100 Best Soccer Books of All Time (Updated for 2026)

1

Inverting The Pyramid: The History of Soccer Tactics

Jonathan Wilson

5.0

"An outstanding work ... the [soccer] book of the decade." -Sunday Business Post

Inverting the Pyramid is a pioneering soccer book that chronicles the evolution of soccer tactics and the lives of the itinerant coaching geniuses who have spread their distinctive styles across the globe.

Through Jonathan Wilson's brilliant historical detective work we learn how the South Americans shrugged off the Br

Recommended by Coaching Badges.

Coaching Badges

@tomoconor @seanie_doyle Great book 👍⚽️ [source]

2

Soccernomics: Why England Loses; Why Germany, Spain, and France Win; and Why One Day Japan, Iraq, and the United States Will Become Kings of the World's Most Popular Sport

Simon Kuper, Stefan Szymanski

4.9

The 2018 World Cup edition of the international bestseller and "the most intelligent book ever written about soccer" (San Francisco Chronicle) is updated throughout and features new chapters on the FIFA scandal, why Iceland wins, and women's soccer.

Named one of the Best Books of the Year by the Guardian, Slate, Financial Times, Independent (UK), and Bloomberg News

Why doesn't the United States domi

Recommended by Andrei Markovits.

Andrei Markovits

Contrary to the common view in Britain and Europe that this term comprises prima facie evidence of yet another American bastardisation of a European cultural icon, the term is not an American invention at all… [source]

3

Fever Pitch

Nick Hornby

4.9

The Twentieth Anniversary Edition

*WINNER OF THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR*

Fever Pitch is Nick Hornby's million-copy-selling, award-winnning football classic

'A spanking 7-0 away win of a football book. . . inventive, honest, funny, heroic, charming' Independent

For many people watching football is mere entertainment, to some it's more like a ritual; but to others, its highs and lows pro

Recommended by David Baddiel, David Papineau, and Simon Kuper.

David Baddiel

In about 1990 there was this sea change in the way people expressed themselves about football – more emotionally. Nick’s book sets the stall out for that. [source]

David Papineau

Sporting fandom is very interesting philosophically: it’s a case of partiality, partisanship, valuing something when you can see that what you value isn’t going to be valued by other people. [source]

Simon Kuper

Nick Hornby doesn’t revel in, ‘Oh I’m such a football geek, isn’t that funny?’ He treats it as something suspect. [source]

4

Booked

Kwame Alexander

4.8

New York Times Bestseller∙ National Book Award Longlist ∙ ILA-CBC Children's Choice List∙ ALA Notable Children’s Book ∙ Book Links’ Lasting Connections ∙ Kirkus Best Book ∙ San Francisco Chronicle Best Book ∙ Washington Post Best Book∙ BookPage Best Book

"A novel about a soccer-obsessed tween boy written entirely in verse? In a word, yes. Kwame Alexander has the magic to pull off this unlikely

Recommended by Dave Cousins and Simon Smith.

Dave Cousins

Written in free-verse, there’s some great bits of humour in there, and again this isn’t just a story about football. [source]

Simon Smith

@Mrs_E_J_C @kwamealexander Completely, it’s a fantastic book. [source]

5

The Ball is Round: A Global History of Soccer

David Goldblatt

4.7

The definitive book about soccer. With a new foreword for the American edition.

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 fo

Recommended by John Turnbull and Steve Bloomfield.

John Turnbull

It’s more a work of history and sociology: the game, the matches that are played, are just a way of illustrating the social forces at work. [source]

Steve Bloomfield

It’s [source]

6

Kulti

Mariana Zapat

4.7

“Trust me, I’ve wanted to punch you in the face a time or five.”

When the man you worshipped as a kid becomes your coach, it’s supposed to be the greatest thing in the world. Keywords: supposed to.

It didn't take a week for 27-year-old Sal Casillas to wonder what she'd seen in the international soccer icon - why she'd ever had his posters on her wall or ever envisioned marrying him and having super

7

The Miracle of Castel Di Sangro

Joe McGinniss

4.7

When Joe McGinniss sets out for the remote Italian village of Castel di Sangro in the summer of 1996, he merely wants to spend a season with the village's soccer team, which only weeks before had, miraculously, reached the second-highest-ranking professional league in the land. But soon he Ends himself embroiled with an absurd yet irresistible cast of characters, including the team's owner, descri

Recommended by Richard Osman.

