Why Conspiracy Theories Flourish During the World Cup

The current World Cup is becoming a breeding ground for conspiracy theories, fueled by a combination of low trust in FIFA and the intense emotions of fans, says Jack Werner, a journalist and expert in source criticism.

Werner explains that several conditions conducive to conspiratorial thinking are present during the tournament. "FIFA's trust is tarnished, and that increases conspiratorial thinking," he stated. This distrust is exacerbated by past scandals, including the 2015 corruption scandal and recent reports of White House calls to FIFA President Gianni Infantino regarding a player's suspension. These events have significantly eroded confidence in the organization.

Beyond institutional distrust, the high stakes for fans in a World Cup make them more susceptible to believing in conspiracies. "Many fans feel they have a lot to win or lose in a World Cup, which often makes it easier to start thinking in conspiratorial ways," Werner noted. He also points out that the low barrier to entry for forming opinions in football contributes to this phenomenon. "It's easy for conspiracy theories to arise when the threshold for feeling like an expert is low, which is the case in football."

Furthermore, the spread of these theories is amplified by social media and a shift in fan culture. "Conspiracy theories are often seen as something strange, and you can get strange looks when you express them. But when trust in FIFA is so low, it's hardly strange to think that everything FIFA does is corrupt," Werner said. He suggests that a degree of suspicion towards referees and officials is even becoming part of the fan culture, with the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system sometimes inadvertently contributing to this mistrust despite its intended purpose of aiding referees.

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Att många supportrar känner att de har mycket att vinna eller förlora i ett VM gör det ofta lättare att börja tänka i konspirationsbanor