About this episode
The episode explores the concept of sportswashing and its implications through historical and contemporary examples.
In late 2024, the international football association (FIFA) announced that Saudi Arabia would host the 2034 World Cup. This means the world’s largest sporting event will be taking place in a country where the government imprisons scores of activists and dissidents for peaceful criticism, denies women fundamental civil and human rights, and cheats migrant workers out of their pay, after treating them brutally. There’s a word to describe countries notorious for human rights abuses hosting major sporting events: “sportswashing.” Host Ngofeen Mputubwele traces the history of sportswashing from the 1936 Olympics in Nazi Germany to Saudi Arabia’s hosting of the World Cup. What can fans and athletes do to fight back against sportswashing? Listen to find out. Minky Worden: Director of Global Initiatives at Human Rights Watch John Hird: Co-founder of Newcastle United Fans Against Sportswashing
People in this episode
Host: Ngofeen Mputubwele
Topics covered
- sportswashing
- human rights
- activism
- football
- Saudi Arabia
- FIFA
- history
Keywords
- sportswashing
- human rights abuses
- FIFA
- World Cup
- activism
- Saudi Arabia
- 1936 Olympics
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Human Rights Watch, FIFA
Places: Saudi Arabia, Nazi Germany
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