Why did Franco's Spain refuse to play against the USSR? Which matches have gone beyond the sporting stakes to become a geopolitical war? Which confrontations are impossible between certain countries, like the one between Russia and Ukraine? Or conversely, how can soccer be a tool for emancipation? In a pleasant and clear style, the author tells us 22 unusual stories to understand the world. In a few years, many people will say that they started to be interested in geopolitics through Kévin Veyssière's soccer stories, after having realized that geopolitics is not boring and uninteresting, nor is it reserved for seasoned diplomats and staff officers. Kévin Veyssière, 30, is an expert and professor in geopolitics and sports. He was a parliamentary collaborator at the National Assembly in France between 2017 and 2022. He is the author of Mondial, Soccer Club Géopolitics. 22 Unusual Stories about the Football World Cup (Max Milo, October 2022). The author is the creator of the website FC Géopolitics, which has popularized the geopolitics of soccer. His Twitter account has more than 50,000 followers. 150,000 people a day read his articles.

Preface by Pascal Boniface. Why did the Euro soccer tournament follow in the footsteps of European integration? What confrontations are impossible between certain countries, such as those between Russia and Ukraine, or Armenia and Azerbaijan? Which matches have gone beyond sporting stakes to become geopolitical “wars”? Or, conversely, how can soccer be a tool of emancipation for peoples? Or even play a part in the political strategies of countries such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar as they seek to improve their image in the eyes of the world? In a pleasant and precise style, the author tells us 22 stories in which the round ball found itself at the heart of international relations. He shows us that geopolitics is neither boring nor reserved for seasoned diplomats, and that soccer can go beyond the pitch.

This is the first book to define and explore the geopolitical economy of sport – the intersection of power, politics, money, and state interests that both exploit and shape elite sport around the world. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the global response, and the consequent ramifications for sport have put the geopolitical economy of sport front and centre in both public debate and academic thinking. Similarly, the Winter Olympics in Beijing and the FIFA World Cup in Qatar illustrate the political, economic, and geographic imperatives that shape modern sport. This book brings together studies from around the world to describe this new geopolitical economy of sport, from the way in which countries use natural resource revenues, accusations of sport washing, and the deployment of sport for soft power purposes, to the way in which sport has become a focus for industrial development. This book looks at the geopolitical economy of sport across the globe, from the Gulf States’ interests in European soccer to Israel seeking to build a national competitive advantage by positioning itself as a global sports tech start-up hub, and the United States continuing to extend its economic and cultural influence through geopolitical sport activities in Africa, Latin America, and the Indian subcontinent. This book captures a pivotal moment in the history of sport and sport business. This is essential reading for any student, researcher, practitioner, or policymaker with an interest in sport business, the politics of sport, geopolitics, soft power, diplomacy, international relations, or international political economy.

As the world’s most popular game, soccer is unique in its ability to reflect and impact culture, society, and politics. Beyond Soccer: International Relations and Politics as Seen through the Beautiful Game provides students with a new and innovative way to learn about political science and international relations. It uses soccer players, officials, fans, and organizations to teach political science concepts—such as geopolitics, discourses, and sovereignty—and IR theories—including realism, liberalism, and feminism. This text also incorporates three common soccer discourses to highlight the possibilities of soccer as a tool for unity and social change, as a defender of established power, and as simultaneously a mechanism used by established power and an engine for social resistance. With exercises, discussion questions, and keywords included in each chapter, Beyond Soccer is a worthwhile and accessible educational tool. Primarily written for undergraduate students of all levels, this book will be valuable in political science, international relations, cultural studies, and sociology courses.

With 29 contributors from across Europe and beyond, this work represents a unique and important resource that examines the many relationships between tourism and geopolitics, with a focus on experiences drawn from Central and Eastern Europe. It begins by assessing the changing nature of 'geopolitics', from pejorative associations with Nazism to the more recent critical and feminist geopolitics of social science's 'cultural turn'. The book then addresses the important historical role of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) in geopolitical thinking, before exemplifying a range of contemporary interactions between tourism and geopolitics within this critical region. Pursuing innovative analytical paths, the book demonstrates the interrelated nature of tourism and geopolitics and emphasizes the freshness of this research area. Addressing key principles and ideas which are applicable globally, it is an essential source for researchers, teachers and students of tourism, geography, political science and European studies, as well as for diplomatic, business and consultant practitioners.

