This book examines the goals and impact of Qatar’s hosting of the FIFA men’s World Cup 2022 in the context of the existing literature on Qatar, small states in international politics, and the use of sports in development and soft power strategies.

The ten chapters in this book explore the multifaceted implications of Qatar hosting the FIFA World Cup 2022, positioning it within the context of the country's domestic development and global influence. The book highlights Qatar’s rise to global prominence despite its small size, emphasizing its strategic investments in LNG and its successful bid for the FIFA World Cup 2022, and draws attention to the way in which the 2022 World Cup challenged European dominance of the sport. The ten chapters are grouped into three thematic rubrics, all relating directly or indirectly to the 2022 World Cup: Qatar’s foreign policy, including the impact of the 2017–2021 Gulf crisis and Qatar’s resilience in the face of challenges; the theme of Qatar’s soft power and branding efforts; and Qatar’s domestic politics and culture, including discussions on football fandom among citizens and migrant communities and Qatar’s alcohol policies during the World Cup.

This volume will be an invaluable resource for scholars, researchers and policymakers engaged in the fields of middle eastern studies, sport policy and politics, sociology of sports, as well as cultural studies. It was originally published as a special issue of Journal of Arabian Studies.