The Ugly Game by Heidi Blake & Jonathan Calvert

The Ugly Game: The Corruption of FIFA and the Qatari Plot to Buy the World Cup

by Heidi Blake and Jonathan Calvert

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Extended Synopsis

In The Ugly Game, award-winning investigative journalists Heidi Blake and Jonathan Calvert expose the systemic corruption within FIFA that led to the shocking selection of Qatar as the 2022 World Cup host. Utilizing a leaked "bombshell cache" of hundreds of millions of secret documents, the Sunday Times Insight team spent months tracing the activities of Mohamed Bin Hammam. Their reporting reveals a meticulously orchestrated campaign involving cash handouts, lavish travel, and illicit payments to football officials globally.

This book provides an academic-level investigation into how a nation with limited football infrastructure and extreme climate conditions bypassed established bidders. It details the infrastructure costs that eventually soared to approximately $220 billion, dwarfing all previous tournaments. The Ugly Game is not just a sports book; it is a critical analysis of international power dynamics and the lack of oversight in global sports governance.

Reader Targeting

• Political Science Students: Those analyzing soft power, corruption, and the influence of oil-rich nations on international organizations.
• Journalism Scholars: Readers interested in forensic document analysis and whistleblower protection.
• Sports Critics: Fans looking for a fact-based rebuttal to the commercialization of international football.

Accolades & Awards

• A UK Bestseller and highly acclaimed by Esquire UK.
• Winner of multiple investigative journalism awards for the original Sunday Times reports.

Product Specifications

ISBN-13:	9781501132964
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster
Format:	Paperback / Hardcover
Publication Date:	2015