Much has been written on the perverse power of sports-washing surrounding the 2022 World Cup, and rightly so. Western commentators have justifiably criticized the host country Qatar’s political authoritarianism and draconian labor conditions leading up to the tournament. In response, commentators in the postcolonial world have raised reasonable points about the West’s hypocrisy. After all, colonial superpowers laid the groundwork for the debacle that took place in Qatar.

While each side raises fair points, the resulting conversation has not been entirely productive. The political discourse around Qatar 2022 has shown that “clash of civilizations” narratives continue to dominate global political imaginations, despite the modern reality that transnational capital — Eastern and Western — reigns supreme, and has the power to bring governments to heel. While we’re busy pointing fingers, international corporations are making off with the loot.