How Soccer Explains the World
An Unlikely Theory of Globalization
by Franklin Foer
“This book is about much more than soccer, though it is a great guide to the global game. It is about globalization and the future of our world, and how soccer can help us understand both.”
More Than a Game: How Soccer Reveals the Fault Lines of a Globalized World
At first glance, soccer is just a sport—22 people chasing a ball on a patch of grass. But what if this simple game was actually a powerful Rosetta Stone for understanding the modern world? What if the passions, hatreds, and allegiances that erupt in stadiums from Glasgow to Tehran could reveal the hidden wiring of globalization, nationalism, and the persistent, often messy, realities of tribal identity? In his eye-opening book, How Soccer Explains the World, journalist Franklin Foer embarks on a global journey to prove that the world’s most popular sport is far more than a frivolous pastime. It’s a vivid, and often unsettling, mirror of our political and economic lives.
Foer’s central idea is that while globalization promised to flatten the world, creating a harmonious, borderless marketplace of ideas and commerce, soccer shows us a different story. The sport has become a primary vehicle for old hatreds to find new expression, for oligarchs to launder their images, and for ancient cultural tribes to wage symbolic—and sometimes very real—war. It’s a world where a jersey color can signify your religion, your politics, and your place in a century-old struggle.
What You'll Learn
How ancient religious conflicts are played out every week on the soccer pitches of Scotland.
Why the line between fanatical hooligan and nationalist soldier can be terrifyingly thin.
How billionaire club owners use teams as political springboards and tools of influence.
The deep-seated corruption that cripples the sport in nations that should be world powers.
Why soccer in America has a unique, and telling, socio-economic identity.
The Old Firm: A Holy War on Grass
Nowhere is the fusion of sport and sectarian identity more explosive than in Glasgow, Scotland, home to the ferocious rivalry between Celtic and Rangers. This isn't just a crosstown derby; it's a proxy battle rooted in the religious and political conflicts of the Protestant Reformation and the colonization of Ireland.
Rangers, founded in 1872, became the club of the native Scottish Protestants, their identity wrapped in the Union Jack and loyalty to the British crown. Celtic, established in 1888, was born from the impoverished Irish Catholic immigrant community, a symbol of their distinct heritage and a response to the discrimination they faced. For over a century, a player's religion was a non-negotiable part of their identity. Rangers famously went decades without knowingly signing a Catholic player.
A young man I knew from Glasgow once told me that the first question you’re asked in some neighborhoods isn’t “What’s your name?” but “Who do you support?” Your answer instantly places you on one side of a deep historical and cultural chasm. Foer illustrates that even as globalization brings players from across the world to both teams, diluting the on-field purity of the conflict, the stands remain a cauldron of old hatreds. The songs, the symbols, and the raw animosity are a testament to how global forces fail to erase deep-seated local identities. Instead, they often give them a bigger, more visible stage.
The Power of the Ultras: From Hooligan to Paramilitary
In the 1990s, as Yugoslavia tore itself apart in a brutal civil war, the world saw the terrifying evolution of the soccer hooligan. In Belgrade, the "ultras" of the club Red Star were more than just violent fans. They were an organized, disciplined force. Their leader, a notorious gangster named Željko Ražnatović, better known as Arkan, transformed the most violent supporters into a paramilitary unit.
These weren't just thugs looking for a weekend brawl. They were shock troops for Serbian nationalism. Foer recounts how Arkan's "Tigers" used the cover of soccer to hone their violent tactics and then unleashed them in the ethnic cleansing campaigns in Croatia and Bosnia. The U.S. State Department credited Arkan’s men with murdering over 2,000 people. The chants and symbols of the stadium became the soundtrack of war. This chilling example shows how the tribalism inherent in soccer can be weaponized, turning club loyalty into a precursor for nationalist violence.
Key Concepts: The Language of the Global Game
Franklin Foer’s journey reveals a unique vocabulary where sport, politics, and culture collide. Understanding these terms is key to grasping his central argument.
The Old Firm: The collective name for Glasgow's Celtic and Rangers clubs. It represents one of the most intense and deeply-rooted sectarian rivalries in the world, a proxy for the conflict between Scottish Protestants and Irish Catholics.