Richard Osman

@sportingintel Love that book! [source]

8

How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization

Franklin Foer

4.6

Soccer is much more than a game, or even a way of life. It is a perfect window into the cross-currents of today's world, with all its joys and its sorrows. In this remarkably insightful, wide-ranging work of reportage, Franklin Foer takes us on a surprising tour through the world of soccer, shining a spotlight on the clash of civilizations, the international economy, and just about everything in b

9

Brilliant Orange: The Neurotic Genius of Dutch Soccer

David Winner

4.6

If any one thing, Brilliant Orange is about Dutch space and a people whose unique conception of it has led to the most enduring arts, the weirdest architecture, and a bizarrely cerebral form of soccer—Total Football—that led in 1974 to a World Cup finals match with arch-rival Germany, and more recently to a devastating loss against Spain in 2010. With its intricacy and oddity, it continues to myst

Recommended by Simon Kuper.

Simon Kuper

This is about Holland and Dutch football and what makes it special. I grew up in Holland, so I have a particular tie to this book. Actually I was in Amsterdam the winter that David Winner was there writing his book. We were both writing books and we’d occasionally meet for dinner. And I got to know David and I really liked him, but I thought ‘Poor old David, he’s going to write a book about Dutch football, and nobody’s going to read it.’ Also I grew up in Holland, and I thought, there’s nothing he can tell me about Dutch football, it’s all going to be old hat or he won’t get it right. But he gave the book to me in manuscript and I read it, and when I finished it, I just wanted to break out into applause. He did it beautifully. It’s completely original. David is a film buff so it has all these film references and it’s just very surprising. He interviews architects and rabbis about what makes Dutch football special. It’s not like other football books – he approaches football through architecture and space and landscape and painting, and it’s absurd, but it works. [source]

10

Soccer in Sun and Shadow

Eduardo Galeano, Mark Fried

4.6

Discussing everything from the leveling of the Twin Towers to the death of the sole survivor of that extraordinary match between British and German soldiers in 1915, one of South America’s greatest commentators issues forth on robotic soccer in Japan, the mass-production of the game as a sign of the decline of civilization, the amazing success of Senegal and Turkey, and how Nike beat Adidas.

Recommended by John Turnbull.

John Turnbull

I haven’t read all books on soccer, but I think it would certainly be up there. Lyrical is true, though of course I’ve only read it in translation by Mark Fried. Interestingly, the title works well both in Spanish and in English: in Spanish it’s El fútbol a sol y sombra and in English it’s Soccer in Sun and Shadow. The metaphor refers to the football stadium, where you can buy seats on one side or the other. Some are in the sun and they are cheaper, or you can buy seats in the shady part which is preferable but more pricey. And the very first sentence of the book is: ‘The history of football is a sad voyage from beauty to duty.’ What Galeano means is that sport as play has been lost as an idea in Western capitalist culture. Sport is now competition and sport is consumable. The World Cup in South Africa will be a spectacle, something for consumption. The television rights will have been sold, the areas around the stadium in South Africa will be zones of exclusion, limited to sales by the sponsors – Coca-Cola etc. It won’t be the local sellers who make their own beer. So that’s an example of the kind of thing that Galeano is talking about. In South African culture football has been very important, a place of everyday interaction, but that element will be lost. The tournament could really be held anywhere; you wouldn’t especially know that it’s in South Africa. [source]

11

The National Team: The Inside Story of the Women Who Changed Soccer

Caitlin Murray

4.5

12

Football Against the Enemy

Simon Kuper

4.5

occer 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 meet

Recommended by John Turnbull and Steve Bloomfield.

John Turnbull

This book was published in the United Kingdom in 1994 and, to me, it’s the most important book on soccer in English. [source]

Steve Bloomfield

For me that was the first book that really tried to look at football through the political lens. It was just ahead of the 1994 World Cup in the US and it tells you just as much today as it did then. It set the template for a whole genre of using football to explain a whole country. [source]

13

The Numbers Game: Why Everything You Know About Soccer Is Wrong

Chris Anderson, David Sally

4.5

Moneyball meets Freakonomics in this myth-busting guide to understanding—and winning—the most popular sport on the planet - now with a new afterword on the 2014 World Cup!

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

Recommended by Rulani Mokwena.

