Kylian Mbappé is a global football superstar. A world champion at the age of nineteen in Russia, the World Cup's Golden Boot four years later in Qatar, the first player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final since Geoff Hurst in 1966, the winner of twelve major honours with Paris Saint-Germain. Mbappé is still only 26, wears the shirt of Real Madrid and is captain of France's national team.

At its core this book tells the ascent of a child of immigrants who rose to become the world's best player. But Mbappé's story is far more - his ascent was planned from the beginning, in a way no other sports career had been orchestrated before.

Kylian Mbappé's trajectory was mapped out from a very early age by his family, with the player's full consent. For Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, the brand was developed as a consequence of their exceptional playing achievements. For Mbappé, the plan was in place before he'd played a minute of football with his first professional club, AS Monaco.

He was only six years old when Nike knocked on his parents' door and gave him his first sponsorship contract. His name was trademarked worldwide before he'd won his first cap for France. Every move, every decision has been calculated from the outset.

Yes, Mbappé is a generational talent, and an exceptionally smart individual who looks as much at ease at the Elysée palace as on the pitch. But what truly sets him apart is that he is not just a sportsman: he is a project. This book tells that story for the first time.

The best-selling collection of football facts, stats and stories is back for another fantastic new edition!

World Football Records 2026 offers lively, fun and fascinating facts and stats from the world of international football. Focusing on all the major world and continental tournaments, national team records, exceptional matches and the stars who made it all possible, this exhaustively researched annual tells the stories of these key moments and the players and teams behind them.

This new edition includes updated stats and facts for all recent major tournaments, awards and international teams. You'll also find the latest record-breaking achievements of more than 35 featured nations from around the world, including a sidebar with key stats, as well as updates and records for all the other FIFA members.

The world is getting ready for the biggest football event in history—and this book is your all-access pass to everything you need to know.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup isn’t just another tournament. It's a revolution in football. For the first time ever, 48 teams will battle across three host countries—the United States, Canada, and Mexico. With over 104 matches spread across 16 iconic cities, this is the most ambitious and culturally rich World Cup the world has ever seen. Now you can go beyond the headlines and experience the drama, planning, history, and dreams behind the tournament. From the fierce qualification battles across continents to the political, economic, and weather-related challenges, this book captures the full scope of the global football movement.

Whether you're a die-hard fan, a casual viewer, a journalist, or a football student, this book is packed with facts, insights, and predictions that will keep you informed and entertained through every stage of the tournament buildup.

What You’ll Discover Inside:

• The First Expanded World Cup: Learn how the tournament’s jump from 32 to 48 teams changes everything—from the group stage to the final whistle.
• North America’s Historic Hosting: Explore the logistics, legacy, and power dynamics behind the first tri-nation World Cup.
• Qualification Progress Across Continents: Get updated on which teams have qualified, which are still fighting, and how each continent is navigating the path to glory.
• The Race Among Global Giants: Track how countries like Argentina, Brazil, France, and England are preparing to dominate the world stage again.
• Impact of Climate and Geography: Discover how extreme heat, altitude, and long travel distances may affect players, fans, and match outcomes.
• The Rising Stars and Aging Legends: From breakout teens to final appearances for legends—this World Cup will be full of emotional exits and new beginnings.
• Symbols, Music, and Match Ball: Meet Adidas Trionda, the official ball, and explore the theme song and remixes that give this World Cup its unique cultural sound.
• The Road to the Final: Follow the new match structure—12 groups, knockout chaos, and the brand-new Round of 32.
• The Promise and Peril of Technology: From VAR to AI analytics, this World Cup will be as digital as it is dramatic.
• Protests Against Trump and the 2026 World Cup: A Clash of Politics and Sport: Read about how protest was made against Trump on issues like immigration, travel bans, and civil rights.

This book is not only a guide—it’s a tribute to the beautiful game, its ability to unite the world, and its power to inspire every generation. Written in a clear, engaging style, The 2026 World Cup Guide delivers deep analysis without being complicated, making it the perfect companion leading up to the biggest sporting event of the decade.

If you're searching for a World Cup book that combines facts, foresight, culture, and creativity—this is it.

The definitive illustrated guide to the biggest FIFA World Cup ever!

