iBooks Top Soccer Ebooks

The best selling soccer ebooks at the Apple iBookstore. The chart of the most popular soccer iBook best sellers updated daily.

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Sports Ebook Best Sellers

Soccer Ebook Best Sellers

1

Inverting the Pyramid - Jonathan Wilson Cover Art

Inverting the Pyramid

Inverting the Pyramid The History of Soccer Tactics by Jonathan Wilson

The classic history of soccer tactics  —  “masterful” and “deliciously nerdy” ( Time Out )   In this modern classic, soccer journalist Jonathan Wilson pulls apart the finer details of the world’s game, tracing the global history of tactics from modern pioneers right back to the beginning, when chaos reigned. Along the way, he examines the lives of great players and thinkers who shaped the sport and probes why the English, in particular, have proved themselves unwilling to grapple with the abstract.    Masterfully crafted and delightfully readable,  Inverting The Pyramid  cleverly analyzes the evolution of modern international football, charts how Spanish, German, and Portuguese tacticians have influenced the game, and ponders the effects of football’s increased globalization and commercialization. 

2

Zonal Marking - Michael W. Cox Cover Art

Zonal Marking

Zonal Marking From Ajax to Zidane, the Making of Modern Soccer by Michael W. Cox

An “excellent” ( New Yorker ) history of European soccer, showing how shifting styles and influence have shaped the game In the early 1990s, the Dutch footballing philosophy was worshipped across the continent. Then the baton passed to the Italians, who clearly boasted Europe's strongest league. But when France started winning everything at the international level its national academy became the template for others, until suddenly, almost out of nowhere, Europe's most revered player and manager both hailed from Portugal. Next, Barcelona and Spain won everything during a very obvious four-year period of dominance, before tiki-taka's decline meant Bayern and Germany took control. Finally, Europe's most successful coaches found themselves competing in England, introducing a brilliant cacophony of styles to the Premier League. Zonal Marking is a glorious travelogue through soccer's triumphant styles and characters.

3

Among the Thugs - Bill Buford Cover Art

Among the Thugs

Among the Thugs by Bill Buford

They have names like Barmy Bernie, Daft Donald, and Steamin' Sammy. They like lager (in huge quantities), the Queen, football clubs (especially Manchester United), and themselves. Their dislike encompasses the rest of the known universe, and England's soccer thugs express it in ways that range from mere vandalism to riots that terrorize entire cities. Now Bill Buford, editor of the prestigious journal Granta, enters this alternate society and records both its savageries and its sinister allure with the social imagination of a George Orwell and the raw personal engagement of a Hunter Thompson.

4

Soccer Rules and Positions In A Day For Dummies - Michael Lewis & United States Soccer Federation, Inc. Cover Art

Soccer Rules and Positions In A Day For Dummies

Soccer Rules and Positions In A Day For Dummies by Michael Lewis & United States Soccer Federation, Inc.

Soccer basics in a day? Easy. Do you get a kick out of soccer, but need to brush up your knowledge on the key elements of the game? Look no further! Soccer Rules & Positions In A Day For Dummies quickly brings you up to speed on one of the most popular sports in the world. From essential information on the sport to expert coverage of the game's rules, regulations, and players, this book provides invaluable insight to new and veteran fans alike. The essential information you need to understand and enjoy soccer Expert coverage of the game's rules and regulations Helpful breakdowns of soccer positions and their roles in offense and defense Online component takes readers beyond the book with bonus content and features Get set to impress your friends with your newfound knowledge in no time!

5

How to Watch Soccer - Ruud Gullit Cover Art

How to Watch Soccer

How to Watch Soccer by Ruud Gullit

An opinionated masterclass in the art and science of “reading” a match from one of professional soccer’s most respected and beloved international figures. "For Americans new to European soccer, terms like 'false striker,' 'double accordion' or 'moving trios' need Mr. Gullit’s expert explications." —Wall Street Journal   Ruud Gullit knows better than anyone else that to understand soccer you have to understand strategy. When he started playing soccer, his only “strategy” was to get the ball, outrun everyone else to the other end of the field, and score. At first it served him well, but as he advanced through the sport, he learned that it takes much more than one player's speed to make a winning team. Over the course of his career, he worked his way from the Dutch junior leagues all the way to the legendary AC Milan, eventually retiring from the field to be a trainer, then a manager, and finally a commentator. Each step came with its own lessons, and its own unique perspective on the game. Now, having looked at soccer through every lens possible, Gullit shares his own perspective.   Most spectators simply watch the ball, but in How to Watch Soccer , Gullit explains how to watch the whole game. He shows how every part of a match, from formations to corner kicks, all the way down to what the players do to influence the referees, is important. And he uses his own vast experience to illustrate each point, so his lessons are filled with anecdotes from his years on the field and insights from his observations as a manager and commentator. This exhaustive guide will change the way even the most die-hard fan watches the beautiful game.

6

The Ball is Round - David Goldblatt Cover Art

The Ball is Round

The Ball is Round A Global History of Soccer by David Goldblatt

The definitive book about soccer, from the author of The Games: A Global History of the Olympics. There may be no cultural practice more global than soccer. Rites of birth and marriage are infinitely diverse, but the rules of soccer are universal. No world religion can match its geographical scope. The single greatest simultaneous human collective experience is the World Cup final. In this extraordinary tour de force, David Goldblatt tells the full story of soccer's rise from chaotic folk ritual to the world's most popular sport-now poised to fully establish itself in the USA. Already celebrated internationally, The Ball Is Round illuminates soccer's role in the political and social histories of modern societies, but never loses sight of the beauty, joy, and excitement of the game itself.

7

Messi vs. Ronaldo - Jonathan Clegg & Joshua Robinson Cover Art

Messi vs. Ronaldo

Messi vs. Ronaldo One Rivalry, Two GOATs, and the Era That Remade the World's Game by Jonathan Clegg & Joshua Robinson

Essential World Cup Reading | Featured in The New York Times ’ ‘What to Read During the World Cup’ Wall Street Journal reporters Joshua Robinson and Jonathan Clegg offer a deeply reported account of the intertwined sagas and legacies of two of the greatest soccer players of all time—Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo—examining how their rivalry has grown from a personal competition to a multi-billion-dollar industry, paralleling the stunning rise, overwhelming excesses, and uncertain future of modern international soccer. For over fifteen years, almost any conversation about international soccer has always come back to two players—Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo—undoubtedly the greatest of their generation but with styles, attitudes, and fanbases that couldn’t be more different. For millions of people around the world "Messi or Ronaldo?" isn’t simply a barroom argument, or an affirmation of fandom, so much as a statement of philosophy, of values, of what global soccer is today and of what it will be tomorrow. Now Wall Street Journal reporters and co-authors of The Club , Joshua Robinson and Jonathan Clegg, unite the stories of Messi and Ronaldo into a single modern epic of a global sports rivalry, detailing how one rivalry changed both the game and the business of international soccer—forever. Based on dozens of firsthand accounts and years of original reporting, Messi vs. Ronaldo weaves together the stakes, color, and characters at the heart of each man’s story, going inside the locker rooms and boardrooms where their legends were forged and revealing off-field drama as gripping as anything that happened on it. From their contrasting origin stories to their divergent career arcs and their conflicting reputations, these players have built their successes on opposite paths, yet each, in his own way, offers a riveting tale of triumph and excess. Taken together, their story embodies the astronomical growth of international soccer, how social media has revolutionized the power of sports celebrity, and how the desire to capitalize on the billions of dollars these players represent electrified some of the most storied clubs in Europe—Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Manchester United among them—and cost them almost everything. With the 2022 World Cup almost certain to be the last for both of these figures, Messi vs. Ronaldo offers a deeply researched look at their legacy and grapples with the impact that their talents have had on the game for better and for worse. Much more than a retelling of the dual accomplishments of these great players, this definitive soccer biography is truly a biography of a rivalry, one that has become a crucial lens for understanding the past, present, and future of global soccer. This definitive account of the modern game’s biggest sports rivalry explores: The GOAT Debate: Go beyond the barroom argument to see how the nonstop comparison between Messi and Ronaldo fueled their ambition, defined their legacies, and changed the conversation around international soccer. The Business of Soccer: A deeply reported look at how two players became a multi-billion-dollar industry, revolutionizing sports celebrity, and pushing storied clubs like Barcelona and Real Madrid to the brink. Locker Rooms and Boardrooms: Based on years of original reporting, this book takes you inside the closed-door meetings and training ground clashes where their legends were forged. A Rivalry That Defined an Era: Uniting their contrasting origin stories and divergent careers, this is the complete biography of a rivalry that captured the world’s attention and transformed the global game forever.

