Full Description
This book examines the new geopolitical economy of football, exploring the intersection of money, politics, and power in the world's most popular sport.
Against a background of international conflict and the emergence of powerful new state actors in world sport, the book considers how football investments and events have become instruments of soft power and industrial development, and how football plays an increasingly significant role in global politics and international relations. Featuring the work of leading researchers from around the world, and case studies from five continents, the book examines key contemporary issues such as the Gulf States' interests in European soccer and debates around 'sportwashing' and human rights, the global politics of artificial intelligence (AI) in football, and football's complex relationship with migration and identity in Africa and Latin America. It considers the seismic impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on the geopolitics of football; on the shifting landscape of the governance of football in Europe; the rise of Major League Soccer and the 'Messi effect', and how the development of China and India into global economic superpowers is reflected in their vision for their domestic football leagues. The book also considers the importance of Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and their commercial partners and stakeholders as geopolitical actors on the world stage.
This is a fascinating read for anybody with an interest in sport, political economy, international politics, globalisation, or development.
Contents
1. Introduction to the Geopolitical Economy of Football, Part I: Global Issues, 2. The Geopolitical Economy of Football: Dense Networks, Complex Decisions, 3. Will AI Turn the Football World Upside Down?, 4. The Complacent Cheerleader in Football's Nation Branding Process, 5. Image Laundering, Sport Washing and Greenwashing In and Through Football, 6. Unpacking the Concept of Sportswashing in Elite Men's Professional Football in England, 7. Athlete Activism in Global Football: Taking the Knee, 8. Environment, Climate Change, and Football, 9. How the Ukraine Conflict Affects Russian Football Clubs: The Hostages of Big Politics, 10. Why is the Business Model of FC Zenit Unclear to Scholars of Sports Management?: Embraced by Gazprom, Part II: Women's Football, 11. Europe and Geopolitical Influences on Women's Football Finance, 12. The Paradox of French Women's Football, 13. Gender Pay Inequality in African Football: A Pale of Two Halves, 14. Exploring the Intersection of Gender and Class in Space: The Case of New Generation Stadiums in Turkey, Part III: Ownership and Investment, 15. The Emergence of Multi Club Ownership, 16. Re-conceptualising Multi Club Ownership in Football; A New Definition and Typology of MCO, 17. The Development, Structure, and Operations of the City Football Group, 18. The Benign, Brilliant, and Beautiful Soft Power of Qatar's Paris Saint-Germain, 19. Analyzing Unsuccessful Examples of Gulf Ownership and Investment in European Football, 20. Red Bull's Investment in German Football: A Game Changer for the Bundesliga?, 21. Global Investment and Cultural Traditions, 22. An Overview of the UK Government's Fan Led Review of Football Governance, 23. The 3P-Model in Global Football: Creating Value by Combining Passion, Profit, and Politics on Multiple Levels, Part IV: The FIFA World Cup and Tournament Football, 24. Polycentric Football Tournaments, 25. A Geopolitical and Economic Analysis of China's Bid for the FIFA World Cup: Going It Alone or Co-hosting, 26. FIFA World Cup 2026, Soccer's North American Sporting Legacy, 27. The USWNT, Nation Branding, Public Diplomacy and the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup: U.S. Against the World, 28. The Digital Symbolic Legacy of the Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup in Times of 'Plague' and War, 29. The FIFA World Cup Television Broadcasting in Africa through Pay-TV: Shifting Flows, 30. Colombia's Failure to Host the 1986 FIFA World Cup, Part V: Business, Society and Culture, 31. Football Consumption, Nostalgia and Soft Power: Definitely Maybe!, 32. The Great Game of Football Diplomacy: Australia Versus Wales, 33. Football, Geopolitics, and Digital Technologies: A Dynamic Nexus Shaping Global Dynamics, 34. The Supranational Competitive Promise of the Three Seas Initiative in Central Europe, 35. Football and Forced Migration: Sicily and The Central Mediterranean Route