Rulani Mokwena

Don’t know why I didn’t finish reading this book... very interesting 🧐 https://t.co/mVFTrI1zLX [source]

14

Outcasts United: The Story of a Refugee Soccer Team That Changed a Town

Warren St. John

4.5

This young people's version of the adult bestseller, Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference, is a complex and inspirational story about the Fugees, a youth soccer team made up of diverse refugees from around the world, and their formidable female coach, Luma Mufleh. Clarkston, Georgia, was a typical southern town until it became a refugee rese

15

Among the Thugs

Bill Buford

4.5

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 jou

16

SoccerIQ: Things That Smart Players Do

Dan Blank

4.5

An Amazon #1 Best-Seller! Named the #1 Soccer Book by Football.com. Named a Top 5 Book of the Year by the NSCAA Soccer Journal! Soccer iQ is the first book for soccer PLAYERS! In a world saturated with books about how to coach soccer, Dan Blank finally gives players a book on how to think it. Standing on two decades of collegiate coaching experience, Blank has catalogued soccer's most common mista

17

The Mixer: The Story of Premier League Tactics, from Route One to False Nines

Michael Co

4.5

An absolutely essential book for every modern football fan, about the development of Premier League tactics, published to coincide with 25 years of the competition.

Back in 1992, English football was stuck in the dark ages, emerging from a five-year ban from European competition. The game was physical, bruising and attritional, based on strength over speed, aggression over finesse. It was the era o

18

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

Sid Lowe

4.4

It's Messi vs Ronaldo, it's Catalonia vs Castilla. It's the nation against the state, freedom fighters vs Franco's fascists. It's majestic goals and mesmerising skills, red cards and bench brawls. It's the best two teams on the planet going face to face and toe to toe. It's more than a game. It's a war. It's Barcelona vs Real Madrid.

...Only, it's not that simple. From the wounds left by the civil

19

Scoring Wilder

R.S. Gre

4.4

What started out as a joke— seduce Coach Wilder—soon became a goal she had to score.

With Olympic tryouts on the horizon, the last thing nineteen-year-old Kinsley Bryant needs to add to her plate is Liam Wilder. He's a professional soccer player, America's favorite bad-boy, and has all the qualities of a skilled panty-dropper.

• A face that makes girls weep – check.
• Abs that can shred Parmesan c

20

Zonal Marking: How the Dutch Backpass, the Italian Defense, and Portuguese Tricky Wingers Made Modern Soccer

Michael Cox

4.4

A masterful tour of the most influential soccer tactics that continue to shape the beautiful game.
Zonal Marking traces the development of soccer in the modern era: the game has become globalized, but what are the differences in how soccer is played in the major leagues? To what extent do nations retain something of their "traditional" values? By analyzing the nature of soccer styles across the maj

21

I am Zlatan Ibrahimović

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

4.4

'Why be a Fiat when you can be a Ferrari?'

Welcome to Planet Zlatan.
This is the story of how a Swedish outsider rose from poverty to become a football genius.

In his own inimitable style, Zlatan Ibrahimović recalls every struggle, every goal and every training-ground bust-up on his journey to dominate the world's top clubs, including Ajax, Juventus, Internazionale, Barcelona, Milan and Paris Saint-G

Recommended by Juliet Jacques.

Juliet Jacques

Lagercrantz said he met Ibrahimovic and wasn’t really that taken with the material he got. So he just made it up. [source]

22

Das Reboot: How German Football Reinvented Itself and Conquered the World

Raphael Honigstei

4.4

July 13th 2014, World Cup Final, the last ten minutes of extra time: Germany forward Mario Götze, receiving a floated pass from his international teammate André Schürrle, jumps slightly to meet the ball and cushion it with his chest. Landing on his left foot, he takes a step with his right, swivels, and in one fluid motion, without the ball touching the ground, volleys it past the onrushing Argent

23

Futebol

Alex Bellos

4.4

The Brazilian football team is one of the modern wonders of the world. Travelling extensively from the coastal cities of Rio de Janiero and Sao Paolo to the Amazon jungle, Bellos shows how Brazil changed football and how football shaped Brazil."

Recommended by Steve Bloomfield.

Steve Bloomfield

It’s a magical, magical book. I didn’t have much interest in Brazil as a country. [source]

24

Tangerine

Edward Bloor

4.3

Paul Fisher sees the world from behind glasses so thick he looks like a bug-eyed alien. But he’s not so blind that he can’t see there are some very unusual things about his family’s new home in Tangerine County, Florida. Where else does a sinkhole swallow the local school, fire burn underground for years, and lightning strike at the same time every day?

The chaos is compounded by constant harassmen

25

Why Soccer Matters

Pelé

4.3

“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. During

26

The Beckham Experiment: How the World's Most Famous Athlete Tried to Conquer America

Grant Wahl

4.3

In 2007, David Beckham, the golden boy of soccer, shocked the international sports world when he signed a five-year contract with an American team, the Los Angeles Galaxy. Under the direction of his manager, Simon Fuller, the mastermind behind American Idol and the Spice Girls, Beckham was ready for a monumental challenge and a risky adventure–ready, as Fuller put it, to earn his stripes Stateside

Recommended by Andrei Markovits.

