Even though football is often celebrated as a global unifier, it has increasingly become a strategic tool used by authoritarian regimes to project a positive international image. This process, commonly referred to as sportswashing, involves hosting or investing in high-profile sporting events to distract from political repression and human rights violations, while gaining legitimacy on the world stage. This thesis examines how Russia and Qatar used the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups, as instruments of sportswashing to shape external perceptions and enhance their global standing. The research applies the theories of soft power and neoliberal institutionalism to explore how international legitimacy is constructed through symbolic language and institutional alignment. Public speeches, official communications, and partnerships with FIFA are analyzed through qualitative textual analysis, focusing on how both regimes presented themselves as modern, peaceful, and globally cooperative. This comparative case study finds that while Russia and Qatar used different styles and rhetoric, both employed football strategically to deflect criticism and secure soft legitimacy. The study contributes to the literature on sports and international relations by showing how football functions not only as a cultural spectacle, but also as a tool of authoritarian image management in global politics.