Owns clubs in England, the US, Australia, India, Brazil, and Uruguay, creating a literal corporate empire on the football map.

The New Imperialism: Sovereign Wealth and Global Multi-Club Ownership

: In regions not formally colonized, such as Argentina, British "informal empire"—driven by commercial and industrial investment—established the clubs that formed the bedrock of the local game. From Colonial Tool to National Resistance

This public link is valid for 7 days and shares a thread, including any personal information you added. This link or copies made by others cannot be deleted. If you share with third parties, their policies apply. Can’t copy the link right now. Try again later.

Similarly, Raoul Diagne became the first black player to debut for France. Born in Senegal, Diagne joined Racing Club de France in 1930. That he was able to come to France so early likely had to do with his family background—his father, Blaise Diagne, was an influential politician in the French overseas territories who later sat in the French Chamber of Deputies.

Second, it reframes sports competition in epic, narrative terms. Every game becomes a potential turning point in a larger war of conquest. A regular-season matchup between two middling teams might seem unremarkable in the standings, but if one of them controls a massive empire built from previous upsets, the stakes suddenly feel enormous.

However, the football map quickly became a map of anti-colonial resistance:

: Fans can now create their own scenarios using spinner wheels for random results or inputting their own outcomes—perfect for playing alongside video games or running "what-if" simulations.

: Both leagues feature eighty-two-game seasons, tracked through the regular season and playoffs.

Football’s global spread in the late 19th and early 20th centuries closely followed imperial trade routes, military deployments, and colonial administration. The result is an “imperialism football map”: a pattern in which the game’s earliest and strongest roots correspond with former empires’ reach and the institutions they left behind.