8

Relegated - Todd Smith Cover Art

Relegated

Relegated One American's Pints-and-Pies Journey from the Top to the Bottom of English Football by Todd Smith

For fans of Ted Lasso and Welcome to Wrexham , this rollicking travel memoir by a middle-aged Midwesterner is a hilarious and heartfelt journey through the United Kingdom, its football clubs, and the rich traditions of English football culture. Relegation, the devastating consequence English football teams face when they underperform, is something Todd Smith kept seeing in his own life. He grew up surrounded by soccer: his father was the head athletic trainer for the Minnesota Kicks of the 70s-era North American Soccer League, and Todd played into college. But while his family life was happy after that, his professional life didn’t go the way of his dreams. He spent two decades working tirelessly in blue-collar jobs while trying to break through as a writer. He often felt discouraged, like he’d never really made it, like he himself had been demoted to a lower league. In Relegated , Todd embarks on a trip of personal and professional discovery. Looking for a change and a chance to write about something that really matters to him, he takes off for a multi-month, immersive expedition through the world and culture of English football. He visits not only the best clubs but also the most out of the way and forgotten ones. In these places, like the Old Spotted Dog Ground in East London, the port town of Grimsby (once voted the worst city in England), and Arbroath on the north coast of Scotland, he begins to understand what it means to be a “true” supporter of this historic and cherished game. He meets pub owners, groundskeepers, fan club organizers, and professional and amateur players who show him a deeper love of the sport. He learns how communities rally around a club, how much joy and suffering they can take, and how football clubs—even the lesser-known ones—can bond people together in memories that last a lifetime. A heartwarming account featuring pints, meat pies, a rainbow of team scarves and banners, and some very colorful slang, Relegated is the story of a man looking to transform himself while discovering the true meaning of English football.

9

Messi - Guillem Balagué Cover Art

Messi

Messi The must-read biography of the World Cup champion, now fully updated by Guillem Balagué

'I have seen the player who will inherit my place in Argentine football and his name is Messi' Diego Maradona FULLY UPDATED TO INCLUDE THE 2022 WORLD CUP TRIUMPH & MESSI'S TRANSFER TO INTER MIAMI As Lionel Messi raised the World Cup triumphantly into the air, the world watched on in awe. Messi's final peak conquered; his final dream achieved. It was the fairy tale ending to a glittering career. Yet despite delivering Argentina their third World Cup, Messi's time at Paris Saint-Germain came to a dramatic conclusion, and Miami awaited the Argentinian legend. Guillem Balagué has had unprecedented access to Messi's inner circle including the player himself: his coaches, team-mates and family. From tracing the origins of Messi's precocious talent in Rosario, Argentina, to chronicling his peerless seventeen-season career at Barcelona, and his tumultuous Parisian adventure, Guillem takes us behind-the-scenes of Messi's World Cup triumph and his long-desired move to the MLS. This is an epic, authoritative and compelling account of an enigmatic footballing genius. 'I can tell my grandkids one day that I coached Lionel Messi' Pep Guardiola

10

The Power and the Glory - Jonathan Wilson Cover Art

The Power and the Glory

The Power and the Glory The History of the World Cup by Jonathan Wilson

A definitive new history of the world’s most watched sporting event—just in time for the 2026 tournament​   "Wilson is the game’s pre-eminent popular historian."— Observer (UK) An Irish Times Best Sports Book of the Year Since 1930, the World Cup has become a truly global obsession. It is the most watched sporting event on the planet, and 211 teams competed to make it into the 2022 tournament. From its inception, it has also been a vehicle for far more than soccer. A tool for self-mythologizing and influence-peddling, The World Cup has played a crucial role in nation-building, and continues to, as countries negotiate their positions in a globalized world.    The Power and the Glory is a comprehensive history of the matches and goals, the tales of scandal and triumph, the haggling and skulduggery of the bidding process, and the political and cultural tides behind every tournament. Jonathan Wilson details not merely what happened but why, based on fresh interviews and meticulous research. The book is as much about the legends of the sport, from Pelé to Messi, as it is about the nations that made them, from Mussolini’s Italy to partitioned Germany to controversy-ridden Qatar.    Brimming with politics, heart, and drama, on and off the pitch, The Power and the Glory is the definitive story of the greatest cultural event of our time.

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Why Soccer Matters - Pelé & Brian Winter Cover Art

Why Soccer Matters

Why Soccer Matters A Look at More Than Sixty Years of International Soccer by Pelé & Brian Winter

Pelé—legendary footballer and humanitarian—explores the sport’s recent history and shares his most inspiring experiences, heartwarming stories, and hard-won wisdom. “I know in my heart that soccer was good to me, and great to the world....I saw, time and again, how the sport improved countless millions of lives, both on and off the field. For me, at least, that’s why soccer matters.” The world’s most popular sport goes by many names—soccer, football, the beautiful game—but fans have always agreed on one thing: The greatest player of all time was Pelé. Before Messi, before Ronaldo, before Beckham, Pelé had a stunning twenty-year career, where he was heralded as an international treasure. His accomplishments on the field proved to be pure magic: an unprecedented three World Cup championships and the all-time scoring record, with 1,283 goals. Since retiring, he has traveled the world as soccer’s global ambassador, relentlessly promoting the positive ways soccer can transform young men and women, struggling communities, even entire nations. This is Pelé’s legacy, his way of passing on everything he’s learned and inspiring a new generation. In Why Soccer Matters , Pelé details his ambitious goals for the future of the sport and, by extension, the world.

12

Beckham - David Beckham & Tom Watt Cover Art

Beckham

Beckham Both Feet on the Ground: An Autobiography by David Beckham & Tom Watt

Perfect for fans of the hit Netflix docuseries, Beckham. The autobiography of arguably the world’s most celebrated sports icon, David Beckham—a classic rags to riches saga of a boy, born into a poor East End London family, with prodigious talent and a father who believed in him and supported him until he became the most gifted athlete of his generation and his nation’s captain. In his own words, Beckham talks about the pressures of celebrity, his controversial and celebrated career, his marriage to Victoria Beckham and family, and, of course, life as the world’s best-known soccer player. In Beckham, the ordinary guy who fate decided would be lifted to glory tells the story of how it all happened. How does a boy from the East End become a global icon, England captain, and half of the world’s most famous celebrity couple? The Class of ’92: The inside story of his legendary journey at Manchester United under the guidance of iconic manager Sir Alex Ferguson. Captain of England: The pride and pressure of leading his nation on the world's biggest stage, from the heartbreak of the 1998 World Cup to glory. Posh and Becks: A candid look at his marriage to Victoria Beckham, life in the celebrity spotlight, and his devotion to his family. Transfer to Real Madrid: The stunning, behind-the-scenes story of his controversial departure from the club he loved and the next chapter of his celebrated career. Both Feet on the Ground: The real story from the man himself—a tale of hard work, loyalty, and the unshakable belief that took a boy from East London to global stardom.

13

Soccer Against the Enemy - Simon Kuper Cover Art

Soccer Against the Enemy

Soccer Against the Enemy How the World's Most Popular Sport Starts and Fuels Revolutions and Keeps Dictators in Power by Simon Kuper

Soccer is much more than just the most popular game in the world. It is a matter of life and death for millions around the world, an international lingua franca. Simon Kuper traveled to twenty-two countries to discover the sometimes bizarre effect soccer can have on politics and culture. At the same time he tried to discover what makes different countries play a simple game so differently. Kuper meets a remarkable variety of fans along the way, from the East Berliner persecuted by the Stasi for supporting his local team, to the Argentine general with his own views on tactics. He also illuminates the frightening intersection between soccer and politics, particularly in the wake of the attacks of 9-11, where soccer is obsessed over by the likes of Osama bin Laden. The result is one of the world's most acclaimed books on the game, and an astonishing study of soccer and its place in the world.

