By James Johnson

Hosting the World

$34.99
$34.99

What does it actually take to host the world?

Winning the right to stage a FIFA World Cup, an Olympic Games or a Commonwealth Games is just the beginning. The real work - the politics, the planning, the pressure, the sheer operational complexity of delivering at global scale - is what this book is about.

James Johnson has been in that room. As CEO of Football Australia, he led the delivery of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup across Australia and New Zealand, the largest women's sporting event in history. He knows what it takes to win a bid, build an organising committee, manage a host government relationship, and create a legacy that outlasts the final whistle.

Hosting the World is the definitive guide for everyone who works in this space: bid professionals, government officials, sports executives, event leaders, as well as for anyone who has ever wondered what really goes on behind the spectacle.

This is the inside story the major events industry has been waiting for.

More Information

  • Format: Paperback
  • Published:  November 2026
  • ISBN:  978-1-923236-54-7
  • ISBN: 978-1-923236-55-4 (ePub)
  • Weight: 0.4kg 
  • Size:  234x156mm
  • Pages:  200 (TBC)
  • Imprint: Fair Play Publishing

About the Author

James Johnson is a globally recognised sports and entertainment executive and lawyer with more than two decades of senior leadership experience across North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. He was appointed Group CEO of Canadian Soccer Media & Entertainment (CSME) and Commissioner of the Canadian Premier League in July 2025 to accelerate the growth and transformation of Canadian soccer ahead of the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup. Previously, he was CEO of Football Australia from January 2020 to April 2025.

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$34.99
$34.99
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