Martha Delgado Peralta
Undersecretary for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights at Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Every four years, there is a new promised land that every soccer player in the world dreams of. FIFA’s dramatic qualifying processes matter not only to athletes, but also to fans, managers and governments around the globe. The FIFA World Cup is probably the most impactful social, political and economic phenomenon in the world, and the implications of what we will experience in Qatar 2022 are immense.
Events of this magnitude have diverse readings beyond the sport itself; they serve as a point of contact between countries and cultures, opening spaces to share values that in other contexts would seem impossible. For the Qatari hosts, this World Cup is a diplomatic platform to build and strengthen relations, promote the country economically and exalt certain principles of Arab culture.
As the Mexican national team fights to secure its qualification to the World Cup, the Mexican Foreign Ministry, both in headquarters and in our embassy in Doha, is working on a powerful agenda that, on the one hand, will enable truthful and timely communication mechanisms for Mexican fans who will visit Doha – most of them for the first time – and, on the other hand, will take advantage of the opportunity to strengthen our diplomatic relations and showcase our rich culture. An information and support network will be built for all Mexican nationals attending the event, which will operate throughout the Arabian Gulf area. In addition we will work as a team to position our country in the context of this great international event, through initiatives to promote our economy, art, tourism and, of course, our diplomacy.
The Qatar FIFA World Cup has many particularities. It is the first to be held after the beginning of the pandemic, so its logistics and economic impact are particularly relevant. It is also the first time that a World Cup will be held in the Middle East, in an Arab and Muslim country. This World Cup will be the last played with 32 countries, it is the first participation for Qatar and it will be held in such a compact area that it will allow fans to watch two matches on the same day, since the eight World Cup stadiums are located, at most, one hour away from each other.
With an investment of over $200bn in infrastructure, the Qatari hosts understood the strategic value of this event to project their nation to the world and enhance its international standing. On top of it, the economic impact of the World Cup for Qatar will be enormous. It is estimated that the contribution to the economy of this great event will amount to approximately 11% of its GDP. The Qatari government aims the World Cup to become a driving force for various initiatives in areas such as urban development and economic diversification, but above all, to leave a lasting legacy of prosperity from a modern and open nation.
The Government of Mexico is aware of the soft power to be deployed in an international event of this nature. For the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the Foreign Ministry is following the model successfully implemented at Expo 2020 Dubai, to promote our immense cultural, gastronomic and ecological heritage whilst encouraging opportunities for trade, investment and innovation.
The activities to be co-ordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through the Mexican embassy in Qatar, will focus on promoting our culture to Qatar 2022 attendees. We foresee a pavilion to exhibit cultural expressions and tourist attractions as well as an agenda to foster educational, scientific, political and cultural exchanges to make the most of the tournament, while inaugurating spaces of collaboration with the Middle East that will translate in projects that will benefit our respective communities.
Sport in Mexico is nurtured by its fans and its practitioners. It is important to highlight and acknowledge its social value, its contribution to physical and mental health, its capacity to project our country internationally, but also for embodying noble principles: identity, teamwork, perseverance, peace and justice. As Nelson Mandela said: “Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair”.