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Soccer For Dummies - Tom Dunmore & Scott Murray Cover Art

Soccer For Dummies

Soccer For Dummies by Tom Dunmore & Scott Murray

Flick, fake, and dribble your way to soccer mastery Prepare for the World Cup or learn the rules for your own indoor or outdoor league, with  Soccer For Dummies . We cover the world’s most popular sport from one end of the field to the other, starting with the history of soccer and the basics of the game. Discover the positions on the field, the best tactics for winning, and the skills the players (including you!) need in order to dominate. This update to the comprehensive guide introduces you to all the soccer greats and up-and-comers whose moves you’ll want to know. You'll find extensive coverage of women's soccer, including women’s world cup, the NWSL, Women’s Super League, and the UEFA Women’s Championship, and get descriptions of various leagues around the globe, and the lowdown on where you can find soccer games and resources, online and elsewhere. Learn how soccer got to be the #1 most popular sport in the world Get up to speed on the world’s best leagues, teams, and players, so you can follow and enjoy the World Cup Discover tips on playing and coaching, plus fun soccer facts and resources for learning more Become the ultimate soccer fan with your newfound knowledge of the game Soccer For Dummies is for anyone who wants to learn more about soccer, the rules, how the game is played, how professional leagues operate around the world, and how to follow them.

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Club Soccer 101 - Luke Dempsey Cover Art

Club Soccer 101

Club Soccer 101 The Essential Guide to the Stars, Stats, and Stories of 101 of the Greatest Teams in the World by Luke Dempsey

Everything any fan needs to know. Club Soccer 101 is the essential guide to 101 of the most storied soccer clubs in the world. The book covers the history of European powerhouses like Arsenal, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain, and Real Madrid; historic South American clubs like Boca Juniors, Corinthians, Peñarol, and Santos; and rising clubs from Africa, Asia, and America, including such leading MLS clubs as LA Galaxy, New York Red Bulls, and Seattle Sounders. Writing with the passion and panache of a deeply knowledgeable and opinionated fan, Luke Dempsey explains what makes each club distinctive: their origins, fans, and style of play; their greatest (and most heartbreaking) seasons and historic victories and defeats; and their most famous players—from Pelé, Eusébio, and Maradona to Lionel Messi, Wayne Rooney, and Ronaldo. With club soccer exploding in popularity, Club Soccer 101 provides everything any fan needs to know.

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What Happened to the USMNT - Steven G. Mandis & Sarah Parsons Wolter Cover Art

What Happened to the USMNT

What Happened to the USMNT The Ugly Truth About the Beautiful Game by Steven G. Mandis & Sarah Parsons Wolter

An important read for those passionate about not only U.S. Soccer but fascinated by player development. This in-depth look uses unprecedented access and original data and analysis for the U.S. and other countries. Prior to the 2002 FIFA World Cup, the U.S. Men's National Soccer Team had won just four World Cup matches in 72 years. While the American women's team has made World Cup victories a regular expectation, the men failed to even qualify for the 2018 tournament.  In What Happened to the USMNT  Columbia Business School adjunct professor and acclaimed author of The Real Madrid Way Steven Mandis turns his lens inward to examine what it will take for the U.S. men to achieve lasting success on the international stage. This meticulously researched, probing investigation challenges conventional wisdom and speaks to the importance of familiarity and authenticity to cultivate an organizational identity.   If the Italians have their cantenaccio, the Spanish their tiki-taka, the Dutch their "total football," and the Brazilians their ginga, Mandis argues that cultivating a unique "American way" of soccer (coined the "Spirit of 1776") is not only possible but absolutely essential.  Finally, a source of reference that goes beyond recounting history without context or repeating opinions without facts or analysis.

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The Best Football Academies (All In One Place) - Enlightened Law Courses Cover Art

The Best Football Academies (All In One Place)

The Best Football Academies (All In One Place) by Enlightened Law Courses

Do you , or anyone you know , dream of becoming a professional football ( soccer ) player ? Joining an academy is probably the best route for a player to choose to become a professional player in modern times (Paul Merson – Former Arsenal player). The book The Best Football Academies (All In One Place) includes over 100 football (soccer) academies located in different parts of the world. WHAT'S INCLUDED The book includes: The Top 25 academies (based on # of players recruited vs. # of players produced that sign a contract with a professional club) ; Over 100 academies located in Europe, Asia, Africa, The Caribbean, and North and South America; Academy programmes providing an opportunity of signing a professional contract; Contact details (websites, telephone numbers, email addresses, academy managers, scouting staff, etc.); Locations and physical addresses; and Additional information (i.e. training programme details, application / registration dates / procedures, and academy staff comments, where applicable). ABOUT AUTHOR / CONTRIBUTOR This book was written in response to a large volume of questions received by our Soccer Agent Course Instructor; who has tutored people around the world and taught them about the laws and rules that apply to the work of agents. The instructor obtained an LLB (Hons) degree and completed Bar training. The author also worked for a couple of law firms and as a Legal Researcher and Writer for a number of years.  WHO IS THE BOOK DESIGNED FOR? The book is designed for players, parents of young players, relatives / friends of a player, club coaches / officials, or anyone else who is helping a player develop his / her playing career to realise a dream of becoming a professional player. THE BENEFITS OF BUYING THE BOOK It has been estimated that less than 1% of players playing organised football sign a contract with an English premier league club (English FA (Richard Allen), 'Football Talent Spotting: Are Clubs Getting It Wrong With Kids?', (2015)).   While this statistic only relates to the English Premier League, it is clear that competition to become a professional footballer is very high. Therefore, leaving the decision about which academy to join to chance, or making a decision about an academy without at least carrying out research does not make sense to me. Would you agree?   The best approach is to compare the academies available before deciding which academy to join. The academies available vary considerably in terms of the standard of training, support & facilities provided to a player, and more importantly the opportunities available to the player to progress his / her career upon completing an academy programme. WHAT YOU GET Grab a copy of this book if you want to compare the different academies to decide what type of academy would provide a player with the best prospect of fulfilling a career ambition of becoming a professional player.  

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Soccernomics (2026 World Cup Edition) - Simon Kuper & Stefan Szymanski Cover Art

Soccernomics (2026 World Cup Edition)

Soccernomics (2026 World Cup Edition) Why European Men and American Women Usually Win—and American Men Don’t (Yet) by Simon Kuper & Stefan Szymanski

Updated 2026 World Cup Edition In this modern classic, a leading sportswriter and an acclaimed sports economist apply high-powered analytical tools to everyday soccer topics.  “ Soccernomics is the most intelligent book ever written about soccer.” ― San Francisco Chronicle  Why do clubs almost always lose money—and does it mean some will disappear? Why doesn’t America dominate the sport internationally? Do coaches actually even matter? These are the questions that most consume soccer fans—and Soccernomics holds the answers.    Soccernomics is a revolutionary way of looking at soccer that has helped to change how some of the world’s biggest clubs are run. Using insights and analogies from economics, statistics, psychology, and business to cast a new and entertaining light on how the game works, experts Simon Kuper and Stefan Szymanski reveal the often surprisingly counterintuitive truths about soccer.    This 2026 World Cup edition is updated throughout, including a brand-new chapter discussing MLS, Messi joining Inter Miami, and the rise of soccer in the United States. Soccernomics remains essential reading for anyone in search of a strategic, systematic perspective on the game.

