The Great Game

A Tale of Two Footballs and America's Quest to Conquer Global Sport
This book looks at the two footballs of the world, American football and association football (soccer), providing a fascinating examination of how a generation of American billionaires, tech conglomerates, women players, and immigrants have sought not only to expand the reach of American football but to turn the US into an unexpected soccer powerhouse.

A captivating exploration of how America’s complicated and ever-evolving relationship with the world can be seen through the two footballs of the world--American football and soccer--and the interaction between them.

The United States is the only major nation on earth that can’t compete against others in its favorite spectator sport because no one else plays it. But as the world’s game of football keeps growing in popularity in the United States and the nation prepares to co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the two footballing worlds are converging.

In The Great Game, Andrés Martinez looks at how a generation of sporting billionaires, tech and media conglomerates, women players propelled by Title IX, computer game enthusiasts, and immigrants have sought to end America’s sports isolationism--not by continuing to expand the reach of “their” games, but by turning their country into an unexpected power in the other, international, football. It’s a story of America’s changing cultural customs and demography, as well as a tale of shifting business philosophies driven by technology. Sport has become an ever more massive industry, its economic value soaring thanks to its unique ability to still bring together audiences in the tens of millions on a regular basis and a growing appreciation for its “soft” yet impactful branding power.

The Great Game is a fascinating examination of the evolving state of US sporting interests, as those with money, power, and celebrity seek to prevail in a global sport, eager to extend their reach, set the rules of play worldwide, and connect Americans to the outside world like never before.

UK Delivery:

• Free delivery on all orders of £10 or more.
• £1.49 delivery fee on orders below £10.
• UK orders are shipped via Royal Mail 2nd Class.

International Delivery:

• Flat rate delivery charges vary by country.

Dispatch and Delivery Times:

• All orders are shipped from our warehouse in Northampton, UK within 48 hours of receipt during working hours.
• UK mainland orders typically arrive within 3-5 working days via Royal Mail 2nd Class.
• International estimated delivery times:
• Europe & Channel Islands: 7 to 10 working days
• USA: 7 to 15 working days
• Rest of the World: 9 to 21 working days

View our full delivery infomation here.