Simon Chadwick is a Global Professor of Sport at Emlyon Business School, France. Chadwick's specific interests are in the geopolitical economy of football, which embraces matters of globalisation, digitalisation, environmentalism and lifestyle change. He has worked with some of world football's key stakeholders including UEFA, several clubs and national associations, and sponsors such as Mastercard and Coca-Cola.

Paul Widdop is a Senior Lecturer in Sport Business at Leeds Beckett University, UK. His research explores social and economic networks on the consumption and production of sport. He has published widely in areas of sport and popular culture including articles in the Journal of Consumer Culture, Cultural Sociology, Cultural Trends, Political Behavior, Electoral Studies and Leisure Sciences.

Christos Anagnostopoulos is Deputy Dean of the School of Business and Management at the British University of Central Lancashire in Cyprus, and Associate Professor in sport management at the Faculty of Business Administration and Social Sciences at Molde University College, Norway. He is an editorial board member for nine international scientific journals related to sport management. He served on the EASM board of directors and is the Secretary General of the charitable foundation of the Cyprus Basketball Federation. He also consults with Cyprus Sport Organisation on issues related to the governance of sport federations.

Daniel Parnell is Associate Professor at the University of Liverpool, UK. His research interests lie in business management, policy and social and economic networks in sport. Dan serves as co-Editor-in-Chief of the journal Managing Sport and Leisure. He is a co-editor of the Routledge book series Critical Research in Football and co-edited the Routledge Handbook of Football Business and Management. He is Head of Football Research at Dundee United Football Club and CEO of the Association of Sporting Directors.

1. Introduction, 2. A Brief History of the FIFA World Cup as a Business, 3. Bidding and Hosting Decisions, 4. Politics and Geopolitics in Staging the FIFA World Cup: What is at Stake for the Hosting Nations?, 5. Diplomacy, International Relations, Soft Power and the World Cup, 6. Competition Design of the World Cup, 7. An Integrity System Framework for the Governance of the Football World Cups, 8. Environment and Sustainability in FIFA World Cups, 9. Finance of the FIFA World Cup, 10. Planning and Organising FIFA World Cups, 11. Planning, Sourcing, and Managing Resources for FIFA World Cups, 12. Engaging Fans, 13. Managing Risk and Security, 14. Marketing, Sponsorship and Merchandising, 15. Broadcasting and the FIFA World Cup: Privatisation and Technology, 16. Digital and Social Media in the Business of the FIFA World Cup, 17. Culture and the World Cup: The Case of Qatar, 18. Afterword...