‘Betwixt and Between’ the football pitch: Liminality in the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar - a CCT perspective

Liminality is a transitional phase characterised by a feeling of ambiguity and in betweenness, it is “the state of being betwixt and between” (Belk, 2023, p.167). Traditional thinking is that liminality consists of three rites of passage: separation, liminality, and re-incorporation (Van Gennep, 1960). The study of liminality plays a significant role in contemporary consumer research due to its ability to alter consumption patterns in unexpected ways (Darveau and Cheikh-Ammar, 2021). Mega Sporting Events (MSEs) such as the FIFA World Cup are inherently international in scope and bring changes in the host country (Kaplanidou et al., 2016). Extraordinary consumption experiences are hedonic transformative events (Arnould and Price, 1993) that can shift consumers into a state of liminality. Our study draws upon Consumer Culture Theory (CCT) (c.f. Arnould and Thompson, 2005) to address a gap within the literature regarding the application of CCT in a MSE context. The setting adopted is the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup – a previously unexplored contextual setting as no other MSE has been hosted in the Middle East. As a collectivist society, “Qatar is at an important juncture in shifting its growth model from one that is led by the state to a more dynamic and market-oriented one driven by the private sector” (IMF, 2023, p.1). This reinforces the unique setting for our study to explore the ways consumption patterns changed for Qatari residents during the liminal phase of the 2022 World Cup.

Given the lack of prior research, we adopted an interpretivist perspective to gain understanding of the lived realities of consumers (Belk et al., 2013). The empirical research thus consisted of ten in-depth, semi-structured interviews with Qatari residents across a mix of professions and genders. Interviews were conducted online, as participants were based in Qatar during data collection.

The findings suggest that the consumption patterns of Qatari residents were impacted through each stage of liminality. At the separation stage, residents began to relinquish past habits and adopt new consumption patterns. For instance, individuals installed safety measures in their homes to alleviate World Cup-related security concerns. The liminal phase of the World Cup was exacerbated due to the drastic changes in Qatar’s atmosphere, allowing individuals to transcend the boundaries of normal life. This manifested in changed consumption patterns, such as the use of public transportation and increased socialisation and participation in events. Resonating with prior work conducted in the field (e.g. Peñaloza, 2001; Steenkamp, 2019) we found culture plays a significant role in Qatari consumption patterns, showcasing the co-creation process between culture and the marketplace. Additionally, consumer identities were constantly being re-evaluated during liminality to balance out cultural influences with the realities of staging the World Cup. Moreover, the liminal phase engendered “Communitas” – a strong sense of community between the residents and tourists (Turner, 1969). Feelings of transformation were common at the reincorporation stage. Respondents belonging to the migrant population in Qatar; however, described a continued sense of uncertainty due to the constant redevelopments in Qatar, also dubbed Chronic Consumer Liminality (CCL) (Mimoun et al., 2022).