Although sportswashing as a term is relatively new, the concept itself is not. While companies and countries with poor human rights records have used sports to launder their reputation for decades, the issue has become a hot topic in recent years, fueled in particular by the
in Qatar. Both fans and human rights organizations criticized the host nation’s LGBTQ+ laws and working conditions, and yet Qatar is far from being the only country to face allegations of sportswashing. The
. Soccer is also not the only sport to be impacted, with a significant
. It is clear then that sportswashing is wide-ranging and cannot be pinned down to one region or sport in particular.
Does sportswashing work?
Two of the soccer clubs that have faced the most sportswashing accusations are also among the
highest spending clubs in the Big Five soccer leagues, with a combined total of more than 3.3 billion euros spent on transfers since 2013. Manchester City, primarily owned by the Abu Dhabi United Group, and Paris Saint-Germain, owned by Qatar Sports Investments, have had almost unrivalled success in their domestic leagues. However, the aim of sportswashing is not simply sporting success, it is to improve the reputation of a country or brand. This goal is not an easy task, and the
share of adults in England with a negative perception of Qatar grew following the World Cup in 2022.
Which companies have been accused of sportswashing?
When INEOS, founded by British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe, expressed interest in buying
Manchester United in early 2023, they were accused by Greenpeace of using sport to distract from their environmental track record. The petrochemical giant also owned soccer clubs in France and Switzerland, as well as a third of the Mercedes
Formula 1 team. Meanwhile, there have also been concerns over the gambling industry’s involvement in sport. In 2021/22, betting companies represented the
most common type of Premier League shirt sponsor, advertising on just under half of the division’s playing shirts. While Premier League clubs have since agreed to a ban on gambling sponsors from 2026, it would only apply to the fronts of matchday shirts.
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