The globalization of football: a study in the glocalization of
the ‘serious life’
Richard Giulianotti and Roland Robertson
Abstract Sport, in particular football, constitutes one of the most
dynamic, sociologically illuminating domains of globalization. This paper
examines the globalization of football with particular reference to Robertson’s
theorizations of global processes. We examine football’s cultural globalization
through the concept of ‘glocalization’, which highlights the interdependence of
local and global processes within the game’s identities and institutions. We
address economic globalization in football by considering the world’s leading
clubs as ‘glocal’ transnational corporations. We assess the political
globalization of football with reference to the possible enhancement of
democracy within the game’s international governance. We conclude by affirming
the utility of sport in advancing our empirical and theoretical understanding of
globalization processes.