08/10/2026
Double standards for whom?
A new documentary, A Game of Double Standards, builds the case that international media judged Qatar more harshly than other World Cup hosts. It argues that double standards shaped the coverage of issues such as corruption allegations, migrant workers' treatment, and LGBT+ rights.
But does the film apply the fairness it demands of others?
In a detailed review, Stanis Elsborg, head of Play the Game, acknowledges some legitimate grievances about how particular stories were covered. But he finds that the film repeatedly stretches individual cases into a verdict on "the media", without the comparative evidence a charge of double standards requires.
The review also looks at what the film leaves out. Among the omissions:
🔎Connections to Qatari institutions among both its interviewees and its producers;
🔎Evidence of the organising committee's efforts to manage journalists and shape the narrative;
🔎 Whistleblower allegations and findings from FIFA's own inquiry that question the integrity of the bidding process;
🔎 The evidence behind the figures it calls into question.
"Scrutiny cannot be a spotlight you swing towards your opponents and switch off above your friends."
Link to the review in the comments 👇