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The Ugly Game - Heidi Blake & Jonathan Calvert Cover Art

The Ugly Game

The Ugly Game The Corruption of FIFA and the Qatari Plot to Buy the World Cup by Heidi Blake & Jonathan Calvert

“The book that reminds you exactly what’s wrong with FIFA” ( Esquire UK ): This meticulously reported account by two award-winning, investigative journalists at Britain’s The Sunday Times explains how the 2022 World Cup was secured for Qatar—a key element in the ongoing, international FIFA controversy. When the tiny desert state of Qatar won the rights to host the 2022 World Cup, the news was greeted with shock and disbelief. How had a country with almost no soccer infrastructure or tradition, a high terror risk, and searing summer temperatures, beaten more established countries with stronger bids? The story behind the Qatari success soon developed into a global news sensation. In 2014 The Sunday Times Insight team in the UK spilled the secrets of a bombshell cache of hundreds of millions of secret documents, which were leaked by a whistleblower. In forensic detail, they reported how Mohamed Bin Hammam, Qatar’s top soccer official, used his position to help secure the votes that Qatar needed to win the bid. The investigative team spent three months painstakingly piecing together Bin Hammam’s activities and reporting on cash handouts, lavish junkets, and evidence of payments to soccer officials around the world. Now in this remarkable book by The Sunday Times journalists at the center of the investigation, Heidi Blake and Jonathan Calvert, comes a comprehensive account of what happened and who was involved. A bestseller in the UK, The Ugly Game is undoubtedly the biggest sporting story of recent times.

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The Soccer 100 - The Athletic, Oliver Kay & James Horncastle Cover Art

The Soccer 100

The Soccer 100 by The Athletic, Oliver Kay & James Horncastle

A celebration of the beautiful game and its 100 greatest players, from the pre–World War II exploits of Dixie Dean to the modern-day genius of Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi These players left legacies, redefined the game with trademark skills, and grew into national icons. They have their stats—the goals, the wins, the trophies—but, more importantly, they have their stories. One World Cup winner owned a nightclub that briefly transformed a corner of industrial Germany into one of the hippest places around. An Austrian forward’s death is still shrouded in mystery. A striker who might have become a telephone technician had he not been spotted playing soccer was eventually elected president of his country. And there are unanswered questions. How did Pelé’s Brazil shirt from the 1958 World Cup quarterfinal go missing in a Welsh school? Which goalkeeper was so good that one opponent considered scoring against him akin to “winning a trophy”? Through extensive research and interviews, The Athletic soccer staff, led by Oliver Kay and James Horncastle, discovered angles and tales that shine a new light on the sport’s most compelling characters. They faced an impossible riddle, too: Of the thousands of players to hit the pitch, who is the best? Their efforts to find the answer took the foremost sports newsroom on a journey, and what emerges is more than a ranking. Through all-new, vivid portraits of each athlete, The Soccer 100 is a tribute to the greatest players to have ever graced the most popular sport on the planet.

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More Than A Shirt - Joey D'Urso Cover Art

More Than A Shirt

More Than A Shirt How Football Shirts Explain Global Politics, Money and Power by Joey D'Urso

SHORTLISTED FOR THE BEST SPORTS WRITING OF THE YEAR AWARD LONGLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD A GUARDIAN SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR A WATERSTONES SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR 'A marvellous football book, although it is much more than that' The Times ' More Than A Shirt shows why geopolitics keeps invading the pitch' The Economist 'D'Urso's simple conceit offers a sparklingly fresh snapshot' The Guardian Compelling and eye-opening, More Than A Shirt   will change the way you think about the beautiful game's most universal symbol. Football shirts are the sport's greatest means of cultural expression, but a seemingly innocuous combination of colours, sponsor logos and materials can all reflect the social values, financial struggles and political ideologies of the day, as geopolitical issues increasingly seep into every aspect of the game. Investigative journalist Joey D'Urso has travelled across the globe, combining on-the-ground reporting with unparalleled analysis to collate a list of the twenty-two football shirts that best explain the modern world.  More Than A Shirt  will take fans on a journey from Birmingham to Belgrade and onto Medellin and Mumbai, outlining how we can see the war in Ukraine in the shirt of Schalke in Germany, China's foreign policy in West Bromwich Albion's and why the French national kit embodies worldwide migration patterns.

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Perfect Pitch - Nate Bukaty & Rustin Dodd Cover Art

Perfect Pitch

Perfect Pitch How Kansas City Became the Heart of American Soccer and Landed the World Cup by Nate Bukaty & Rustin Dodd

When the World Cup comes to the United States in the summer of 2026, it will be the first time the tournament has been played in America in 32 years. It will also be the first time the tournament is held in Kansas City, Missouri, For Kansas City, it will be one of the biggest moments in the city's history. It will also be the culmination of a decades-long story: How Kansas City, an overlooked city in the Midwest, became the heart of American soccer. In Perfect Pitch, Nate Bukaty and Rustin Dodd chronicle this surprising and delightful evolution, tracing the history of soccer in Kansas City and how that history laid the foundation for a group of local sports executives, city officials, politicians, and rabid fans to lead an improbable bid to host the World Cup. A true underdog tale, Kansas City's emergence as a soccer capital is symbolic of the larger national story of how America grew from a soccer-skeptical nation to a country with its own unique and vibrant footballing culture. Featuring exclusive behind-the-scenes access to key figures who spurred this soccer renaissance, Perfect Pitch is a heartwarming romp for fans of the beautiful game.

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The Girls of Summer - Jere Longman Cover Art

The Girls of Summer

The Girls of Summer The U.S. Women's Soccer Team and How It Changed the World by Jere Longman

Now with a new afterword, The Girls of Summer , by the award- winning New York Times sportswriter Jere Longman, takes a serious, compelling look at the women who won the 1999 World Cup and brings to life the skills and victories of the American team. Longman explores the issues this unprecedented achievement has raised: the importance of the players as role models; the significance of race and class; the sexualization of the team members; and the differences between men and women's sports. Provocative and insightful, this book reminds us that the real struggles are off the field -- and some remain to be won.

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Rise of the Villans - Guillem Balagué & Mervyn King Cover Art

Rise of the Villans

Rise of the Villans Inside Unai Emery's Aston Villa Revolution by Guillem Balagué & Mervyn King

SHORTLISTED FOR FOOTBALL BOOK OF THE YEAR AT THE 2026 SPORTS BOOK AWARDS 'BRILLIANT, REVEALS DELIGHTFUL DETAILS ABOUT EMERY' The Times 'A BACKSTAGE PASS TO THE MAKING OF A MODERN FOOTBALL IDENTITY' Midlands Gazette Featuring exclusive interviews with Unai Emery, Monchi, Morgan Rogers and more, this is t he behind-the-scenes account of Unai Emery's Aston Villa revolution, from the award-winning bestseller Guillem Balagué. In October 2022, Unai Emery was appointed manager of Aston Villa. Despite being one of England's most historic clubs, Emery was taking charge of a team in turmoil and hovering above the relegation zone in the Premier League. But in his very first match, Villa produced a statement victory, deftly beating Manchester United 3-1 at Villa Park. It was a sign of things to come; in his first full season in charge, Emery would lead the club to a top four finish - qualifying for the Champions League for the first time in over four decades. Guillem Balagué has had unparalleled access to Unai Emery, his backroom staff and the Villa squad ever since the Spaniard was appointed manager in 2022. From growing up in the Basque region to becoming one of the most exciting coaches today, Rise of the Villans reveals the inner workings of Emery's psyche. Guillem takes readers inside Bodymoor Heath to show how Unai has transformed Villa into an exciting side renowned for their direct passing, high energy and devastating counter attacks. At the core of the book are Villa's passionate fans, who outline why they believe club and manager are the perfect match. With the Holte End roaring into life as Villa Park welcomed the return of European football's most prestigious club competition, it was clear for all to see: Unai Emery had awoken the sleeping giant.

