Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8699-906X

Semester

Fall

Date of Graduation

2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Type

PhD

College

Eberly College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Political Science

Committee Chair

Christina Fattore

Committee Member

Erik S. Herron

Committee Member

Mason W. Moseley

Committee Member

John C. Kilwein

Committee Member

Gonzalo Bravo

Abstract

This dissertation examines Qatar’s strategic use of football as a mechanism for securing ontological security within the international system. Moving beyond standard International Relations explanations of state behavior, the study draws on ontological security theory which emphasizes the need of states to sustain a coherent sense of self through routines, narratives, and recognition. By framing football as such a practice, the dissertation advances the study of sport as a growing area of interest in the political sciences. Through a qualitative methodology employing Reflexive Thematic Analysis of expert interviews, the research analyzes Qatar’s football policies, including hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the acquisition of Paris Saint-Germain, and commercial dealings through entities like Qatar Airways and beIN Sports. These initiatives are meant for embedding Qatar within international networks, reinforcing its identity and mitigating vulnerabilities as a small state surrounded by larger rivals who view its actions as revisionist. The findings show that football served not merely as soft power or economic diversification, but as a vital contributor to Qatar’s ontological security. It provided recognition, diplomatic leverage, and resilience during crises such as the 2017–2021 Saudi–UAE blockade of Qatar, while consolidating narratives of national survival, a unique Gulf Arab identity, and even Muslim solidarity. The dissertation contributes theoretically by extending ontological security theory to global sport, demonstrating how states can employ football to reconcile insecurity and assert identity. Qatar exemplifies how states can transform sport into an essential political medium, be it for image-building, economic development and/or national security. Such a phenomenon has broader implications as other states pursue similar strategies with popular sports like football.

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