of national football teams such as Morocco. With the ongoing Israeli assault on Gaza and the increasing calls to ban Israel from international football, the issue is likely to dominate the build-up to the next world cup and the tournament itself. This article analyses the political dimension of World Cups, focusing on how these tournaments provide (or do not provide) spaces to express political stances. Major tournaments are not ‘neutral’ international spaces, but rather theatres where the expression of political views is controlled and limited by state and footballing authorities. Despite this, the global attention towards World Cups provides actors with an opportunity to defy these limitations and modify the main narrative around the tournament.