States of Play

THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER & WINNER OF THE FOOTBALL BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD

SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2025 WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD

A TIMES SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR
A TELEGRAPH BOOK OF THE YEAR
AN IRISH TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR
AN IRISH INDEPENDENT BOOK OF THE YEAR

‘Important, perfectly timed and hugely necessary.’ The Guardian
‘A monumental piece of investigative journalism.’ Irish Times
‘A must-read on how modern football works.’ Ian Wright
‘Brave, forensic and utterly gripping.’ Tom Holland

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The definitive account of how capitalism and the world’s elite corrupted modern football. Fully updated to cover Saudi Arabia’s 2034 World Cup bid, the Manchester City charges case and PSG winning the Champions League.

As the 2022 World Cup in Qatar drew to a close, there was a bitter undercurrent to Argentina’s triumph. Throughout the tournament, numerous allegations of sportswashing and financial misconduct had been made against the state of Qatar, moving what had previously been a smaller conversation into the worldwide spotlight.

The question had been asked, who really owns and runs football?

Journeying from Abu Dhabi to Newcastle, and onto London, Paris, Moscow and New York, journalist Miguel Delaney investigates the allegations of sportswashing and misconduct in the beautiful game. The result is a gripping account of how football has been taken over by the world’s wealthiest businessmen, state-backed corporations, media tycoons and oil-rich oligarchs.

From Neymar’s £198 million transfer to Paris Saint-Germain and Abu Dhabi’s construction empire in Manchester to failed Financial Fair Play constraints and the dawn of the European Super League, Miguel draws on exclusive interviews and unprecedented access to key stakeholders to produce an all-encompassing exposé of modern footballs highest echelons.

Authoritative, riveting and eye-opening, States of Play reveals how football has become a tool for the world’s elite.

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Miguel Delaney’s STATES OF PLAY was ranked in the Irish Times bestsellers list the weeks of 11th-18th November & 9th December 2024.