Football is unquestionably the world s most popular and influential sport. There is no corner of the globe in which the game is not played or followed. More countries are affiliated to FIFA, football s governing body, than to the United Nations. The sport has therefore become an important component of our social, cultural, political and economic life. The "Routledge Handbook of Football Studies" is a landmark work of reference, going further than any other book in considering the historical and contemporary significance of football around the world.

Written by a team of leading sport...