More Than A Shirt

How Football Shirts Explain Global Politics, Money and Power
Twenty-Two Football Shirts that explain the world, geopolitics and the biggest stories of our time

LONGLISTED FOR THE 2025 WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD
SHORTLISTED FOR THE BEST SPORTS WRITING OF THE YEAR AWARD AT THE 2026 SPORTS BOOK AWARDS

A GUARDIAN SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR 2025
A WATERSTONES SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR 2025

'This is a marvellous football book, although it is much more than that.' The Times
'More Than A Shirt shows why geopolitics keeps invading the pitch.' The Economist
'D'Urso's simple conceit offers a sparklingly fresh snapshot' The Guardian
'Extensively researched and wonderfully written, Joey's book deserves to be read by all' Martin O'Neill


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Twenty-Two Football Shirts that explain the world, geopolitics and the biggest stories of our time

Football is the world's most popular sport, and the shirts worn by teams and their supporters are its greatest means of cultural expression. Every year clubs launch new kits with increasingly extravagant marketing campaigns and convoluted explanations of how their designs reflect their history and local community. But football shirts are much more than just a symbol of which club we support. A seemingly innocuous combination of colours, sponsor logos and materials can all reflect the social values, financial struggles and political ideologies of the day, as geopolitical issues increasingly seep into every aspect of the game.

Investigative journalist Joey D'Urso has travelled across the globe, combining on-the-ground reporting with unparalleled analysis to collate a list of the twenty-two football shirts that best explain the modern world.  More Than A Shirt will take fans on a journey from Birmingham to Belgrade and onto Medellin and Mumbai, outlining how we can see the war in Ukraine in the shirt of Schalke in Germany or China's foreign policy in West Bromwich Albion's; how the shirts of state-owned clubs are used for sportswashing; and why the French national kit embodies worldwide migration patterns.

A compelling and eye-opening exploration, More Than A Shirt is essential reading for any football fan and will change the way you think about the beautiful game's most universal symbol.


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'Thoroughly resourceful and revealing' Jon Spurling, FourFourTwo
'Intelligent, thoughtful and brilliant' Chris Mason
'Original and innovative. a "Parts Unknown" for the game' Miguel Delaney
'Smart, warm and original' Matt Chorley, BBC Radio 5 Live

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