How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization - With a New Preface Covering the 2026 World Cup

by Franklin Foer

“Step aside Tom Friedman, Sam Huntington, and Amy Chua. Franklin Foer’s dark and witty tale of the soccer world reveals the meaning of globalization in all its joys and horrors.”—Robert Kagan

Just in time for the 2026 World Cup in North America—a new edition of the bestselling sports classic, featuring a new preface from the author.

With the 2026 World Cup in all three nations of North America, the power and scope of soccer has truly become global. In this remarkably insightful, wide-ranging work, Franklin Foer argues that soccer is much more than a game, or even a way of life. It is a unique window into the crosscurrents of modern globalization, with all of its benefits and pitfalls. Soccer clubs don’t represent geographic areas; they stand for social classes and political ideologies. Unlike baseball or tennis, soccer is freighted with ancient hatreds and history. It’s a sport with real stakes—a catalyst capable of ruining regimes and launching liberation movements.

Foer takes us on a surprising tour through the world of soccer, shattering myths and dire predictions. Instead of destroying local cultures, as the left warned, globalization has revived tribalism. Far from the triumph of capitalism that the right anticipated, it has entrenched corruption. From Brazil to Bosnia, Italy to Iraq, How Soccer Explains the World is an eye-opening chronicle of how a beautiful sport and its fanatical followers can illuminate the fault lines of a society, whether it’s terrorism, poverty, anti-Semitism, authoritarianism, or radical Islam—issues that continue to affect all of us. At a time when globalization is under attack and many Americans yearn for retrenchment and retreat from the world, this remarkable book—filled with blazing intelligence, colorful characters, wry humor, and an equal passion for soccer and humanity—continues to make sense of our troubled times.

290 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 7, 2026

About the author

Franklin Foer was the editor of The New Republic (2006-10, 2012-14)and has written for Slate , New York magazine., and The Atlantic.
He has published several nonfitction books dealing with sports, technology, and globalism. Foer, who lives in Washington, D.C., is older brother of novelist Jonathan Safran Foer and freelance journalist Joshua Foer.

Reviews

[Nicholas Sokić · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only real issue with this is that it hasn't been wholly updated since its 2004 publication to reflect the political and social evolution of the sport -- the new foreword only goes so far. Would be extremely interested to read Foer's thoughts on petrostate ownership of football clubs. What's there, though, is fascinating, and utterly essential reading ahead of the World Cup. I was most compelled by his breakdown of how sectarian bigotries manifest in soccer (former Yugoslavia) and his explanation of how both liberal and illiberal nationalism manifest in the sport (cheering for one's national team in the World Cup is a top three emotion vs. say, Franco removing the Catalonian symbol from FC Barcelona's crest).

[Adam Dreyfuss · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book did a great job exploring the connection between soccer and the geopolitics of the area/countries highlighted in each chapter. Would love a more updated version with everything that’s happened around the world politically and with how much the finances in soccer have changed in the 20-ish years since the book was written.

[Ankur Maniar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sure soccer doesn't explain the world and the title does exaggerate but it's a fun read. Great insights into the history of the sport and especially the club rivalries as well as inside look at how the fandom of the sport works.