Andrei Markovits

There is still this ambivalence towards the sport in the US, despite the fact that Beckham is determined to try and up association football’s status in the States. [source]

27

A Life Too Short: The Tragedy of Robert Enke

Ronald Reng

4.3

Here, award-winning writer Ronald Reng pieces together the puzzle of his lost friend's life. On November 10, 2009, the German national goalkeeper, Robert Enke, stepped in front of a passing train. He was 32 years old. Viewed from the outside, Enke had it all. He was a professional goalkeeper who had played for a string of Europe's top clubs, including Jose Mourinho's Benfica and Louis Van Gaal's B

Recommended by Ned Boulting.

Ned Boulting

@amylawrence71 @honigstein It’s a brilliant book [source]

28

Leading: Learning from Life and My Years at Manchester United

Alex Ferguson

4.3

From the winningest soccer coach ever, best known for 27 triumphant years with Manchester United, comes the book that decodes the key tools he used to deliver sustained success on and off the field.

After an astonishing career-first in Scotland, and then over 27 years with Manchester United Football Club, Sir Alex Ferguson analyzes the pivotal leadership decisions of his 38 years as a manager and,

Recommended by Daniel Ek.

Daniel Ek

I struggled with whether or not to include this one, as I’m a Gooner (that means Arsenal fan, by the way), but the fact is that the author grew Manchester United into one of the best known brands today, and that’s what fascinates me about him. [source]

29

Calcio: A History of Italian Football

John Foot

4.3

The first history of Italian football to be written in English, 'Calcio' is a mix of serious analysis and comic storytelling, with vivid descriptions of games, goals, dives, missed penalties, riots and scandals in the richest and toughest league in the world. 'Calcio' tells the story of Italian football from its origins in the 1890's to the present day. It takes us through a history of great playe

30

Behind the Curtain

Jonathan Wilson

4.3

Alternate-Cover Edition for this ISBN can be found here

From the war-ravaged streets of Sarajevo, where turning up for training involved dodging snipers' bullets, to the crumbling splendor of Budapest's Bozsik Stadium, where the likes of Puskas and Kocsis masterminded the fall of England, the landscape of Eastern Europe has changed immeasurably since the fall of communism. Jonathan Wilson has trave

31

The Club: How the English Premier League Became the Wildest, Richest, Most Disruptive Force in Sports

Joshua Robinson

4.3

The Club is the previously untold inside story of how English soccer’s Premier League became the wildest, richest, most popular sports product on the planet.

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 g

32

A Season with Verona: Travels Around Italy in Search of Illusion, National Character . . . and Goals!

Tim Parks

4.3

Cover unavailable

33

Challenge (Harris Brothers, #1)

Amy Daws

4.3

He’s her patient. She’s his doctor. They shouldn’t. But God, do they want to.

Camden Harris, the famously hot, hulk of a footballer is laid up in a London hospital. But his busted knee doesn’t stop him from running his well-practiced game on Indie Porter—his redheaded spitfire of a doctor. She’s not his type, not even close. But she could be the perfect distraction from the soul-crushing damage th

34

Forward: A Memoir

Abby Wambach

4.3

Forward is the powerful story of an athlete who has inspired girls all over the world to believe in themselves. Abby shows us by example how to overcome problems and live a happier, braver life." —Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook COO, New York Times Bestselling author of Lean In

“This is the best memoir I’ve read by an athlete since Andre Agassi’s Open. I could not put it down, and you will not want it to

35

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

Grant Wahl

4.3

In Masters of Modern Soccer, Sports Illustrated writer Grant Wahl asks: How do some of the game's smartest figures master the craft of soccer? By profiling players in every key position (American phenomenon Christian Pulisic, Mexican superstar Javier "Chicharito" Hern�ndez, Belgium's Vincent Kompany, Spain's Xabi Alonso, Germany's Manuel Neuer) and management (Belgium coach Roberto Mart�nez and Bo

36

When Nobody Was Watching: My Hard-Fought Journey to the Top of the Soccer World

Carli Lloyd

4.3

A New York Times Bestseller

“If you are a real soccer player—then this is the book for you to read . . . Inspiring and uplifting. ”—GoalNation

In 2015, the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team won its first FIFA championship in sixteen years, culminating in an epic final game that electrified soccer fans around the world. It featured a gutsy, brilliant performance by team captain and midfielder Carl

37

Alex Ferguson: My Autobiography

Alex Ferguson

4.3

The celebratory, revealing, inspiring, and entertaining autobiography of the greatest manager in the history of British soccer.

