Perhaps it’s not one big scam then and both things are actually true about these nations. Is it because we would prefer to hate them that we oppose them doing anything good? Or we think that because there are things we don’t like about them, anything good they do is with the motivation of somehow tricking everyone into not paying attention?
What is more likely is that they have questionable human right ideals (according to your way of thinking) AND they love sport and want to promote their country as tourist destinations. This idea is that these people belong only in the shade and we don’t want them to do anything that holds them in a positive light is odd. ‘Sportswashing’ is a stupid term. They are not ‘washing’ anything. Qatar just held a World Cup where absolutely NONE of their beliefs were ‘washed’ away or even hidden in the closet while the spotlight was on them. They still aggressively opposed drinking, they still openly and aggressively banned LGBT displays. And they also showed the good in their country. Both of which are all true. What it seems to be is that people resent them being viewed as actual people with different sides to them. They do things we don’t like, and the preference is that this is always the only possible association with them. However, football isn’t ‘sportswashing’. They likely simply do not define themselves as a people based solely on their LGBT views, yet that is the preference of the west to define them by.
Nothing wrong with ANY nation promoting itself. But in doing so, they make no secret at all of their beliefs, so I’m not sure what sport is supposed to be washing or hiding. They are who they are, and are taking their place on the global stage as they are entitled to as sovereign states. The good that their sport involvements highlight about their nations are real good things, not pretend good things put there to distract everyone from the fact that they don’t like alcohol.