States of Play

'A must-read on how modern football works.' - Ian Wright

'In this excellent investigation, Delaney reveals the ugly side of the beautiful game.' - Oliver Bullough

'Majestic... the essential guide to how the people's game has become the plaything of the very rich and powerful.' - Jonathan Wilson

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The definitive account of how capitalism and the world's elite corrupted modern football

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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'Delaney's diligence and determination to hold authorities to account is the moral compass that the game needs.' - Andy Brassell

'An eye-opening and essential investigation into the forces shaping the world's most popular sport.' - Joshua Robinson & Jonathan Clegg