Beyond the Final Whistle

‘A profound reminder that football is far more than a sport; it’s a canvas for building a fairer and more compassionate world’ Kelly Davies, former Wales international football player

‘Tremendous ... an incitement to take back the game, and begin to make it beautiful again’ Martin Parker, Professor, Bristol University

Beyond the Final Whistle explores a new philosophy of football, showing how sport could lead to social change instead of propping up a hyper-consumerist society.

Vasilis Kostakis tackles the meaning of the beautiful game, exploring how it is produced and played. From the dribbles of a young Zapatista, to the many goals of Messi, he imagines what football would look like in a post-capitalist world.

How does football affect global inequality and the climate crisis? How does it teach our children empathy? What makes the game so captivating to billions of people, and how can this passion be used for liberation? With humour and insight, Beyond the Final Whistle is a love letter to football and revolution.

Vasilis Kostakis is a Professor at TalTech’s Ragnar Nurkse Department of Innovation and Governance in Estonia. He is also a Faculty Associate at Harvard University’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society.