FIFA World Cup 2026: The Official Guide is the essential companion to the world's biggest sporting event. With 48 nations competing in 16 cities across the United States, Canada and Mexico, the 2026 tournament promises to the most exciting, competitive and spectacular edition yet.

Inside the Official Guide, you'll find everything you need to follow the FIFA World Cup, including:

• Guides to all 16 host cities, from Mexico City to Miami and Toronto to New York.
• Analysis of every team competing.
• Profiles of star players to watch.
• Reviews of the qualifiers across Europe, Asia, North and South America, Africa and Oceania.
• A fill-in guide to track results as the tournament progresses.

Packed full of facts and statistics, and illustrated with superb photography throughout, this is the only handbook you'll need to follow all the action at FIFA World Cup 2026.

1982 tells the story of football's most exhilarating and entertaining World Cup side. This scintillating Brazil team - blessed with Zico, Socrates, Falcao, Eder and Junior - lit up the 1982 World Cup with a brand of football that was 'futebol arte'. Playing to the accompaniment of a samba soundtrack from their supporters in the stands, the side scored 15 goals in five games and enchanted the world, but their dream fell apart in the Sarria Stadium against Italy. Even so, it was a match considered one of the greatest World Cup fixtures of all time and it changed the way the game was played forever.The Brazilian 1982 World Cup side have become a cast of mythical characters. Despite failing to reach the semi-finals, they made the football world hold its breath every time they stepped on the pitch. Told through the eyes of a young boy who fell in love with the men in yellow, and the memories of those who were there to witness Brazil's most glorious failure, 1982 is the definitive account of the greatest team never to win a World Cup.

Bursting with action-packed pictures, fascinating facts, stats, trivia and vital World Cup information, The Big Book of the World Cup is the perfect companion to the greatest sporting show on earth. The book features an in-depth guide to each of the 32 competing nations, profiles of the star players who will be there plus a tour of Russia looking at the large geographical setting and the wonderful stadiums which will provide the backdrop for the 2018 tournament. There's a detailed analysis of England's chances under Gareth Southgate, a look at the strong challenge from traditional powerhouses Spain, Germany, Brazil and Argentina and a full array of the star players who will light up the tournament. Plus, the book includes a brilliant fixtures guide and scorechart to be filled in as the tournament progresses, as well as a complete TV viewing guide.

The first comprehensive overview of the 1994 World Cup – a watershed moment in football.

Featuring extensive research from both modern sources and archived accounts, USA 94 charts the World Cup tournament process from the bid through to the final match, played in front of 94,000 fans.

A group of volunteers begged, borrowed and remortgaged a house on their way to convincing FIFA to hand them the keys to the 1994 World Cup. When they got the green light, the USA was tasked with presenting the greatest show on earth.

While nobody expected the USA to succeed as hosts, with their nation of non-believers, what followed was a glorious summer of shattered attendance records and millions of fans. This alongside memorable kits, missed penalties, a car chase, internal politics, triumph and tragedy in equal measure made the 1994 world cup one that will be remembered for decades.

Every four years the thirty-two-team, sixty-four-game World Cup captivates the planet's populace for a month. Work absenteeism skyrockets. Political campaigns grind to a halt. Fans mortgage their houses to buy tickets. And teams employ every means possible - even consulting witch doctors and astrologers - in their quest for national glory.Veteran soccer commentator Jamie Trecker travelled to Germany for FIFA World Cup 2006. Here, reported from the restaurants, trains, bars, town squares, hostels, press boxes, and brothels, is his unvarnished account of the games and parties, great plays and fistfights, gossip and tacky souvenirs that turn the largest sporting event on earth into a true world bazaar. With equal measures insight and irreverence, Trecker captures the passion, politics, controversies, and economics that make soccer a reflection of the world.

The long-awaited autobiography of Howard Webb, the man who refereed the World Cup final.

Webb's first game as a match official came when he was just 18 and his father's verdict was blunt: 'Useless - he doesn't know his arse from his elbow.' It wasn't the last time his performance would come under fire. But Webb progressed through the ranks, and his natural calm authority made a good impression on players and administrators alike, and soon he was being offered the top matches and the toughest fixtures. The former policeman went on to take charge of some of the most important games, including the 2009 FA Cup final, the 2010 Champions League final and - the biggest of the lot - the 2010 World Cup final. Now, in this superb and frank memoir, Howard Webb reveals what it is like to be at the heart of the action in modern-day football where every decision can be unpicked by television cameras. He explains how he learned to handle some of the game's superstars.

