Paper short abstract:

The paper explores dreams of, and aspirations for, migration among Ghanaian footballers. It unpacks the stuff that the dreams are made of, and asks who produces these dreams, who capitalizes on them, and: will the dreams come true?

Paper long abstract:

The paper explores aspirations for football migration and the ability to do so through the notion of dreams. On the basis of ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Ghana and Sweden between 2017-2019, it analyzes the dream of football migration by unpacking the stuff that the dream is made of. It is shown to consist of a multilayered set of dreams including aspirations for migration, footballing success and economic prosperity. These dreams are furthermore shared by the individual footballers, their families and the people that work in the football industry. They are in many ways global dreams that become pervasive, almost irresistible in their character. In that sense, they form part of what can be called an economy of dreams, which in turn is shaped by larger historical and contemporary processes of colonialism, capitalism and neoliberalism. The paper also asks: who produces these dreams, who capitalizes on them, and: will the dreams come true?