Over the past four years, Alex Ferguson has been reflecting on and jotting down the highlights of his extraordinary career, and here he reveals his amazing story as it unfolded, from his very early days in the tough shipyard areas of Govan. Sir Alex announced his retiremen

38

The Player

E. Cleveland and Eddie Clevelan

4.2

I'm naturally gifted on the field and between the sheets. With flashy cars and enough media attention to put the Royal Family to shame, I’m the definition of Most Eligible Bachelor.

I've never met a man who doesn't want to be me or a woman who doesn't want to tame me. Until I meet Camila.

From the moment I lay eyes on her, I know I have to have her.

She wants to keep me at arm's length.
I want her n

39

The Damned Utd

David Peace

4.2

Overachieving and eccentric football manager Brian Clough was on his way to take over at the country's most successful, and most reviled football club: Leeds United, home to a generation of fiercely competitive but ageing players. The battle he'd face there would make or break the club - or him.

David Peace's extraordinarily inventive novel tells the story of a world characterised by fear of failur

40

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

Ken Bensinger

4.2

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

41

The Keeper: A Life of Saving Goals and Achieving Them

Tim Howard

4.2

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 Brazi

42

Men in Blazers Present Encyclopedia Blazertannica

Roger Bennett

4.2

From the wildly popular soccer pundits, a hilarious and informative guide to the ever-more popular game.

For more than a decade, the "Men in Blazers"—two balding transplants from Britain named Rog and Davo—have stood at the center of our growing national obsession with soccer. Hundreds of thousands of fans tune in weekly to their podcast and television broadcast to get their analysis of the previou

Cover unavailable

43

Endurance (Harris Brothers, #2)

Amy Daw

4.2

Tanner Harris has been busy shagging his way through the ladies of east London, but getting caught by the paparazzi buck-naked with his trouser snake in his hands means he’s sowed his last wild oat.

Dr. Belle Ryan once thought Tanner Harris was the perfect kind of bearded bad boy she needed to relieve a bit of stress after her intense job as a surgical fellow, but an icy cold rejection from London

44

Bloody Confused!: A Clueless American Sportswriter Seeks Solace in English Soccer

Chuck Culpepper

4.2

Chuck Culpepper was a veteran sports journalist edging toward burnout . . . then he went to London and discovered the high-octane, fanatical (and bloody confusing!) world of English soccer.

After covering the American sports scene for fifteen years, Chuck Culpepper suffered from a profound case of Common Sportswriter Malaise. He was fed up with self-righteous proclamations, steroid scandals, and th

45

Tor!: The Story of German Football

Ulrich Hesse-Lichtenberger

4.2

46

Morbo: The Story of Spanish Football

Phil Ball

4.2

English writer Phil Ball has put the history of Spanish football into the context of the epomymous Morbo. Hard to pin down in translation (though the author manfully spends a chapter trying to explain the term in its fullest sense), "morbo" encapsulates the fierce rivalry across a club scene fragmented by history, language and politics. The bitter feeling between Barcelona and Real Madrid has, of

47

This Love Is Not For Cowards: Salvation and Soccer in Ciudad Juárez

Robert Andrew Powell

4.2

48

Soccer Men: Profiles of the Rogues, Geniuses, and Neurotics Who Dominate the World's Most Popular Sport

Simon Kuper

4.2

Simon Kuper's New York Times bestseller Soccernomics pioneered a new way of looking at soccer through meticulous empirical analysis and incisive—and witty— commentary. Kuper now leaves the numbers and data behind to explore the heart and soul of the world's most popular sport in the new, extraordinarily revealing Soccer Men. Soccer Men goes behind the scenes with soccer's greatest players and coac

49

Soccer in a Football World: The Story of America's Forgotten Game

David Wangerin

4.2

David Wangerin's humorous and thorough book tells the story of American soccer's long struggle from the brief promise of the 1920's, through the euphoric highs and extravagant follies of the North American Soccer League, to today's hard-won acceptance.

50

Under the Lights and in the Dark: Untold Stories of Women's Soccer

Gwendolyn Oxenham

4.2

In 2004, journalist and award-winning documentary maker Gwendolyn Oxenham played futebol feminino for Santos FC, Brazil. The team hitchhiked to practice, shared their field with a horse and wore hand-me-downs from the men's team.