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The Long Game - Leander Schaerlaeckens Cover Art

The Long Game

The Long Game U.S. Men's Soccer and Its Savage, Four-Decade Journey to the Top, or Thereabouts by Leander Schaerlaeckens

“Engrossing, insightful . . . [ The Long Game ] pulls no punches when describing the critiques and failures of the U.S. soccer system over the past few decades.” —Miguel Salazar, The New York Times Book Review The gripping account of the U.S. men’s national soccer team’s winding saga from obscurity to the global stage as they stand on the brink of a seminal World Cup in 2026 For almost half a century, the U.S. men’s national team existed on the fringes of world soccer—out of sight, out of mind, and, more often than not, out of the World Cup. Between 1950 and 1990, the program toiled in irrelevance, a collection of part-timers playing before empty bleachers. Then, things began to shift, and today’s U.S. men’s team is loaded with young and pedigreed talent, expected to make its mark at the 2026 World Cup. The story of this team’s rise to prominence is a dramatic journey, with setbacks, buffoonery, misunderstandings, glory, and a wide, eccentric, talented cast of characters. With unprecedented access to former and current national team players, coaches, and administrators, Schaerlaeckens traces the sport’s evolution in the U.S.—from its outsider status to its modern foothold—and the challenges that have shaped the men’s national team along the way. From systemic obstacles in youth development to an American sports culture that expects instant dominance, he explores why success has been elusive, and why that might finally be changing.  With insight, wit, and razor-sharp storytelling, The Long Game is an unforgettable look at the past, present, and uncertain future of American soccer— and the team that could redefine it all.

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Messi - Luca Caioli Cover Art

Messi

Messi The Inside Story of the Boy Who Became a Legend by Luca Caioli

Nominated by Maradona as successor to his No. 10 Argentina shirt, he is already set for football divinity.  Luca Caioli draws on numerous exclusive testimonies to tell Messi's story: his parents and extended family; his coaches at Grandoli and Newell's Old Boys; Rjikaard and Zambrotta from Barcelona; Jorge Valdano and many others from Argentina, Manchester City's Pablo Zabaleta and ex-Chelsea defender Asier del Horno.  In the final chapter Messi himself sizes up his life so far. Messi is a brilliant, insightful and revealing portrait of football's most exciting player and a must-read for all true fans of the game.

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Fear and Loathing in La Liga - Sid Lowe Cover Art

Fear and Loathing in La Liga

Fear and Loathing in La Liga Barcelona, Real Madrid, and the World's Greatest Sports Rivalry by Sid Lowe

Fear and Loathing in La Liga is the definitive history of the greatest rivalry in world sport: FC Barcelona vs. Real Madrid. It's Messi vs. Ronaldo, Guardiola vs. Mourinho, the nation against the state, freedom fighters vs. Franco's fascists, plus majestic goals and mesmerizing skills. It's the best two teams on the planet going head-to-head. It's more than a game. It's a war. It's El Cláco. Only, it's not quite that simple. Spanish soccer expert and historian Sid Lowe covers 100 years of rivalry, athletic beauty, and excellence. Fear and Loathing in La Liga is a nuanced, revisionist, and brilliantly informed history that goes beyond sport. Lowe weaves together this story of the rivalry with the history and culture of Spain, emphasizing that it is "never about just the soccer." With exclusive testimonies and astonishing anecdotes, he takes us inside this epic battle, including the wounds left by the Civil War, Madrid's golden age in the fifties when they won five European cups, Johan Cruyff's Barcelona Dream Team, the doomed Galáico experiment, and LuíFigo's "betrayal." By exploring the history, politics, culture, economics, and language -- while never forgetting the drama on the field -- Lowe demonstrates the relationship between these two soccer giants and reveals the true story behind their explosive rivalry.

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Solo - Hope Solo Cover Art

Solo

Solo A Memoir of Hope by Hope Solo

The Glass Castle meets A League of Their Own in Solo, a candid and moving memoir about family, loss, and reconciliation from Hope Solo, the supremely talented, headline-making goalkeeper for the U.S. women’s national soccer team. During the 2011 Women’s World Cup, Solo became an idol, role model, and sex symbol to a new generation of young American sports enthusiasts, inspiring the kind of intense devotion not seen since the days of Mia Hamm. An Olympic gold medalist and arguably America’s sexiest athlete, Hope has been featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated (twice), in ESPN: The Magazine, and as a contestant on the hit ABC television show Dancing with the Stars, and her poignant, compelling, and profoundly inspiring personal history will score big with her legion of fans.

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Solo - Hope Solo Cover Art

Solo

Solo A Memoir of Hope by Hope Solo

"My family doesn't do happy endings. We do sad endings or frustrating endings or no endings at all. We are hardwired to expect the next interruption or disappearance or broken promise." Hope Solo is the face of the modern female athlete. She is fearless, outspoken, and the best in the world at what she does: protecting the goal of the U.S. women's soccer team. Her outsized talent has led her to the pinnacle of her sport—the Olympics and the World Cup—and made her into an international celebrity who is just as likely to appear on ABC's Dancing with the Stars as she is on the covers of Sports Illustrated, ESPN The Magazine, and Vogue. But her journey—which began in Richland, Washington, where she was raised by her strong-willed mother on the scorched earth of defunct nuclear testing sites—is similarly haunted by the fallout of her family history. Her father, a philanderer and con man, was convicted of embezzlement when Solo was an infant. She lost touch with him as he drifted out of prison and into homelessness. By the time they reunited, years later, in the parking lot of a grocery store, she was an All-American goalkeeper at the University of Washington and already a budding prospect for the U.S. national team. He was living in the woods. Despite harboring serious doubts even about the provenance of her father's last name (and her own), Solo embraces him as fiercely as she pursues her dreams of being a world-class soccer player. When those dreams are threatened by her standing within the national team, as when she was famously benched in the semifinals of the 2007 World Cup after four shutouts and spoke her piece publicly, we see a woman of uncompromising independence and hard-won perseverance navigate the petty backlash against her. For the first time, she tells her version of that controversial episode, and offers with it a full understanding of her hard-scrabble life. Moving, sometimes shocking, Solo is a portrait of an athlete finding redemption. This is the Hope Solo whom few have ever glimpsed. Signed poster inside.

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The Keeper - Tim Howard Cover Art

The Keeper

The Keeper A Life of Saving Goals and Achieving Them by Tim Howard

In this inspiring, down-to-earth memoir the revered goalkeeper and American icon  idolized by millions worldwide for his dependability, daring, and humility recounts his rise to stardom at the 2014 World Cup, the psychological and professional challenges he has faced, and the enduring faith that has sustained him. In The Keeper, the man who electrified the world with his amazing performance in Brazil does something he would never do on a soccer field: he drops his guard. As fiercely protective about his privacy as he is guarding the goal on the field, Howard opens up for the first time about how a hyperactive kid from New Jersey with Tourette’s syndrome defied the odds to become one of the world’s premier goalkeepers. The Keeper recalls his childhood, being raised by a single mother who instilled in him a love of sports and a devout Christian faith that helped him cope when he was diagnosed with Tourette’s in the fifth grade. He looks back over his fifteen-year professional career—from becoming the youngest player to win MLS Goalkeeper of the Year to his storied move to the English Premier League with Manchester United and his current team, Liverpool’s Everton, to becoming an overnight star after his record-making performance with the United States Men’s National Team. He also talks about the things closest to his heart—the importance of family and the Christian beliefs that guide him. Told in his thoughtful and articulate voice, The Keeper is an illuminating look at a remarkable man who is an inspirational role model for all of us. The Keeper is illustrated with two 8-page color photo inserts. Go behind the scenes of a legendary career and discover the faith that fueled it: A Story of Overcoming Adversity: Howard’s unfiltered account of growing up with Tourette’s Syndrome and OCD, and how he turned his challenges into strengths on the world stage. The 2014 World Cup: A thrilling, firsthand look at his record-breaking 15-save performance against Belgium that turned him into an American icon overnight. Life in the Premier League: Candid stories from his time with two of the world’s biggest clubs, Manchester United and Everton, from locker room tensions to championship glory. Unshakable Christian Faith: An honest reflection on how his devout faith has been his anchor through professional pressure, personal struggles, and the highs and lows of a life in the spotlight.

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Coming Out to Play - Robbie Rogers & Eric Marcus Cover Art

Coming Out to Play

Coming Out to Play by Robbie Rogers & Eric Marcus

A history making memoir of the first openly gay professional athlete in North America, now the producer of Fellow Travelers and My Policeman “Rogers made history.” — Sports Illustrated Robbie Rogers knows better than most that keeping secrets can crush you. But for much of his life Robbie lived in paralyzing fear that sharing his big secret would cost him the love of his family and his career as a professional soccer player. So he never told anyone what was destroying his soul, both on and off the field. While the world around Robbie was changing with breathtaking speed, he knew that for a gay man playing a professional team sport it might as well be 1958. He could be a professional soccer player.  Or he could be an out gay man. He couldn’t do both.  Then at the age of twenty-five and after nearly stepping away from a brilliant career—one that included an NCAA Championship, winning the MLS Cup, and competing in the Olympics—he chose to tell the truth. But instead of facing the rejection he feared, he was embraced—by his family, by his teammates, and his fans.  In Coming Out to Play, Robbie takes readers on his incredible journey from terrified teenager to a trailblazing out and proud professional soccer player for the L.A. Galaxy, who has embraced his new identity as a role model and champion for those still struggling with the secrets that keep them from living their dreams.

