DOHA, Qatar — Qatar's soccer World Cup appeared to be a public relations disaster. The event has become a magnifying glass for the tiny petrostate's human rights record, highlighting rather than airbrushing its treatment of LGBTQ people, women and migrant workers. "Qatar has a plethora of political objectives by hosting this event," said Danyel Reiche, a visiting associate professor at Georgetown University in Qatar, who co-wrote the book "Qatar and the 2022 FIFA World Cup: Politics, Controversy, Change." Qatar has used soccer to "overcome the invisibility of a small state," he added, allowing it to "become more influential in international affairs." Other authoritarian states hoping to burnish their global image may also view the event as a potential blueprint.

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