Refereeing is a hard business, but Webb shows just why he enjoyed it so much and provides fascinating insights into how he dealt with the most challenging situations. With his unique perspective, and the characteristic honesty and humour he has displayed as a pundit on BT Sport, Webb has written a book, updated for this edition, that reveals the game - and the man himself - in a new light.

Brazil 1970 is the fascinating and dramatic inside story of the greatest football team of all time. Predicted to be drab and dull, the 1970 World Cup became the greatest show on Earth, with the mesmerising Brazilians at the heart of a dramatic and delirious three weeks. After their demise at the 1966 World Cup, the South Americans were no longer the masters of the game. The defenestration rattled Brazil, and left them in purgatory before they swept through the qualifiers with coach Joao Saldanha. Even so, the team left their home country discredited against the backdrop of a military dictatorship and the proliferation of science in the game. At the World Cup finals, Mario Zagallo and his cast of balletic players - including lodestar Pele, the cerebral Gerson and the ingenious Tostao - ensured Brazil would forever be synonymous with the global game and a byword for style and craft. Their triumph was also the end of Brazil's golden era. The technocrats had invaded the terrain and Brazil would never again reach those heights.

As excitement builds in the run-up to the world’s greatest football competition, the official 2026 FIFA World Cup Kids’ Handbook provides the perfect World Cup companion for young football fans.

This book is bursting with information about the host nations (USA/Canada/Mexico), providing an overview of the stadiums, FIFA World Cup facts, statistics, plus a rundown of top teams and star players and much more. As well as everything a young fan needs to know to become a World Cup expert, there are football puzzles, quizzes, games, wordsearches, dot-to-dots and other activities to keep them entertained.

A fill-in progress chart lets young fans record match results as the tournament progresses, and makes this book a great personalized souvenir of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The official FA endorsed book to commemorate the 50th anniversary of England's historic World Cup triumph. This beautiful coffee table book - presented in a souvenir real cloth slipcase with gold foil lettering - will contain previously unseen photography, items of memorabillia including the players' shirts and medals and the match ball and unseen documents from the FA's own archive at Wembley Stadium. It will also will include the memories of the key protagonists in the story - from the players and manager to celebrities who were in the crowd, supporters, commentators and journalists.

The complete, official history of the England football team as you've never seen it before! England: The Official History is a fascinating account of the world's oldest and most iconic national football team. * Includes England's fantastic performance at EURO 2020. * A great gift for any England fan. * Features more than 250 exceptional photographs of England icons past and present including Alf Ramsey, Bobby Charlton, Gary Lineker, Hope Powell, David Beckham, Steph Houghton and Harry Kane. * The complete story of the England men's and women's teams - from 1872 right up to the present day. * Written by award-winning journalist and author Daniel Storey in association with the FA and filled with incredible stories spanning 150 years of England football. The book charts the highs (and lows) of the England national teams and the men and women who've worn the Three Lions with pride. Each chapter delves into a specific era, covering key figures, famous and infamous matches, and the evolution of football over the course of more than a century and a half. This is the definitive visual history of English Football.

Glory and Despair is a pictorial celebration of the World Cup that takes us on a spellbinding journey, from the inaugural tournament in 1930 to the present day. Using stunning library stock images, the book brings to life the feats of the greatest stars ever to grace the game, including Pele, Diego Maradona, Zinedine Zidane, Lionel Messi, Michel Platini, Franz Beckenbauer, Bobby Moore and both Ronaldos. This beautiful visual homage covers the great matches, the incredible goals, the controversies, heroes and villains, capturing the most iconic moments in the greatest tournament of any sport. Glory and Despair is an essential piece of World Cup nostalgia that honours the history of the greatest football show on earth.

