Franlin Foer’s book “How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization,” is not what it seems on the outside. Before reading this book, I was neither interested in the sport of soccer and its marketplace, nor did I believe that the game of soccer could possibly have in impact on the global landscape. First of all, the title as soccer being “An Unlikely Theory of Globalization” is somewhat ironic; before reading it sounds like a true assessment, but after reading Foer’s narratives, it becomes apparent that soccer actually has had the power to change global society and the societies of the individual countries within the world. Directly in the prologue, Foer clearly establishes that the book covers three different main ideas. I would like to focus on the first two of the three. The first covers “the failure of globalization to erode ancient hatreds in the game’s great rivalries” (Foer, 5). The second mainly “uses soccer to address economies” (Foer, 5).

            The most impressive aspect of the book is Foer’s ability to cover a diverse narrative of a different group or nation in each chapter. The first three chapters, specifically, employ the feeling that the reader is interacting with both Foer and the groups of people whom he assimilates himself into; which I believe is his most powerful writing strategy. For instance, he places himself within the group of Ranger fans, in particular a man named Jimmy, whose Protestant club rivals the Catholic Celtics. He partakes in buying them pints of whiskey and chanting offensive anti-Celtic phrases such as “fuck the Pope.” Jimmy teaches Foer a lot about the history and differences between the two clubs and their locations. Violence is a reoccurring theme fans of rival teams in soccer. This rivalry is not exception to this, especially in the Rangers’ home city, Glasgow, where Celtic fans will be killed for wearing a green and orange jersey of their beloved club. In Serbia, this violence has historically been the most gruesome of any other nation, where thousands have been killed because of the rising nationalism caused by the growth and pride of their soccer team, the Red Star Belgrade.

            Although the violence over soccer shows how people in different countries interact with each other, it fails to show any beneficial improvement to globalization. In fact, the shows the exact opposite, because the borders between nations become more of militarized barriers rather than friendly borders. Even though Foer’s narratives in the first part of the book convey soccer and its fans to be violent and racist, the second part tells the success stories within soccer to help boost economies and spread globalization. My main interest is in the soccer legend Pelé, who lifted Brazilian soccer from a lack of outside interest into the focus of soccer globally. With his mesmorizing dribble talent and his uncanny ability to shoot and score goals from difficult angles, Pelé attracted soccer attention to Brazil from areas that usually overlooked the country as a whole. Not only did Pelé enhance soccer globally, but in doing so, he enabled soccer to thrive in his home country. Pelé traveled to the United States, where he played and spread Brazilian soccer. Along with this, Pelé transformed into a capitalist, and eventually brought these new ideas to soccer in Brazil. Although Pelé made some questionable and unethical financial decisions regarding soccer after he retired, there is no denying his great influence on the globalization of Brazil through soccer.

            Foer’s book both shows how soccer tore down the possibilities of globalization in some countries and allowed it to flourish in others. Although soccer’s violent fans have claimed the lives of thousands of people, there is no denying that the game has brought the world together for the better. If any of us forget this, we can become easily reminded every four years at the World Cup.