In the introduction to The Ball is Round, David Goldblatt writes that historians and political scientists often treat soccer as apolitical, saying that “football has not altered the course of history,” and that “football matches do not change social structures.” In other words, soccer may be a place where politics can be viewed, but it’s a neutral site that could just as well have been any other and does not meaningfully affect the distribution of economic or political power. But Goldblatt sees things differently, suggesting that “no history of the modern world is complete without an account of football. No history of football can begin to disclose its meaning or describe its course without showing the economic, political and social histories of modern societies.”
In this essay you’re asked to respond to this argument that Goldblatt presents in his intro, by answering the following question: To what extent, if at all, does soccer affect global politics? Is it a meaningful force for wielding political power or affecting political change? Is it simply a mirror for global politics, something that allows us to see the machinations of power but not really affecting politics? Or is the truth somewhere in the middle?
Please provide your answer to this question in an essay format. To do this well will require about 5-8 pages of thoughtful text. You will need to make direct use of Goldblatt and at least three other course readings. This means that your argument will need to both quote and cite these texts. No outside sources are necessary, and I discourage you from using them. But if you must, be sure to provide a full and accurate citation.