'Brilliant' Guardian 'Exuberant' Financial Times 'Colourful' The Times In June 1986 Diego Maradona, considered by many to be the greatest footballer of all time, proudly hoisted the '86 Mexico World Championship Cup in his hands. Now over thirty years on from that magical game, and after a life in sports marked by controversy, Maradona tells, for the first time, the untold stories behind that one-of-a-kind World Cup. Mexico '86 was the pinnacle of Maradona's career, and in this book he reveals all about every game, what happened afterwards in the locker room, the months leading up to the World Cup, when the team had to go to Mexico City a month early to avoid the overthrowing of the technical director by the Argentine president, Alfonsin, the mystery behind 'El Gran Capitan' Passarella ('78 World Cup Champion), the strategies and tactics that revolutionised the game, training in a country that was recovering from an earthquake, the public's hostility, the jerseys they went out to buy in Mexico City, the meeting in Colombia where the team really came together, his relationship to drugs: the clean World Cup, and the best goal in football history. Mexico '86 is Maradona's World Cup and Maradona is who he is because of that World Cup. Explosive, gritty and unapologetic, Touched by God tells the inside story of one of the greatest football victories of all time.

An all-encompassing, chronological guide to football's World Cup, one of the world's few truly international events, in good time for the June 2014 kick-off in Rio de Janeiro. From its beginnings in 1930 to the modern all-singing, all-dancing self-styled 'greatest show on Earth', every tournament is covered with features on major stars and great games, as well as stories about some less celebrated names and quirky stats and intriguing essays. Holt's focus is very much on what takes place on the field, rather than how football is a mirror for economic corruption, or how a nation's style of play represents a profound statement about its people, or how a passion for football can lift underpaid, socially marginalised people out of poverty. From the best World Cups, in 1958 and 1970, to the worst, in 1962 and 2010, he looks behind the facts and the technical observations to the stories: the mysterious sins of omission; critical injuries to key players; and coaching U-turns. He explains how England's World Cup achievements under Sven-Goeran Eriksson, far from being a national disgrace, were actually quite impressive, and looks at why Alf Ramsey didn't take Bobby Charlton off in 1970, but this is no parochial, jingoistic account. The book also asks why Brazil did not contribute in 1966, despite having won the previous two tournaments and going on to win the next one? Why the greatest players of their day did not always shine at the World Cup - George Best and Alfredo Di Stefano, for example, never even made it to the Finals. Why did Johann Cruyff not go to the 1978 World Cup? And why did one of Germany's greatest players never play in the World Cup? There are lots of tables, some filled with obvious, but necessary information, but others with more quirky observations. Alongside accounts of epic games, there are also brief biographies of all the great heroes of the World Cup.

A love letter to the 1986 World Cup.

A tournament viewed via the shimmering satellite images of an age before the dawn of high-definition coverage - which was introduced four years later, at Italia '90 - it was the last World Cup where the commentaries sounded like they were broadcast from the surface of the moon. Mexico took on the tournament after Colombia failed to deliver on their host candidature, relinquishing the rights in 1983.

With a devastating Mexico City earthquake just eight months before the big kick-off, it was a miracle that the Estadio Azteca was still able to be the venue of Diego Maradona's greatest and most infamous hours. As well as Argentina's most gifted son, Mexico '86 was blessed by the presence of Sócrates, Platini, Francescoli, Butragueño, Belanov and Elkjær to name but a few of the icons on display.

This is the story of an evocative World Cup that seemed to be held together by Sellotape.

No Longer Naive is an in-depth look at the history of African football at the game's greatest showcase event. As football grew globally over the 20th century and the World Cup became the zenith of the sport internationally, Africa was left trailing, both through a lack of organisation and exclusion by the powers that be. In 1974, Africa's 'best' team, Zaire, were humiliated on the world stage, creating a negative perception of African football. Teams from Africa were often labelled naive in their approach to football, but gradually African nations repaired their reputation. This led to increased participation, vastly improved players and famous victories over the world's best - culminating in the tournament being hosted on the continent for the first time in 2010. However, while great strides have been made on the pitch, greed, in-fighting, violence and the whiff of corruption behind the scenes have undermined progress. African sides are no longer naive, but are we any closer to seeing a team from Africa lift the World Cup?

