In the 21st century, soccer commands the allegiance, interest, and engagement of more people in more places than any other phenomenon in the world. Digging deeply into the subject, David Goldblatt sheds light on what soccer—or football, as it is rightly known—says about the most urgent issues of our time, including globalization, immigration, nationalism. From soccer's connections to social discord in the Middle East and a tool for dictatorships to the reasons behind its surprising surge in popularity in China, India, and the United States, Goldblatt reveals that this sport is vital to understanding our social, political, and economic lives.