In the world of football, FIFA (the Federation Internationale de Football Association) is the de facto organizing body of the sport. However, the last decade has led to an emergence of new sporting bodies that work to provide opportunities to compete in global sport beyond FIFA’s control, though not without its resistance. These alternative sporting bodies are made-up of teams representing unrecognized nation-states and territories, de-facto groups, and minorities. Often, these groups are ‘depoliticized’ as ‘beyond sport’; merely ‘humanitarian causes.’ This project challenges the depolitization of ‘beyond sport’ to consider how alternative sporting bodies are intricately involved in contemporary challenges to state-centric politics. 

Light lunch will be provided.