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The Numbers Game - Chris Anderson & David Sally Cover Art

The Numbers Game

The Numbers Game Why Everything You Know About Soccer Is Wrong by Chris Anderson & David Sally

Moneyball meets Freakonomics in this myth-busting guide to understanding—and winning—the most popular sport on the planet. Innovation is coming to soccer, and at the center of it all are the numbers—a way of thinking about the game that ignores the obvious in favor of how things actually are. In The Numbers Game , Chris Anderson, a former professional goalkeeper turned soccer statistics guru, teams up with behavioral analyst David Sally to uncover the numbers that really matter when it comes to predicting a winner. Investigating basic but profound questions—How valuable are corners? Which goal matters most? Is possession really nine-tenths of the law? How should a player’s value be judged?—they deliver an incisive, revolutionary new way of watching and understanding soccer.

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So Paddy Got Up - Andrew Mangan, Amy Lawrence, Philippe Auclair, Paolo Bandini, Michael Cox, Nigel Brown, James McNicholas, Leanne Hurley, Tom Clark, Tim Clark, Jim Haryott, Stuart Stratford, Sian Ranscombe, Andrew Allen, Jake Morris, Julian Harris, Kieron O'Connor, Tim Stillman, Tim Bostelle, Tim Payton, Chris Harris, Nick Ames, Tim Barkwill, John Cross, Jonathan Swan & David Faber Cover Art

So Paddy Got Up

So Paddy Got Up An Arsenal Anthology by Andrew Mangan, Amy Lawrence, Philippe Auclair, Paolo Bandini, Michael Cox, Nigel Brown, James McNicholas, Leanne Hurley, Tom Clark, Tim Clark, Jim Haryott, Stuart Stratford, Sian Ranscombe, Andrew Allen, Jake Morris, Julian Harris, Kieron O'Connor, Tim Stillman, Tim Bostelle, Tim Payton, Chris Harris, Nick Ames, Tim Barkwill, John Cross, Jonathan Swan & David Faber

So Paddy Got Up is a unique collection of writing about Arsenal Football Club. Edited by Andrew Mangan, founder of Arseblog, it features bloggers, writers and journalists reminiscing, eulogising, analysing and waxing lyrical about everything from the club’s humble origins to where it finds itself now, from great players to great managers, from tactics to fans to stadia to kits, amongst many other things. It’s by far the greatest Arsenal anthology the world has ever seen.

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The Club - Joshua Robinson & Jonathan Clegg Cover Art

The Club

The Club How the English Premier League Became the Wildest, Richest, Most Disruptive Force in Sports by Joshua Robinson & Jonathan Clegg

The Club is the inside story of how English soccer’s Premier League became the wildest, richest, most popular sports product on the planet, "a narrative that is part Great Expectations, part Game of Thrones, in equal measure." (Roger Bennett, NBC Sports, Men in Blazers)   This is a sports and business tale of how money, ambition, and twenty-five years of drama remade an ancient institution into a twenty-first-century entertainment empire. No one knew it when their experiment began, but without any particular genius or acumen, the motley cast of billionaires and hucksters behind the modern Premier League struck gold. Pretty soon, everyone wanted to try their luck, from Russian oligarchs to Emirati sheikhs, American tycoons, and Asian Tiger titans. Some succeeded beyond their wildest dreams. Some lost everything. Today, players are sold for tens of millions, clubs are valued in the billions, and games are beamed out to nearly two hundred countries, all while the league struggles to preserve its English soul. Deeply researched and drawing on one hundred exclusive interviews, including the key decision makers at every major English team, The Club is the definitive and wildly entertaining narrative of how the Premier League took over the world.

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Red Card - Ken Bensinger Cover Art

Red Card

Red Card How the U.S. Blew the Whistle on the World's Biggest Sports Scandal by Ken Bensinger

The definitive, shocking account of the FIFA scandal—the biggest corruption case of recent years—involving dozens of countries and implicating nearly every aspect of the world’s most popular sport, soccer, including the World Cup is “an engrossing and jaw-dropping tale of international intrigue…A riveting book” ( The New York Times ). The FIFA case began small, boosted by an IRS agent’s review of an American soccer official’s tax returns. But that humble investigation eventually led to a huge worldwide corruption scandal that crossed continents and reached the highest levels of the soccer’s world governing body in Switzerland. “The meeting of American investigative reporting and real-life cop show” ( The Financial Times ), Ken Bensinger’s Red Card explores the case, and the personalities behind it, in vivid detail. There’s Chuck Blazer, a high-living soccer dad who ascended to the highest ranks of the sport while creaming millions from its coffers; Jack Warner, a Trinidadian soccer official whose lust for power was matched only by his boundless greed; and the sport’s most powerful man, FIFA president Sepp Blatter, who held on to his position at any cost even as soccer rotted from the inside out. Remarkably, this corruption existed for decades before American law enforcement officials began to secretly dig, finally revealing that nearly every aspect of the planet’s favorite sport was corrupted by bribes, kickbacks, fraud, and money laundering. Not even the World Cup, the most-watched sporting event in history, was safe from the thick web of corruption, as powerful FIFA officials extracted their bribes at every turn. “A gripping white-collar crime thriller that, in its scope and human drama, ranks with some of the best investigative business books of the past thirty years” ( The Wall Street Journal ), Red Card goes beyond the headlines to bring the real story to light.

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Lionel Messi - Belmont & Belcourt Biographies Cover Art

Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi An Unauthorized Biography by Belmont & Belcourt Biographies

Lionel Messi is one of the greatest soccer players of his generation. In fact, although still so young, he has been dubbed by many fellow professionals as "The Best Player to Ever Grace the Sport." Most fans are aware of his successes on the field, but in order to truly understand Lionel Messi, you must first understand where he came from. Lionel Messi: An Unauthorized Biography explores Messi's upbringing and details his breakthrough onto the world stage, all the way through his 2012 loss to Real Madrid. Messi's exceptional talents have fans and critics alike wondering where his career will take him next. Inside, you will discover where it all started and learn why so many fans love Messi so much. From family to soccer to the future, all you need to know about Lionel Messi is right here, right now, in the most up to date coverage of Lionel Messi's life. This book also includes all of Lionel Messi’s statistics.

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KISS: Keep it Simple Soccer: How to coach youth soccer - John Barry Cover Art

KISS: Keep it Simple Soccer: How to coach youth soccer

KISS: Keep it Simple Soccer: How to coach youth soccer by John Barry

Keep it Simple Soccer was written to provide a new coach with all the information they need to manage and coach youth soccer at a basic level in a short amount of time.

