Several aspects of the global sports world have undergone seismic changes in recent weeks, with one common factor occurring in each:
The involvement of Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the kingdom's Public Investment Fund (PIF), currently valued as the fourth-largest sovereign fund in the world. One of the latest such examples occurred when the PGA Tour announced it and the DP World Tour would merge with the PIF-funded LIV Golf tour.
PGA commissioner Jay Monahan — the impending CEO of the new joint venture — and LIV defector Bryson DeChambeau have come under fire for defending their partnership with the Saudi-backed golf tour. The criticisms they face are only loosely related to the sport of golf.
The move is one of many made by the Saudi kingdom in recent years. its increasingly vested interest in the sports world is part of bin Salman's purported goal of modernizing the oil-rich kingdom and diversifying its economy for a post-oil world. Critics, however, claim the investments are merely attempts at "sportswashing" its history of human rights violations.
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"Sportswashing" is a term that has grown in usage over recent years, especially as the PIF continues investing into global sports at an unprecedented rate. But what is it, and why is Saudi Arabia being accused of it?
The Sporting News has everything you need to know about the term (including its definition and history of usage), the accusations levied against Saudi Arabia and the country's history of sportwashing:
What is sportswashing?
The Cambridge Dictionary defines sportswashing as "the practice of ... supporting sports or organizing sports events as a way to improve its reputation." It is a portmanteau of "sports" and "whitewash." Brittanica.com adds the practice is commonly used amid an ongoing controversy or scandal.
Per Brittanica, the term "sportswashing" was first used in 2015 by human rights campaigner Gulnara Akhundova. Writing for The Independent, she criticized the European Games — an event similar to the Olympics — for being held in Baku, Azerbaijan, despite the country’s poor human rights record.
Amnesty International brought more attention to "sportwashing" in 2018 when it used the term to draw attention to declining human rights in Russia (host of the 2014 Winter Olympics and 2018 World Cup). Other countries accused of sportswashing include China and Qatar, hosts of the Winter Olympics and World Cup in 2022, respectively.
Why is Saudi Arabia accused of sportswashing?
Saudi Arabia has a longstanding history of human rights violations. Those include women's rights abuses, persecution of LGBTQ+ people, free speech restriction and a drastic increase in death penalty usage under bin Salman. That includes a mass beheading of 81 people in one day in March 2022.
The Saudi government also was accused of financially backing the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which the kingdom has denied. A 2004 joint CIA-FBI filing found no evidence the Saudi government was involved in attacks. However, more recent reports from U.S. intelligence indicate at least some individuals in the Saudi government had knowledge of the attack plans and/or an affiliation with the hijackers who flew planes into the World Trade Center's twin towers and the Pentagon. Fifteen of the 19 hijackers were Saudi citizens.
The CIA also determined in 2021 that bin Salman authorized the assassination of Jamal Kashoggi in October 2018 in Istanbul. Kashoggi, a Saudi dissident and journalist for The Washington Post, fled Saudi Arabia in 2017 and went into self-imposed exile after he was critical of bin Salman and his father, Saudi Arabia's King Salman.
History of sportswashing in Saudi Arabia
Below is a history of notable accusations of sportswashing by Saudi Arabia. Some of the earliest examples occurred just a year after bin Salman was named crown prince in 2017:
Boxing title fights (2018-2022)
Saudi Arabia has hosted several massive fights over the last several years.
The 2018 World Boxing Super Series: Cruiserweight tournament was among the first fights scheduled in the country. (The final between Oleksandr Usyk and Murat Gassiev, scheduled to take place in Jeddah's King Abdullah Sports City, was ultimately postponed and took place in Russia.)
Other notable fights include the WBSS WBA super-middleweight title fight between George Groves and Callum Smith (September 2018). British boxer Anthony Joshua also has been a part of several heavyweight bouts in Saudi Arabia, reclaiming his WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight titles in a December 2019 rematch vs. Andy Ruiz in Diriyah Arena.
He attempted to regain those titles in a similar rematch to Usyk in August 2022 after losing to him at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in September 2021; Joshua lost the split-decision rematch.
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PIF purchase of Newcastle United (October 2021)
In October 2021, the PIF — along with PCP Capital Partners and property developers Simon and David Reuben — purchased an 80 percent stake in Premier League team Newcastle United for $409 million.
The PIF has plans of getting Newcastle to win the Premier League, and took significant steps toward that goal this past season, finishing fourth in the 2022-23 table a year after the club finished 11th.
