What is "How Soccer Explains the World"?

"How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization" is a nonfiction book by Franklin Foer. The premise of the book states the international game of soccer can be used as a lens for understanding the impact of globalization on contemporary life and politics.

The book contains anecdotes that illustrate how soccer is used as an economic, social and political force in countries around the world. The author conducted many interviews with insiders in the soccer industry to get the stories that comprise the bulk of the book. It is seen as a revealing book about the game of soccer, whether or not it proves its central theory. It was published in 2004.