ABSTRACT

The football World Cup is unquestionably the biggest sporting event in the world. This fascinating collection of papers examines the background to the 2002 World Cup Finals, held in Korea and Japan, and explores the event's profound social, cultural, political and economic significance.

The book offers important insight into topics such as:

* the development of professional football in Korea and Japan
* the political and diplomatic significance of the first co-hosted World Cup
* FIFA and the 'back stage' dealing behind the World Cup
* football as a global culture and its impact on 'traditional' East Asian structures.

This book is essential reading for anybody looking to understand the power of sporting 'mega-events' and the increasingly complex relationship between sport and society. It is also an absorbing read for all serious fans of world football.

part |44 pages

Politics, football and football politics

chapter |14 pages

Things more important than football?

Japan, Korea and the 2002 World Cup

chapter |13 pages

Getting the games

Japan, South Korea and the co-hosted World Cup

chapter |15 pages

International power struggles in the governance of world football

The 2002 and 2006 World Cup bidding wars

part |59 pages

Football in Korea and Japan

part |43 pages

State, civil society and popular resistance in football

chapter |14 pages

Japanese soccer fans

Following the local and the national team

chapter |15 pages

Another kick-off

The 2002 World Cup and soccer voluntary groups as a new social movement

part |38 pages

The 2002 World Cup as sports mega-event and sports media event

chapter |18 pages

Building mega-events

Critical reflections on the 2002 World Cup infrastructure