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Wayne Rooney: My Decade in the Premier League - Wayne Rooney Cover Art

Wayne Rooney: My Decade in the Premier League

Wayne Rooney: My Decade in the Premier League by Wayne Rooney

‘My Decade in the Premier League’ is Wayne’s first hand account of his 10 years playing at the highest level in English football – and for the biggest club in the world. This is his inside story of life on the pitch for Manchester Utd; the League titles, FA Cups, League Cups and Champions League adventures. A must for any Utd fan. Wayne Rooney is widely regarded as one of the leading football players of his generation. A talisman for Manchester United, since his transfer to them in 2004, Rooney is their star player and the first name on the team sheet. In the 10 years since he made his debut as a 16 year old for Everton, he has acquired trophy after trophy, accolade after accolade and headline after headline. ‘My Decade in the Premier League’ is the inside account of life as a Premier League footballer from the man every one wants to hear from. This is his story, in his words. From gracing the ground at Goodison as an excitable 16 year old to lifting the Champions League trophy with Manchester United. From the emotional high of scoring the winner against Manchester City with that overhead bicycle kick to the crushing low of the thrashing City handed out at Old Trafford in the 2011-12 season. This is a book for the fan who would kill to get just 30 seconds on the pitch at The Theatre of Dreams – to run on the famous turf and score in front of the Stretford End. ‘My Decade in the Premier League’ gives a real insight in to what goes in to being part of the biggest club in the world; the training pitch, the dressing room, the manager, the coaches and, most importantly, the buzz of crossing that white line and hearing the 76,000 strong crowd chant your name. In intricate, emotional detail Wayne talks about every season he has spent in the Premier League and how it feels to be one the most celebrated footballers on the planet. About the author Wayne Rooney was born in Liverpool in October 1985. He was only nine when he was spotted by Everton scout Bob Pendleton playing for boys' club Copplehouse in the local Walton and Kirkdale Junior League. In his last season with them he scored 99 goals before joining the Everton academy. He was the youngest scorer in Premier League history in 2002, at the age of 16, and the youngest to score for England, age 17. He joined Manchester United in August 2004 for a fee of £20 million. He has 27 international caps and 10 goals to date.

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Pray - Nick Hornby Cover Art

Pray

Pray Notes on a Football Season by Nick Hornby

Nick Hornby, author of the bestselling soccer classic Fever Pitch , offers an insightful account of an extraordinary sports season. Concentrating on a number of significant games in British soccer during the 2011–2012 season, Hornby chronicles the emotional, political, and societal highlights and woes that played out on the field. There were alleged racist clashes, revealing the deep cultural fissures still present in British life. There was a fairy-tale return for the legendary Thierry Henry, and the terrifying collapse of Bolton’s Fabrice Muamba, clinically dead for seventy-eight minutes after a heart attack. Throughout, Hornby delves into the impact of the economy on the beloved sport of Britain. As sheikhs and oligarchs buy and sell teams and players at astronomical financial levels, other teams are left behind to struggle with diminished talent. And as income inequality hits all-time highs worldwide, so it does in British soccer. It was a season of tumultuous incident and enormous entertainment, a season more glorious than most. By the end, in May 2012, fans of most clubs had been enthralled, appalled, depressed, elated, shocked, and enraged. Along the way, soccer had somehow managed to encompass politics, high finance, the law, and matters of life and death. Read all about it, and relive it, here.

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Masters of Modern Soccer - Grant Wahl Cover Art

Masters of Modern Soccer

Masters of Modern Soccer How the World's Best Play the Twenty-First-Century Game by Grant Wahl

How do some of soccer’s smartest and most accomplished figures master the craft of the game? This in-depth analysis of modern soccer reveals how elite players and coaches strategize on and off the field to execute in high-pressure situations.   “A worthy addition to any soccer fan’s shelf.”— The Wall Street Journal In Masters of Modern Soccer, America’s premier soccer journalist, Grant Wahl, reveals what players and managers are thinking before, during, and after games and delivers a true behind-the-scenes perspective on the inner workings of the sport’s brightest minds.    Wahl follows world-class players from across the globe, examining how they do their jobs and gaining deep insight from the players on how goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders, and forwards function individually and as a unit to excel and win. He also shadows a manager and director of soccer as they juggle the challenges of coaching, preparation, and the short- and long-term strategies of how to identify and acquire talent and deploy it on the field.    These central figures share the little details that matter, position by position:   • Attacking midfielder Christian Pulisic explains why he wears his soccer cleats a size too small to make his first touch even better.  • Forward Javier “Chicharito” Hernández reveals the Mexican national team’s secret synchronized patterns that create space for him in front of the goal.  • Defender Vincent Kompany tells you why his teammates’ pressure on the ball means he can defend his man more tightly in the penalty box.  • Defensive midfielder Xabi Alonso describes his disdain for slide tackles and the tendency among even the best professional midfielders to play too closely to one another.  • Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer tells the origin story of his sweeper-keeper role, which has allowed him to redefine the position for the modern game.  • Head coach Roberto Martínez explains the differences between coaching clubs and national teams and why one of the first things he looks for in any game situation is numerical advantage.  • Director of football Michael Zorc discusses what he looks for when it comes to identifying players he can buy low and sell high, Moneyball -style, while still competing to win trophies.  The definitive analysis of the craft of soccer, Masters of Modern Soccer will change the way any fan, player, coach, or sideline enthusiast experiences the game.

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Soccer in Sun and Shadow - Eduardo Galeano Cover Art

Soccer in Sun and Shadow

Soccer in Sun and Shadow by Eduardo Galeano

One of Sports Illustrated 's Top 100 Sports Books of All Time—a history of soccer that "stands out like Pelé on a field of second-stringers" ( The New Yorker ). The beautiful game deserves a beautiful book, and Eduardo Galeano—one of Latin America's most acclaimed authors—has written it. From Aztec champions sacrificed to appease the gods, to the goals that were literally scored into wooden posts in Victorian England, to Spain's victory in the 2010 World Cup, Soccer in Sun and Shadow is a history of the sport unlike any other. Galeano portrays the irruption of South American soccer that made the game sublime: the elegant, mischievous, joyful style based on deft dribbling, close passes, and quick changes in rhythm, perfected by poor black children who had no toy but a rag ball. He describes the superstitions that vex players, the martyrdom of referees, the exquisite misery of fans, the sad denouement of stars past their prime. Striding across the pages are players born with the ball—and entire nations—at their feet: Arthur Friedenreich, the son of a German immigrant and a black washerwoman, who first brought Brazilian style from the slums into the stadiums; Brazil's Garrincha, whose body, warped by polio, could make the ball dance; and the Dutch great Ruud Gullit, who campaigned against apartheid on and off the pitch. And, of course, Beckenbauer, Pelé, Cruyff, and Maradona, a man blessed with "the hand of God" and a left foot equally as divine. Soccer in Sun and Shadow traces the rise of the soccer industry and the concurrent voyage "from beauty to duty": attempts to impose a soccer of lightning speed and brute force, one that disdains fantasy and forfeits play for results. Eduardo Galeano, who describes himself as "a beggar for good soccer," gives the world's most popular sport all the poetry, passion, and politics it deserves.

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Cristiano Ronaldo - Guillem Balagué Cover Art

Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo The Award-Winning Biography by Guillem Balagué

The definitive award-winning biography of Cristiano Ronaldo - fully updated to include the 2022 World Cup, Ronaldo's explosive exit from Manchester United and his record-breaking transfer to Al-Nassr As the Qatar World Cup opened to worldwide jubilation, Cristiano Ronaldo's second spell at Manchester United reached an abrupt conclusion. It was not to be the fairy tale ending to a glittering career. Instead, over the two seasons, it had snowballed into a toxic standoff between himself, the board and newly appointed manager, Erik ten Hag. The Theatre's dream was over. On 22 November 2022, Ronaldo's contract was terminated. In this compelling account, Guillem Balagué draws on impeccable sources, first-hand interviews and unprecedented access, taking us on a journey from Madeira to Manchester, and onto Spain, Italy and Saudi Arabia. From Ronaldo's tutelage under Sir Alex Ferguson to becoming the biggest galáctico of them all at Real Madrid, and captaining Portugal to the first silverware in their history at the UEFA Euro 2016, Guillem chronicles Ronaldo's career in its entirety. This is nothing less than the definitive portrait of a true icon of modern football, who has reached the very heights of the beautiful game and cemented his place as one of the greatest players of all time.

