Here’s your chance to win one of 10 copies of the fully updated paperback States of Play, our chief football writer’s revealing look at football, sportswashing, and the game’s wealthiest power players
If you’ve ever wondered who really owns and controls football, now’s your chance to find out.
Miguel Delaney, The Independent’s chief football writer, takes readers inside the game in the new paperback edition of States of Play: How Sportswashing Took Over Football, released in August 2025.
From Abu Dhabi to Newcastle, London to Paris, Moscow to New York, Delaney investigates allegations of sportswashing, misconduct, and the influence of football’s wealthiest players – from state-backed corporations and media moguls to oil-rich oligarchs.
Fully updated, this edition also covers Saudi Arabia’s 2034 World Cup bid, the latest on the Manchester City charges, and PSG’s Champions League triumph.
To celebrate the paperback launch, The Independent is giving away 10 copies of the new paperback edition.
This competition is open exclusively to subscribers of the Miguel Delaney: Inside Football newsletter. To enter, simply sign up before 5pm on September 1 to receive details on how to win.
Sign up using the box at the top of this article, or click here, select the Sport tab, then Miguel Delaney: Inside Football, hit the ‘+’ sign, enter your email, and click ‘Sign up’.
You’ll then receive Miguel’s weekly football insights – and your chance to win a copy of this definitive account of modern football.
Category: General Sports
