A History of the World Cup

There is no sporting event more popular than the World Cup. For one month every four years, hundreds of millions of people around the planet turn their attention to the tournament. People call in sick to work. Fans pack into bars to watch games or stay home for days at a time glued to their TV sets. Even wars stop. Nothing else seems to matter. The first World Cup, won by Uruguay in 1930, featured just 13 teams. Today, the tournament includes 32 nations, and the final alone is watched by an estimated global audience that exceeds one billion viewers. Without a doubt, soccer-or football-is the planet's pastime, and the World Cup is the ultimate sporting event. In A History of the World Cup: 1930-2006, reporter Clemente Lisi chronicles this international phenomenon, providing vivid accounts of individual games: from the tournament's origins in 1930 to modern times. The book also highlights the players and coaches who left their mark on the competition over the past six decades, including Diego Maradona, Juste Fontaine, Franz Beckenbauer, Mario Kempes, Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, and, of course, Pele. Though other histories of the World Cup largely ignore the U.S.'s contribution to the competition, this volume highlights the progress of the American teams over the last several decades. And while the scope of this book allows American fans to more thoroughly enjoy a history of the World Cup-the book will be of interest to any fan of the sport. Featuring a glossary of terms, statistics for each competition, photos, and profiles of the most memorable-and controversial-figures of the sport, A History of the World Cup provides a fascinating read for fans of the game.