Founding of LIV Golf (October 2021)
LIV Golf is perhaps the most notable attempt at Saudi sportswashing in recent years. The breakaway circuit became the primary rival to the PGA Tour when it was founded in 2021, using financial backing from the PIF to lure several of the world's top golfers from the established tour, including the likes of Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson and more.
On top of a reported $405 million prize fund, LIV also offered contracts in excess of $100 million to several of the PGA's top golfers.
Founding of Saudi Arabian Grand Prix (December 2021)
Plans for a permanent motorsports complex near the Saudi capital of Riyadh were publicly announced in August 2019. The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix appeared on the F1 World Championship calendar in November 2020, with the inaugural race taking place on Dec 5, 2021.
The race has taken place every year since, with Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez winning in 2021, 2022 and 2023, respectively. The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is also rumored to be the first race of the 2024 F1 season — suggesting it is a permanent fixture in the racing world moving forward.
Cristiano Ronaldo signs with Al-Nassr (Dec. 30, 2022)
Perhaps the world's most recognizable athlete, Cristiano Ronaldo spent the entirety of his club career playing for European clubs. Those include Manchester United (2003-09), Real Madrid (2009-18), Juventus (2018-21) and Man U again (2021-22).
Following his second exit from Old Trafford, Ronaldo shocked the world by signing with Al-Nassr of the Saudi Professional League for a reported $211 million per year — including commercial agreements — through 2025.
Saudi Arabia offers bid to co-host 2030 World Cup (Feb. 7, 2023)
According to a Feb. 7 report by Politico, Saudi Arabia — which has never hosted a World Cup — has offered to pay for new sports stadiums in Greece and Egypt if they agreed to join the country in a joint bid for the 2030 World Cup.
In return for providing funding for billions of dollars worth of construction costs in those countries, Saudi Arabia would get to host 75 percent of the World Cup matches.
Such a move would be the crowning achievement of bin Salman's aspirations not only for Saudi Arabia to become the global sports leader, but also for the PIF to oversee assets of $2 trillion by 2030.
Saudi Arabia to host 2023 Club World Cup (Feb. 15, 2023)
FIFA announced on Feb. 15 that Saudi Arabia would host the seven-team Club World Cup in December 2023 — the penultimate tournament to feature seven teams before it expands to 32 teams in 2025.
PIF purchases three Saudi Pro League teams (June 5, 2023)
The PIF continued its investment into the sports world on a more domestic scale on Monday, purchasing 75 percent stakes in four separate SPL teams, including Ronaldo's Al-Nassr, Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad.
They represent the top three teams in the top-flight Saudi league, with Al-Ittihad serving as the reigning champions. A fourth team, Al-Ahli, is also the reigning champion of the SPL's second tier.
PGA Tour-LIV merger (June 6, 2023)
The PGA Tour shocked the sports world when it announced a joint partnership among itself, the DP World Tour and LIV Golf after years of acrimony with the breakaway circuit. The move is largely believed to be related to an antitrust suit filed by LIV Golf against the PGA Tour, which threatened the latter's tax-exempt status.
Under the partnership, the golf organizations' legal matters are settled, and the PGA Tour — soon to take on a new name in its partnership with LIV — will retain its-tax exempt status. Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of the PIF, will also serve as the new coalition's chairman.
Each of the PGA, DP World Tour and LIV will be funded by the PIF.
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The move has drawn widespread criticism in the U.S., including 9/11 Families United and former PGA Tour professional Brandel Chamblee. The former alleged Monahan of co-opting the 9/11 community by using the terrorist attacks to criticize golfers who joined the Saudi-backed tour — only for the PGA to join with it.
Chamblee, meanwhile, has claimed on numerous occasions that LIV Golf is little more than an attempt at sportswashing by Saudi Arabia, especially as it relates to the 2018 assassination of Khashoggi.
Karim Benzema signs with PIF-owned Al-Ittihad (June 7, 2023)
Karim Benzema, the reigning Ballon d'Or winner, became the latest massive addition to the SPL after it was announced he had signed with Al-Ittihad. His contract is worth a reported $214 million per year for three years. Reports also suggested N’Golo Kanté was close to signing with the reigning SPL champions.
Benzema joins Ronaldo as one of the biggest headlining players for the league — setting a precedent for similarly talented players to join. Former England international Steven Gerrard also reportedly is considering a lucrative offer to manage SPL side Al Ettifaq.
Of note, Argentine superstar Lionel Messi turned down a deal from Al-Hilal of the SPL, reportedly in excess of $400 million per year. He instead signed with Inter Miami of Major League Soccer.