The definitive illustrated guide to FIFA Women's World Cup Australia/New Zealand 2023 that no football fan should be without. The most high-profile event on the women's football calendar, the FIFA Women's World Cup will take place between 20 July and 20 August 2023, at venues across Australia and New Zealand, with 32 teams competing for the most prestigious international prize in world football. FIFA Women's World Cup Australia/New Zealand 2023: The Official Guide covers every aspect of the tournament, from the host cities to full profiles of all 32 qualified teams, along with features on the star players due to light up the competition and magic moments from FIFA Women's World Cups past. Packed full of facts and statistics, and beautifully illustrated with a superb collection of photographs, FIFA Women's World Cup Australia/New Zealand 2023: The Official Guide is suitable for fans of all ages and is the perfect accompaniment to the year's biggest football event.

Every four years, the FIFA World Cup captures the global imagination like no other sporting spectacle. With a cumulative television audience of several billion people tuning in to the 2014 World Cup, and an estimated 700 million watching the finals-including more than 25 million in the United States alone-the World Cup is the world's most-watched sporting event. The Encyclopedia of the FIFA World Cup provides the most comprehensive and up-to-date information available on the history of this incomparable event. An introductory narrative explains the origins and historical progression of the World Cup, while a chronology traces the development of the World Cup since it was first held in 1930. Hundreds of entries cover the players and coaches who have participated in the World Cup and made the most memorable contributions to the event's history. Additional entries include officials, stadiums, overviews of each major country's performances, and more. A separate section provides detailed entries for each World Cup finals tournament. Appendixes contain details on every participant in World Cup history, as well as top performers, officials, and World Cup records. Including an indispensable bibliography on the key World Cup texts, Encyclopedia of the FIFA World Cup is an essential reference for soccer fans, players, and researchers alike.

The first complete history of the FIFA World Cup with a preview of the 2022 event in Qatar. Every four years, the world's best national soccer teams compete for the FIFA World Cup. Billions of people tune in from around the world to experience the remarkable events unfolding live, both on and off the field. From Diego Maradona's first goal against England at the 1986 World Cup to Nelson Mandela's surprise appearance at the 2010 final in South Africa, these unforgettable World Cup moments have helped to create a global phenomenon. In The FIFA World Cup: A History of the Planet's Biggest Sporting Event, veteran soccer reporter Clemente A. Lisi chronicles the tournament from 1930 to today, including a preview of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Lisi provides vivid accounts of individual games, details the innovations that impacted the sport across the decades, and offers biographical sketches of greats such as Pele, Diego Maradona, and Lionel Messi. In addition, Lisi includes needed, objective coverage of off-field controversies such as the FIFA corruption case, making this book the only complete and impartial history of the tournament. Featuring personal interviews and behind-the-scenes stories from the author's many years attending and covering the World Cup, as well as stunning color photography, The FIFA World Cup is the definitive history of this global event.

Shortlisted for the Sunday Times Football Book of the Year 2022 One of the Financial Times Top 5 Best Sports Books of the Year The 1970 World Cup is widely regarded as the greatest ever staged, with more goals per game than any World Cup since. But more than just the proliferation of goals was the quality of the overall football, as some of the finest teams ever to represent the likes of West Germany, Peru, Italy and England came together for a tilt at the world title. But at the heart of the tournament were Brazil; captained by Carlos Alberto and featuring legends like Pele, Gerson, Jairzinho, Rivellino and Tostao, the 1970 Selecao are often cited as the greatest-ever World Cup team. Using brand new interviews alongside painstaking archival research, Andrew Downie charts each stage of the tournament, from the preparations to the final, telling a host of remarkable stories in the players' own words. The result is an immediate, insightful and compelling narrative that paints a unique portrait of an extraordinary few weeks when football hit peaks it has seldom reached since. This is Mexico 1970. Welcome to the Greatest Show on Earth.

2016 marks the 50th anniversary of the 1966 FIFA World Cup, hosted in England. Unlike previous literature, which has tended to focus activities on the field, this book brings an institutional level approach to organizing the 1966 FIFA World Cup and examines the management process in the buildup and execution of the event. This intriguing new volume looks at the first significant UK government intervention in football and how this created a significant legacy as the government started to take a real interest in leisure facilities and stadium safety as policy areas after this competition. Foundations of Managing Sporting Events will be of considerable interest to research academics working on aspects of post war British, Imperial, and World history including sport, social, business, economic, and political history.