Football and Fascism in the Iberian Peninsula

Football and Fascism in the Iberian Peninsula offers a compelling look into how the Francoist and Salazarist regimes in Spain and Portugal used football as a tool for ideological control, national identity building, and propaganda. Drawing on rich archival sources and a comparative historical approach, Daniele Serapiglia and Juan Antonio Simón explore how fascist ideals permeated the sport—shaping its heroes, rituals, and media narratives—while also revealing football’s role as a space of resistance and contradiction. This book exposes the emotional power of football in shaping imagined communities and unveils how two Iberian dictatorships sought to mold society through the world’s most popular game.