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Assumptions - Melanie Codina Cover Art

Assumptions

Assumptions by Melanie Codina

What happens when a girl, set on playing by the rules ... finds a guy worth breaking them for? Leeann Bradley is a college graduate who has achieved many of her personal goals, all because she follows the rules she's set for herself. It's simple. You work hard, enjoy life, surround yourself with friends and family, avoid jumping to conclusions ... and oh yeah, don't date jocks. These rules have worked well and have taken her down the path she wants in life. So what's a girl to do when temptation, in the form of a sexy college soccer player, is placed right in the middle fo that path? Deciding when to break the rules has never been easier for Leeann. But when assumptions are made, adn more than just the rules are broken ... will she be able to find her way down that path again? And what happens when it's no longer the path she's meant to take? Until now, Jonathan Baxter had one primary focus in his life, soccer. All decision made have been based on how it could affect his ability to play. His grades, his choice of college, any type of extracurricular activities, were all carefully assessed. All of it has made playing college soccer possible. But when an injury sidelines him for the forseeable future, and jeopardizes his dreams, he has to work even harder than before. Rehabilitating his injury becomes his primary objective. Until he meets Leeann, a physical therapy assistant whose touch has the ability to make him lose focus. She has him thinking there could be more in his life--in his future--than just soccer. So what's Jonathan to do when Leeann assumes he's just like every other jock out there? He has to prove her assumptions wrong. You know what they say about people who assume, right? So what do you do when you find yourself doing just that ... making assumptions, only to find out just how wrong you were.

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Coaching Kids to Play Soccer - Kurt Aschermann Cover Art

Coaching Kids to Play Soccer

Coaching Kids to Play Soccer by Kurt Aschermann

COACHES AND PARENTS OF SOCCER PLAYERS OF ALL LEVELS, THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU! Revised and updated with new information, drills, diagrams, and photos, this friendly, easy-to-use, fully illustrated guide shows coaches how to run a successful soccer team -- no matter how much experience they have or what level of soccer they coach. From building a roster to making sure everyone has a ride home at the end of the game and everything in between: • SETTING UP THE FIRST PRACTICE • TEACHING THE BASICS • DEVELOPING SKILL THROUGH DRILLS AND EXERCISES • LEARNING THE RULES • ENCOURAGING FAIR PLAY AND HEALTHY COMPETITION Emphasizing that kids should have fun, stay active, and learn about team spirit and competition, win or lose, the authors detail every step of building a soccer team that plays well and plays healthy, while having a great time. Whether you're a seasoned professional or new to the game, Coaching Kids to Play Soccer has the answers to every coach's questions. Don't start the season without it!

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Go For The Goal - Mia Hamm & Aaron Heifetz Cover Art

Go For The Goal

Go For The Goal A Champion's Guide To Winning In Soccer And Life by Mia Hamm & Aaron Heifetz

For the more than seven million girls—from knobby-kneed tykes to high school and college stars—who are tearing across the country chasing a soccer ball and dreams of glory, there is one name that eclipses all others, male or female: Mia Hamm. With her cheetahlike acceleration and lightning-bolt shot, Hamm broke nearly every record in her sport, while galvanizing a whole generation of fans and players. Go for the Goal is not only the inspiring story of how a tiny suburban sprite became a global terror with a ball (and the world) at her feet—it's also a step-by-step or dribble-by-dribble guide for any kid with the all-American dream of making the team and becoming a champion. Filled with personal anecdotes and fully illustrated with both action and instructional photographs, Go for the Goal shows readers exactly how to master the silky skills and techniques that made Hamm and her teammates the finest women's soccer team in the world.

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The Modern Soccer Coach 2014: A Four Dimensional Approach - Gary Curneen Cover Art

The Modern Soccer Coach 2014: A Four Dimensional Approach

The Modern Soccer Coach 2014: A Four Dimensional Approach by Gary Curneen

Over the last 20 years, no sport has changed more than soccer. The modern player is technically more capable, physically faster and stronger, and has access to more coaching and sports science resources than ever before. With the high rewards associated with success, there has never been more pressure on coaches to win, develop players, and play soccer the ‘right way’. Aimed at Soccer coaches of all levels and with players of all ages and abilities The Modern Soccer Coach 2014 identifies the areas that must be targeted by coaches who want to maximize a team’s potential – the Technical, Tactical, Physical, and Mental sides to the game. Written by UEFA ‘A’ and NSCAA Premier licensed coach Gary Curneen – The Modern Soccer Coach 2014 offers contemporary focused and distilled insight into what soccer coaches need to do, and how! Filled with practical no-nonsense explanations, focused players drills and more than 30 illustrated soccer templates, The Modern Soccer Coach 2014 will help you – the modern coach - to create team performances that win match after match! - Understand how the game has changed and what areas determine success in the game today. - Create modern exercises that focus on tactical, technical, mental, and physical elements of the game. - Learn what sets coaches like Mourinho, Klopp, Rodgers, and Guardiola apart from the rest. - Develop a competitive and enjoyable atmosphere for yourself and your players. - And much more!

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The Beckham Experiment - Grant Wahl Cover Art

The Beckham Experiment

The Beckham Experiment How the World's Most Famous Athlete Tried to Conquer America by Grant Wahl

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The book that rocked the sports world with its explosive revelations of a bitter feud between David Beckham and American star Landon Donovan—and how they overcame their differences to lead the L.A. Galaxy to the championship final, now updated with a new Afterword “Far more than merely a soccer book, The Beckham Experiment brilliantly explores—and exposes—that odd place where sports and celebrity collide.”—Jeff Pearlman, author of Boys Will Be Boys   In 2007, David Beckham shocked the international sports world when he signed a five-year contract with an American team, the Los Angeles Galaxy. Could he pull off what no player had ever accomplished and transform soccer into one of the most popular spectator sports in America? It was a bold experiment: failure meant a team, a league, a sport, and Beckham himself might miss their chance to hit primetime in the U.S. With unprecedented access to the Galaxy and one-on-one interviews with Beckham, veteran Sports Illustrated writer Grant Wahl provides behind-the-scenes accounts, on the road with the team and inside the locker room, to reveal just what happened on and off the field when the most renowned player in the world left the glamour of European soccer to play in a country that has yet to fully embrace the sport   With The Beckham Experiment, Wahl presents a vivid account of ego clashes and epic winless streaks, rivalries and resentments, big gambles and great expectations, cultural and class collisions, and ultimately the volatile mix of celebrity and professional sports that was the Beckham experiment.

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How To Watch Football - Tifo - The Athletic Cover Art

How To Watch Football

How To Watch Football 52 Rules for Understanding the Beautiful Game, On and Off the Pitch by Tifo - The Athletic

'I love Tifo' Ian Wright 'Tifo are great' Alan Shearer 'Tifo have changed the game when it comes to football analysis' Elis James RULE #1: DON'T WATCH THE BALL Yes, football is about stars, goals and glory. But it's also about the intense calculations and movements being made by the twenty-one other players on the pitch. It's about the ticking clock, and the bellowing fans, and their impact on player psychology. It's about the coach, the club owner, and the director of football, who are watching, scouting and scheming from the side-lines. It's about money and data, about geopolitics and architecture, and even about climate change. Football is the most popular sport in the world, and Tifo Football is one of the world's most popular football channels. In this short, illustrated guide, its creators share fifty-two simple 'rules' for understanding and enjoying the beautiful game-both on and off the pitch. Covering the key concepts, tactics and philosophies that are shaping the sport today, How to Watch Football reveals surprising new perspectives on familiar elements of gameplay, while highlighting lesser-known aspects of the industry and its history. Whether you're a casual fan or a football obsessive, the fifty-two golden rules in this pocket-size guide will deepen your delight in the world's favourite sport.

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Attacking Soccer - Massimo Lucchesi Cover Art

Attacking Soccer

Attacking Soccer A Tactical Analysis by Massimo Lucchesi

This book examines match strategies for creating goal scoring opportunities out of the following systems of play: 4-4-2 4-3-3 3-5-2 4-3-1-2 4-5-1 For each system, the author discusses the strategy, tactics, system and schemes of play as well as the technical, tactical and physical characteristics of the players who use the system. Several situational attacking schemes are also presented using clear diagrams and detailed descriptions.

50

The World's Best Soccer Strikers - Noah Davis & Yonatan Ginsberg Cover Art

The World's Best Soccer Strikers

The World's Best Soccer Strikers by Noah Davis & Yonatan Ginsberg

Goal Scorer. Finisher. Poacher. The hardest thing to do in the game of soccer is to put the ball in the back of the net, and the men who do so regularly are prized beyond all others. The players in this book are the best in the world today at what they do. Get the essentials about Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar, Robin Van Persie, and many more. They are The Strikers.

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