logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2022
24m 20s

World Cup 2022: What does football mean ...

Al Jazeera
About this episode

For the first time World Cup history, the tournament is hosted in the Middle East. Football has always been more than just a game in the Middle East.  Seen sometimes as a symbol of decolonisation and regime legitimisation, it also plays a role in fostering national identities. In the region, the beautiful game is intertwined with culture, politics and history. As the World Cup in Qatar is now underway, we explore the culture in history of football in the region.

In this episode: 

  • Abdullah Al-Arian (@anhistorian), author and associate professor at Georgetown University in Qatar.

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Khaled Soltan and our intern Nada Shakir.  Our sound designer is George Alwer. The lead engagement producer is Aya Elmileik and the assistant engagement producer is Munera Al Dosari. Our executive producer is Omar Al Saleh. Ney Alvarez is the head of audio. The show is hosted by Sami Zeidan. 

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

Up next
Mar 2023
"For now, it's goodbye"
27s
Mar 2023
Is there racism in the Middle East?
Slavery was prevalent in many parts of the world and it left scars to this very day. The Middle East had its own share of enslavement that was fueled by superiority, greed and power. In this episode: Eve Trout Powell, Professor of History and Africana Studies at the University of ... Show More
21m 13s
Mar 2023
How obese is the Middle East?
The World Health Organization is warning that obesity is on the rise, not just in the Middle East but around the world. The WHO says obesity in children and adults is a public health concern in almost all regions of the world. An estimated 38.9 million children under five years o ... Show More
20m 25s
Recommended Episodes
Dec 2022
Qatar 2022 World Cup: It's Comin' Home and Free Palestine!
This week on The New Arab Voice we’re looking at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Middle Eastern and North African teams have made history during the tournament, causing major sporting upsets like Saudi Arabia’s win over Argentina and Morocco's victory against Belgium. While Qatar, S ... Show More
20m 2s
Jan 2024
Palestinian joy at the AFC Asian Cup
The Palestinian national football team is at the AFC Asian Cup happening right now in Qatar. They play the United Arab Emirates today and played Iran on Sunday, where Palestinian pride echoed throughout the stadium. We head to the pitch for a look at the team’s challenges and ach ... Show More
15m 34s
Dec 2022
Scoring the World Cup
This is the final week of the first World Cup hosted in the Middle East. And it’s been a tournament like no other: We’ve seen Morocco advance further than any Middle East or African team has before, making the whole region proud. And we’ve seen many joyous moments go viral as fan ... Show More
38m 11s
Oct 2022
Qatar’s World Cup, from the inside out
The World Cup is about to head to the Middle East for the first time. Ever since it was announced back in 2010 that the tournament would be held in Qatar, the country has been getting ready to host the world’s biggest sporting event. In this episode, the first in The Take’s cover ... Show More
22m 42s
Nov 2022
Immigration, migration and nationality in the World Cup
With days before the opening of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, players and teams are still changing countries. Some are even being questioned if the country they are playing for is the country they are from. What is the history of nationality in football and can it keep up with the ... Show More
20m 13s
Aug 2023
At the Women’s World Cup, the playing field begins to level
Top ten women’s football teams US, Canada, Germany and Brazil have all been eliminated from the 2023 Women’s World Cup before the quarter-finals, and underdogs Jamaica and Morocco won big early on. In a landmark deal in February 2022, the US women’s team finally received pay pari ... Show More
22m 44s
Nov 2022
Qatar World Cup: Has football become a side show?
32 teams are competing in the FIFA World Cup being held in Qatar. It’s the first winter championship and first tournament to be held in the Middle East. But the choice of host has come under scrutiny; homosexuality is illegal in Qatar, and poor conditions for migrant workers buil ... Show More
18m 37s
Jan 2024
After a Hamas leader is killed, what’s the state of play in the Middle East?
With the assassination of a top Hamas leader in Lebanon, twin blasts in Iran, and Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza, 2024 is already off to a turbulent start in the Middle East. So what’s the state of play in the region? In this episode:  Rami Khouri (@RamiKhouri), Distinguished Publi ... Show More
17m 22s
Oct 2022
DANYEL REICHE | FIFA World Cup 2022 | Conversations
Danyel Reiche spoke about his research on the FIFA World Cup 2022 and his book, "Qatar and the 2022 FIFA World Cup: Politics, Controversy, Change."Dr. Danyel Reiche is a Visiting Research Fellow at the Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS) and an Associate Professo ... Show More
51m 10s
Apr 2024
Abdullah Yousef Al Mulla on the Impact of Sports
A series of conversations with Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and people who have been part of Qatar’s architecture & culture development journey. In this episode, Her Excellency is joined by Abdullah Yousef Al Mulla, the Director of the 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports ... Show More
28m 33s