If this was Brazil, the mecca of futebol, what did the women's game look like in other countries?

Under the Lights and in the Dark takes us inside the world of women's so

51

Bring the Noise: The Jürgen Klopp Story

Raphael Honigstein

4.2

Jürgen Klopp's coaching career began in the German second tier at the unfashionable club of FSV Mainz 05, whom he steered to the Bundesliga for the first time in forty-one years. In 2008, he joined Borussia Dortmund, where he achieved back-to-back league titles and took the club to the UEFA Champions League final. He left Germany for one of the England's most challenging jobs: to manage Liverpool,

52

Breakaway: Beyond the Goal

Alex Morgan

4.2

Get inspired to be your best—in sports and in life—with this uplifting memoir from star soccer player, Olympic gold medalist, and FIFA World Cup champion Alex Morgan that includes eight pages of full-color photos!

As a talented and successful female athlete, Alex Morgan is a role model to thousands of girls who want to be their best, not just in soccer, but in life. The story of her path to success

53

Pep Guardiola: Another Way of Winning: The Biography

Guillem Balagu

4.1

54

Britt-Marie Was Here

Fredrik Backman

4.1

Britt-Marie can’t stand mess. A disorganized cutlery drawer ranks high on her list of unforgivable sins. She is not one to judge others—no matter how ill-mannered, unkempt, or morally suspect they might be. It’s just that sometimes people interpret her helpful suggestions as criticisms, which is certainly not her intention. But hidden inside the socially awkward, fussy busybody is a woman who has

55

Penso quindi gioco

Andrea Pirlo and Alessandro Alciato

4.1

"Per me il gruppo conta tantissimo, ma se mi dimenticassi di me stesso toglierei forza proprio ai miei compagni: tanti singoli fanno una squadra, tanti sogni fanno un trionfo." Un fuoriclasse. Un super campione iper titolato. I complimenti iperbolici non sono mai sprecati se riferiti ad Andrea Pirlo, fantasista della Juventus e della Nazionale, ex Milan - con cui ha vinto e rivinto tutto il possib

56

The Field

Baptiste Paul, Jacqueline Alcántara

4.1

“Vini! Come! The field calls!” cries a girl as she and her younger brother rouse their community—family, friends, and the local fruit vendor—for a pickup soccer (futbol) game. Boys and girls, young and old, players and spectators come running—bearing balls, shoes, goals, and a love of the sport.

“Friends versus friends” teams are formed, the field is cleared of cows, and the game begins! But will

57

Keeper (Harris Brothers, #3)

Amy Daws

4.1

They were best friends until they became roommates.

Booker Harris has spent the last several years pushing himself to become the best goalkeeper in the Championship League. Tired of living in the shadows of his headline-splashing brothers, he has finally carved a path of his own.

As a child, Poppy McAdams was content in her own little make-believe world, until the boy next door with dimples and pain

58

Keeper (Paul Faustino, #1)

Mal Peet

4.1

"This stirring adventure — a soccer story? a ghost story? — defies expectations. . . . Both lyrical and gripping." — KIRKUS REVIEWS (starred review)

When Paul Faustino of LA NACION flips on his tape recorder for an exclusive interview with El Gato — the phenomenal goalkeeper who single-handedly brought his team the World Cup — the seasoned reporter quickly learns that this will be no ordinary story

59

Angels With Dirty Faces: The Footballing History of Argentina

Jonathan Wilson

4.1

Diego Maradona, Gabriel Batistuta, Juan Román Riquelme, Sergio Agüero, Lionel Messi ... Argentina is responsible for some of the greatest footballers on the planet. Their rich, volatile history is made up of both the sublime and the ruthlessly pragmatic.

Argentina is a nation obsessed with football, and Jonathan Wilson, having lived there on and off during the last decade, is ideally placed to char

60

Play With Me (Grover Beach Team, #1)

Anna Katmor

4.1

What if you had to do the one thing you hated most to get the guy you loved to notice you?

Ryan Hunter’s parties are legend. And tonight she’s going to be there.

