A fascinating exploration of the role of football in our world. Politics and football have always gone hand in hand. From the World Cup, where national teams face off after their respective anthems in grand stadiums, to cups named after kings and presidents, politics and football have had an inextricable relationship since their inception. But how is it possible for a sport to stir so much passion? What has led it throughout history to act as a trigger for wars, a catalyst for revolutions, or a social transformer in places as diverse as Spain, Jordan, Mexico, Iraq, Ukraine, Argentina, and Hong Kong? With an engaging style and great historical accuracy, Toni Padilla takes us on a fascinating journey across five continents to learn about and understand the geopolitics of football through the surprising stories of forty clubs, thus unraveling the complexities of the beautiful game and its political, social, and economic impact on our lives. An essential historical atlas of the world for football lovers.