Intelligently combining the conceptual and methodological aspects of global studies with the specific cultural conditions of the ′beautiful game′ Giulianotti and Robertson illuminate its social history and diffusion, as well as wider cultural, economic, political and social dimensions.

Using football to chart an increasing global connectivity, or globality, the authors explore how the game may be understood as a metric, mirror, motor and metaphor of globalization

Issues discussed include:

- Transnational Identities and the Global Civil Society,

- Cosmopolitanism & Americanization,

- Neo-Liberalism, Inequalities and Transnational Clubs,

- Politics, Nations, and International Governance,

Ideal for students and lecturers concerned with the sociology of sport, globalization and international cultural studies - the book will be of interest to anyone keen to map the intricate ways in which transnational processes may impact upon particular domains of social life.