Lisa Matthews anticipates the return of her best friend and only love since kindergarten from soccer camp. But when Tony finally shows up, his mind is more focused on another girl. And worse, she’s a soccer player. Fighting for the attentio

61

Pep Confidential: The Inside Story of Pep Guardiola's First Season at Bayern Munich

Marti Perarnau

4.1

Martí Perarnau was given total access to Bayern Munich during season 2013-14. This book represents the first time in the modern era that a writer has got this close to one of the elite teams of world football. At the invitation of Pep Guardiola, he shadowed the Catalan, his staff and his superstar players during training and on matchdays. Bayern smashed domestic records on their way to the double,

62

Barça: The Making of the Greatest Team in the World

Graham Hunter

4.1

FC Barcelona are the greatest football team in the world, the greatest for a generation and possibly the greatest of all time. This is the inside story of how the team came to redefine how the game is played, told by the journalist closer to it than any other. This edition contains a new epilogue reflecting on the departure of Pep Guardiola and Spain s victory at Euro 2012. It is of huge interest

63

Hide and Seek

James Patterson

4.1

Maggie Bradford is on trial for murder - in the celebrity trial of the decade.
As one of the world's best-loved singer-songwriters, she seems to have it all.
So how could she have murdered not just one, but two of her husbands?

Will Shephard was Maggie's second husband.
A magnificent athlete and film star, he was just as famous.
But Will had dark, dangerous secrets that none of his fans could have im

64

Kickin' It (Red Card, #2)

Ken Bensinger

4.1

Love breaks the offside rule in New York Times bestselling author Rachel Van Dyken’s irresistibly sexy Red Card romance.

Successful, high-profile sports agent Matt Kingston thinks he can handle anything. Then soccer player Parker Speedman shows up at his door. She is young and gorgeous, has natural talent, and is looking for a team. She’s also a hothead with a punchy past who floored her last coach

65

Ajax, the Dutch, the War: Football in Europe During the Second World War

Simon Kuper

4.1

In Football Against the Enemy Simon Kuper crossed the globe in search of the links between football, politics and culture. In Ajax, the Dutch, the War he skilfully pieces together an alternative account of World War II. He looks at the lives of the footballers who played for the Dutch club, the officials and the ordinary fans during this tumultuous period and challenges the accepted notion of the

66

Dominate (Harris Brothers, #5)

Amy Daws

4.1

To dominate one’s heart is to truly be free.

After the harrowing attack against Gareth and Sloan, there are more than just physical wounds that must be healed.

Recovering and moving on from their dark pasts is the only way they can truly find their bright futures.

Who will surrender? And who will dominate?

67

Rock Bottom Girl

Lucy Scor

4.1

“You may be faking the relationship, but you’re not faking the orgasms.”

Downsized, broke, and dumped, 38-year-old Marley sneaks home to her childhood bedroom in the town she couldn’t wait to escape twenty years ago. Not much has changed in Culpepper. The cool kids are still cool. Now they just own car dealerships and live in McMansions next door. Oh, and the whole town is still talking about tha

68

One Night in Turin: The Inside Story of a World Cup that Changed our Footballing Nation Forever

Pete Davies

4.1

The memoir behind the documentary One Night in Turin, the inside story of a World Cup that changed our footballing nation forever

It was the World Cup semi-finals. On 4th July, 1990, in a stadium in Turin, Gazza cried, England lost and football changed forever.

This is the inside story of Italia '90 - we meet the players, the hooligans, the agents, the journalists, the fans. Writer Pete Davies was

Recommended by David Baddiel and Simon Kuper.

David Baddiel

The cover is Gazza crying, which is now rather clichéd, but then it was an icon of the change in attitude towards football and men, and how emotional they can be about football. [source]

Simon Kuper

It’s gripping and it’s written in a very sort of populist, laddish style, but it works. The characters make it work, and the setting of Italy during the World Cup. It doesn’t matter that that World Cup is now history. [source]

69

Unseen Academicals (Discworld, #37; Rincewind #8)

Terry Pratchett

4.1

Discworld lives on in Unseen Academicals, the latest novel from Terry Pratchett. Delivering the trademark insight and humor readers the world over have come to expect from “the purely funniest English writer since Wodehouse” (Washington Post Book World), Unseen Academicals focuses on the wizards at Ankh-Morpork’s Unseen University, who are reknowned for many things—sagacity, magic, and their love

70

The Game of Our Lives: The English Premier League and the Making of Modern Britain

David Goldblatt

4.1

The Game of Our Lives is a masterly portrait of soccer and contemporary Britain. Soccer in the United Kingdom has evolved from a jaded, working-class tradition to a sport at the heart of popular culture, from an economic mess to a booming entertainment industry that has conquered the world. The changes in the game, David Goldblatt shows, uncannily mirror the evolution of British society.

