Preface by Pascal Boniface. Why did the Euro soccer tournament follow in the footsteps of European integration? What confrontations are impossible between certain countries, such as those between Russia and Ukraine, or Armenia and Azerbaijan? Which matches have gone beyond sporting stakes to become geopolitical "wars"? Or, conversely, how can soccer be a tool of emancipation for peoples? Or even play a part in the political strategies of countries such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar as they seek to improve their image in the eyes of the world? In a pleasant and precise style, the author tells us 22 stories in which the round ball found itself at the heart of international relations. He shows us that geopolitics is neither boring nor reserved for seasoned diplomats, and that soccer can go beyond the pitch.