Radicalised by FIFA

What do a childhood on a remote farm, a career in academia, and the corrupt underbelly of global football have in common? In Radicalised by FIFA – Football, History and Feminism, Professor Jean Williams weaves them together with sharp humour and political bite.

Part memoir, part cultural critique, Radicalised by FIFA explores how a love of football—and outrage at its inequalities—sparked a lifelong campaign for justice both on and off the pitch. From muddy grassroots fields to the politics of the Women’s World Cup, Jean exposes the systemic barriers facing women in sport and in life.

With themes of gender, power, institutional hypocrisy, and the personal toll of pushing against entrenched systems, Radicalised by FIFA is essential reading for anyone who believes in the transformative potential of sport—and the need to reform it.

The memoir also covers the impact of global events like the SARS and COVID pandemics and September 11, alongside the rise of social media and the fight for equal pay in women's football.