This book sheds light on the intricate relationship between geopolitics and business and the essential interdependence between corporations and geopolitics. Despite apparent animosity, practical solutions and theories proposed by geopolitics find resonance within the business world, and vice versa. Concepts like critical theory, disruption, hegemony, strategic rivalry, and cost-effectiveness hold common ground in both realms, even though they have historically been disregarded. Geopolitical authors have often overlooked the vital role played by businesses in shaping global affairs, while businesses themselves view geopolitics as a risk to be managed. These contrasting viewpoints have given rise to misunderstandings and misconceptions between the two spheres. The author sets out to bridge the gap between geopolitics and business, exploring how corporations perceive space, state, and power, while also analyzing the influence of classical, critical, and feminist geopolitics on business strategies. This comprehensive analysis reveals that businesses are not mere non-state agents among many, but indeed, the principal non-state agents in geopolitics. The book is an essential read for scholars, researchers, and professionals seeking a deeper understanding of the dynamic interplay between these critical forces.

The Jakarta Geopolitical Forum VI 2022 hosted by Lemhannas RI (The National Resilence Institute of the Republic of Indonesia) on 24-25 August 2022 specified to focus on geopolitical matters as the implementation of critical thinking and the development of new ideas and strategic thinking which are the annual routine of The The National Resilence Institute of the Republic of Indonesia based on its main tasks and functions as The School of Geopolitics. The Security game power and global economic powerhouse in on-going hegemonic transition will have an impact on possible changes in the international order. Maritime will be the dominant competition arena, with dynaics that are challenging to take into account. The challenge of maintaining the status-quo and revival of revisionist will arise when the use of force in maritime power will include the struggle for the sake of resources and technology for power. Defeating the multipolar forces is inevitable which causes hegemony to be unable to build global stability. Furthermore, the recasting of global order in the era of strategic reality has implications far beyond the power-shift by the rise of China and the fall of the United States (The US) supremacy. Based on that, the theme of JGF VI/2022 is "Geo Maritime: Chasing the Future of Global Stability." The purposes of the theme are to understand are to understand the cotemporary geo-maritime context that emerge power to upcoming geopolitical issues, to explore the maritime-based geopolitics and its global impact. Whereas the objectives is to structure a design of relations among geopolitical actors in achieving a balancing that comes to the global stability.

How was rugby born in 1823? Why didn’t the first Rugby World Cup take place until 1987? Why are there so few «new nations» emerging in the world of rugby? How did the sport establish itself in New Zealand, South Africa, France, Ireland, Fiji, Georgia and Hong Kong? Are women’s rugby and the Olympic discipline of 7-a-side rugby opening up new frontiers? Why are the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia interested in the sport? Through 50 geopolitical and international questions, Kévin Veyssière invites rugby fans, the curious and budding geographers alike, to discover the genesis and evolution of this sport, so attached to its traditions and long kept out of the spotlight. The book’s concise, entertaining approach helps readers to better understand how rugby has become part of the global sports industry over time and across continents, and how it has become a formidable tool for understanding the political, economic and social changes taking place in the world today. Kévin Veyssière, 31, an expert and professor in the geopolitics of sport, is the founder of the Football Club Geopolitics medium, which has over 70,000 subscribers on social networks. He is already the author of two books (Football Club Geopolitics and Mondial) published by Max Milo.

Why have the Olympic Games always been a geopolitical event in their own right? How did the Olympic Games in Mexico City in 1968, Moscow in 1980 and Barcelona in 1992 reflect international tensions, despite the Olympics' political neutrality? In2024, what are the stakes for France in the Paris Olympics, against the backdrop of the Israeli-Palestinian and Russian-Ukrainian conflicts? Why have new powers such as China, Qatar and Saudi Arabia made the organization of the Games an objective of their influence strategy? In his fourth book, Kévin Veyssière invites sports fans, geography buffs and the curious to explore the history of our world through the Olympic Games. From Athens in 1896 to Paris in 2024, he unveils the most striking geopolitical backdrops to a theater of 206 nations, where sporting performances and power games come together.

How did Mussolini manage to use the 1934 World Cup to benefit his fascist regime? How did North Korea, with its surprising team, reveal itself to the world in 1966? Why did the match between Kuwait and France in 1982 lead to the first diplomatic arbitration? What was behind the scenes of the 1998 'peace match' between the US and Iran? How and why did Qatar win the 2022 World Cup? In this second volume, Kévin Veyssière tells 22 new stories in which football, in the particular context of World Cups, has found itself at the heart of international political issues, from the beginnings in 1900 to the Qatari edition of 2022. The author explains how, for one hundred and twenty years, the greatest sporting competition has always been a tool for influence and power games. Kévin Veyssière, 30 years old, expert and professor in sports geopolitics, created Football Club Geopolitics, a Twitter account followed by more than 55,000 people. He is the author of Football Club Geopolitics: 22 unusual stories to understand the world (Max Milo, 2021).