Ultras: A type of fan organization known for fanatical, often politically charged, support. As seen with Red Star Belgrade, these groups can evolve from stadium noisemakers into organized paramilitary forces.
The "Jewish" Clubs: Teams like Ajax of Amsterdam and Tottenham of London who, despite not being officially Jewish, adopted a Jewish identity. This was often a defiant response to anti-Semitic abuse from rival fans, demonstrating how supporter culture can reclaim insults and forge a powerful, albeit complex, identity.
Cartolas (The "Top Hats"): The term for the powerful, often corrupt, administrators who run Brazilian soccer clubs. These officials have historically treated the clubs as personal fiefdoms, siphoning money and crippling the domestic league, forcing the nation's best talent to migrate to Europe.
Petro-Soccer: A term describing the influence of oil-rich states and oligarchs who purchase major European clubs. These owners, like Roman Abramovich at Chelsea or state-backed groups at Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain, use soccer as a tool of soft power, political influence, and reputation laundering.
The New Oligarchs and the Corporate Game
If Serbian gangsters represent the dark, nationalist underbelly of soccer, the rise of billionaire owners reveals its hyper-capitalist face. Foer points to figures like Silvio Berlusconi, the media tycoon who owned AC Milan while serving as Prime Minister of Italy. For Berlusconi, the club was a powerful marketing tool and a political asset. Winning trophies translated into populist appeal and votes. His success created a playbook for a new generation of oligarchs.
This trend went into overdrive with the arrival of figures like Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich at London's Chelsea FC. This was the dawn of "petro-soccer." These new owners weren't local businessmen with a lifelong affection for the team; they were global plutocrats seeking influence, a safe place to park their wealth, and a way to polish their international reputations. They could pour billions into a club, instantly disrupting the competitive balance and turning teams into extensions of their personal brands or, in some cases, their nations' foreign policy.
The Paradox of Passion and Corruption
In Brazil, soccer is a religion. The nation has produced some of the greatest players in history, from Pelé to Ronaldo to Neymar. Yet, as Foer discovers, the domestic game is a hollowed-out shell of its former glory, plagued by breathtaking corruption. The culprits are the cartolas, the "top hats" who run the clubs.
Foer tells maddening stories of these non-paid club presidents who live like kings, siphoning off funds from television rights and player transfers. One club manager, after receiving a $34 million investment meant to last a century, blew through most of it in two years on personal expenses. This systemic graft means that stadiums crumble, players go unpaid, and the best talent flees to Europe at the earliest opportunity. It’s a tragic micro-story of a nation rich in talent but crippled by institutions that stifle its potential. Even the legendary Pelé, who later became a minister of sport, was ultimately unable to reform the deeply entrenched system.
Quick Start Guide: Seeing the World Through a Soccer Lens
Want to apply Foer’s framework to the next match you watch? Here’s a quick guide to reading the deeper story on the pitch.
Analyze the Ownership: Who owns the clubs on the field? Are they local business leaders, fan-owned trusts, or foreign oligarchs and state-backed funds? The answer reveals volumes about the team’s financial power and political function.
Listen to the Chants: Pay attention to the songs and symbols in the crowd. Are they purely about the team, or do they reference historical events, religious figures, or national identities? You’re hearing the echoes of history in real-time.
Examine the Roster: Look at the nationalities of the players. A team full of expensive foreign mercenaries tells a story of globalization and corporate power. A team built on local, academy-grown talent tells a different story about community and identity.
Understand the Rivalry: Is the match a simple geographic competition, or does it tap into deeper cultural fault lines? Researching the history of a derby (like Barcelona vs. Real Madrid or Liverpool vs. Manchester United) uncovers decades of political and economic struggle.
Final Reflections
How Soccer Explains the World is a compelling and often sobering tour of the planet’s biggest sport. Franklin Foer masterfully demonstrates that soccer is not an escape from the world, but rather an arena where the world’s most potent forces—globalization, tribalism, capitalism, and nationalism—collide in spectacular fashion. He shows that for all the talk of a "flat world," local identity is more powerful and persistent than we might think. The passions that make a fan weep for their team are the same passions that can be channeled to build a community, fuel a revolution, or start a war. The book serves as a powerful reminder that if you want to understand the intricate and often contradictory nature of the world we live in, you could do a lot worse than starting with a simple game of soccer.
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