Argentina 1978

 

Argentina 1978 Worldcup.

1. Should FIFA have withdrawn the 1978 World Cup from 

Argentina once it became clear the country was under a 

repressive military dictatorship?

2. Should international sporting organizations be held legally 

accountable for awarding events to countries that violate 

human rights?

3. Was FIFA motivated more by profit and image than by ethics 

in maintaining Argentina as the host nation?

4. Did the Argentine civil society have any real capacity to resist 

or influence the regime’s control over the 1978 World Cup?

5. Were international human rights groups justified in calling for a 

boycott of the tournament?

6. Did the Argentine players themselves face ethical dilemmas 

between national pride and awareness of political repression?

7. Did the 1978 World Cup strengthen the Argentine dictatorship’s 

domestic legitimacy and international standing?

8. Can the 1978 World Cup be seen as a turning point in debates 

over the ethical governance of mega-events?

9. Is the legacy of Argentina 1978 still relevant in current debates 

about events like the Qatar 2022 World Cup or Beijing 2008 

Olympics?

Berlin 1936 Olympic Games

 

1. Does awarding hosting rights to a totalitarian 

state amount to legal or moral endorsement of that regime?

2. Should states hosting the Olympics be legally required 

to guarantee civil and political rights as a condition of 

participation?

3. Can modern Olympic sponsorship models be traced 

back to the propaganda-driven business strategies of 

1936?

4. Did the 1936 Olympics violate civil society principles 

through the exclusion and persecution of Jewish 

athletes?

5. Did civil society fail to effectively oppose the use of 

sport as a propaganda tool in 1936?

6. Do athletes have a moral duty to refuse participation in 

events hosted by regimes that violate human rights?

7. Did the 1936 Berlin Games set a lasting precedent for 

how mega-events can be used to whitewash political 

repression?

8. Did Jesse Owens’ victories do more to challenge Nazi 

ideology than international legal action could have?

9. Should athletes and civil society have a formal legal role 

in determining which nations are suitable Olympic hosts?