'The Global Pitch gives the reader a broad and detailed overview of the complex and globalized relationship between soccer and politics. From English workers in the early 20th century to Arab petrol states in the early 21st century, soccer has always been influenced by global capital, but it also has always given us an insight into the transformations of global capitalism. A must-read!'

Cas Mudde, University of Georgia, USA

'Finally the book on football that we all waited for is here. The Global Pitch is a masterpiece of breadth, research, history, understanding and above all deep passion for the global game, how it changes the globe and how globalization is changing it. It moves seamlessly from macro questions on the process of globalization, global politics and sport, the environment and human rights, to the micro level when talking about countries, communities and venues for both oppression and hope. This is a must read book for anyone caring about globalization, politics, culture, and the beautiful game!'

Dan Breznitz, University of Toronto, Canada

'The Global Pitch is a thoughtful and timely contribution to the growing scholarship on soccer and globalization. It explores why soccer matters not only as the world's most popular sport, but also as a powerful global force whose popularity, reach, and emotional resonance are deeply enmeshed with social and political life. Drawing on deep comparative knowledge and an interdisciplinary approach, the authors present a wide-ranging analysis that is both intellectually ambitious and highly engaging. What makes this work especially valuable is its refusal to reduce soccer to either romance or critique. Rather, it offers a careful balance between optimism and critique, showing how the sport can serve as a unifying and empowering force while also enabling corruption, exclusion, sportswashing, and authoritarian legitimation. In doing so, it moves beyond the familiar claim that soccer explains the world by showing instead that the sport is both shaped by and shapes broader relations of identity, power, and political struggle across the globe. This is essential reading for scholars and students of sport, globalization, politics, and society.'

Adam Beissel, Miami University, USA