Continental Perspectives on the Geopolitical Economy of Football

This book explores continental perspectives on football’s new geopolitical economy, examining how sport, politics, and the global economy have emerged in different parts of the world.

Against a backdrop of international conflict and the rise of powerful new state actors in world sport, the book delves into countries and cases that explore 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 globe, and case studies from five continents, the book addresses key contemporary issues in world sport. It examines the Gulf States’ investments in European football, the debates around ’sportwashing’ and human rights, the rise of sports in the politics and cultural relations of China and India, and football’s complex relationship with migration and identity in Africa and Latin America. The book also considers the seismic impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on the geopolitics of football, the shifting landscape of football governance in Europe, the rise of Major League Soccer and the ’Messi effect, ’ and how the emergence of China and India as global economic superpowers is mirrored in their vision for their domestic football leagues. Additionally, the book highlights the role of FIFA and its commercial partners and stakeholders as key geopolitical actors on the world stage.

This is essential reading for anyone interested in sport, political economy, international politics, globalization, or development.

Simon Chadwick is Professor of Sport and Geopolitical Economy at Skema Business School, France. Chadwick’s work focuses on sport’s geopolitical economy. He has worked extensively with some of the most prominent people and organisations in the sport industry, including Formula E and several F1 drivers and teams.

Paul Widdop is Reader at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK. His research explores social and economic networks around the consumption and production of sport. He has published widely in the areas of sport and culture including articles in the Journal of Consumer Culture, Cultural Sociology, Cultural Trends, Electoral Studies, and the Journal of Political Marketing. Widdop serves on the editorial board of several academic journals and is co-founder of the Football Collective, a learned society of academics researching impacts of football on society.

Michael M. Goldman is Professor with the Sport Management Program at the University of San Francisco, USA, while also working with the Gordon Institute of Business Science in South Africa. He works with students, managers, and clients to enhance their abilities to acquire, grow, and retain profitable customers and fans.