How Qatar will bring cultural diplomacy to 2026 FIFA World Cup

As Qatar deepens its partnerships abroad through the Years of Culture initiative and prepares to celebrate the 2026 edition with Canada and Mexico, the intersection of culture, sport, and diplomacy is coming into sharp focus. These three dimensions of human connection, creativity, competition, and cooperation are complementary languages through which nations build trust and mutual understanding.

Culture is not the background to diplomacy. It is one of its strongest tools. It shapes how nations see one another, how trust is built, and how cooperation endures.

In Qatar, culture is understood broadly: expressed through museums and heritage sites, literature and performance, and equally on the football pitch. The Years of Culture initiative reminds us that these expressions are interconnected, each carrying the same message of exchange and mutual respect.

As the Minister of State for International Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I have seen how culture becomes a language of its own, spoken without translation and understood through experience.

Football forges connections

The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 proved that sport can do more than entertain. It can connect societies. During the tournament, millions experienced Qatari hospitality, Arab cultural identity, and the modern confidence of a region that is often viewed from afar. For many, it was their first encounter with the Gulf, and it changed perceptions more effectively than any speech could.

That moment did not end with the final whistle. Qatar’s qualification for the FIFA World Cup 2026 signals our intent to remain active in the global conversation that sport makes possible.

There is a meaningful symmetry in where the next World Cup will be held. Canada and Mexico, the co-hosts of the 2026 tournament with the United States, are the very nations announced by Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani for the 2026 Year of Culture. These two tracks reinforce one another: engagement on the pitch and engagement through art, heritage, and knowledge exchange.

Canada and Mexico are set to meet across two arenas, carrying the same message in two languages: sport and culture.

The power of cultural exchange

If sport brings people together in the moment, the arts ensure that those moments endure. It is the goal of Qatar’s museums, exhibitions, and cultural festivals to invite reflection and deepen understanding. They give context to identity and reveal how shared values are formed and expressed.

This is the steady work of dialogue that builds resilient international relations. Cultural diplomacy grows through empathy, inclusivity, and curiosity.

This is why cultural diplomacy must also be conscious. By engaging local communities and amplifying underrepresented voices, the Year of Culture creates partnerships built on equity and respect.

The Year of Culture 2026 with Canada and Mexico will offer new opportunities for cross-cultural engagement. Canada carries significant Indigenous and Francophone cultural legacies, while Mexico embodies deep artistic and civilisational traditions. Qatar brings its own heritage and a creative future shaped by youth, education, and innovation. When all these traditions meet, new ideas emerge that transcend geography and language.

I am certainly eager to see what emerges from next year’s collaborations among Qatar, Canada and Mexico.

The opportunity for sport to create personal encounters, and for culture to create understanding, is clear. This is diplomacy carried out by people, not only institutions. It happens in classrooms, training fields, libraries, galleries, and community halls. It is simple. It is human. And it is effective.

Sport gathers people in shared emotion, while art helps us reflect on who we are and what we carry forward. Together, they form a bridge between societies and between people. The Year of Culture reminds us that connection does not happen only through agreements or negotiations; it happens through shared experience and sincere curiosity.

Qatar will continue to support this work. It is work that builds trust. It is work that strengthens communities. It is work that contributes to peace.

Her Excellency Mariam bint Ali bin Nasser Al Misnad is Minister of State for International Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Qatar.

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Opinions expressed in this article remain those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The New Arab, its editorial board or staff.