In the 198

71

Thirty-One Nil: The Amazing Story of World Cup Qualification

James Montague

4.1

72

Invincible: Inside Arsenal's Unbeaten 2003-2004 Season

Amy Lawrence and Arsène Wenge

4.1

In 2003-04, Arsenal overcame every conceivable challenge to complete a 38-game league without a single loss. It was a feat unequalled in modern football. But for Arsene Wenger's 'Invincibles', a team including legends Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira and Dennis Bergkamp, it was a challenge that went far beyond sport. Based on exclusive players interviews, this definitive book relives the pivotal game

73

The World is a Ball: The Joy, Madness and Meaning of Soccer

John Doyle

4.1

Globe and Mail columnist John Doyle explores the international phenomenon of soccer

In A Great Feast of Light, John Doyle viewed his childhood in Ireland through the television screen. Now, he turns his eye to the most popular sport on the planet: soccer. It's a journey that begins with the first game John saw, in 1960s-era Ireland, through soccer in the 21st century - the World Cups in 02, 06, and

74

Foul!: The Secret World Of Fifa: Bribes, Vote Rigging And Ticket Scandals

Andrew Jennings

4.1

Recommended by Steve Bloomfield.

75

Offside

Jami Davenpor

4.1

I have to be the best. I am the best. I’m quick. I’m strong. I’m smart. I’m the star keeper of my high school soccer team, and I’ve got major leagues scouting me. As their captain, my teammates will do anything I say – on or off the field. Girls practically beg to be added to my list of conquests. As long as I manage to go pro for the best team in the world, I won’t have to worry about my father’s

76

The Italian Job

Gianluca Vialli, Gabriele Marcotti

4.1

Football lies at the heart of popular culture in both England and Italy. It is played, watched, written about and talked to death by millions virtually every day of the year. But how do the characteristics of England and Italy affect the game in these two footballing nations? Do the national stereotypes of Italians as passionate, stylish lotharios and the English as cold-hearted eccentrics still h

77

Settling the Score (The Summer Games, #1)

R.S. Gre

4.1

From the USA TODAY Bestselling author of Scoring Wilder, comes a sexy new standalone novel.

As an Olympic rookie, Andie Foster has spent far more time in her cleats than between the sheets. For 21 years, her Friday nights have consisted of blocking shots rather than taking them. But now that she's landed in Rio, she's ready to see for herself if the rumors about the Olympic Village are true:

• The a

78

The Illustrated History of Football

David Squires

4.0

This is football comic-ery, but not as you know it. Welcome to the inimitable work of illustrator David Squires.

Football and comics. Once a hearty Saturday combination to match cartoons and cereal, in recent years they’ve drifted apart. Thankfully for us, Squires is here to change all that.

In The Illustrated History of Football, his first book, Squires relives some of football’s most glorious mome

Recommended by Alexander.

Alexander

Football and cartoons, it immediately caught my attention. I read through it and it says basically every single part of the history of football. [source]

79

Juked (Texas Mutiny, #1)

ME Carte

4.0

Juked: verb.
/jook-t/
A slang soccer term meaning: faked out, deceived, confused your opponent
See examples Daniel Zavaro and Quincy Watson:

As the rising star in Houston, Daniel has found fame as Captain of his Pro soccer team and the city’s most eligible bachelor. Daniel has everything – except someone special – and that suits him just fine. He doesn’t want, or need, complications.

Quincy has baggag

80

Go For the Goal: A Champion's Guide To Winning In Soccer And Life

Mia Hamm

4.0

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 play

81

Finding the Game: Three Years, Twenty-Five Countries, and the Search for Pickup Soccer

Gwendolyn Oxenham

4.0

Across two dozen countries—from back alleys to remote beaches to the roofs of skyscrapers—an eye-opening journey into the heart of soccer Every country has a different term for it: In the United States it’s “pickup.” In Trinidad it’s “taking a sweat.” In Brazil it’s “pelada” (literally “naked”). It’s the other side of soccer, those spontaneous matches played away from the bright lights and manicur

82

Surrender (Harris Brothers, #4)

Amy Daws

4.0

One night of complete surrender is all it takes.

Gareth Harris is Manchester United’s reclusive star defender. He has control over all aspects of his life. But a lifetime of supporting his siblings and filling in for an emotionally absent father has taken its toll.

Sloan Montgomery is a clothing stylist whose world was turned upside down when she found herself pregnant and moving to Manchester wit

83

My Turn: A Life of Total Football

Johan Cruyff

4.0

The autobiography of Dutch soccer legend Johan Cruyff, whose remarkable life and impeccable style have influenced star players and clubs for decades
Johan Cruyff embodied a footballing philosophy that now dominates coaching and playing styles in all the leading club sides around the world. You can dispute whether Cruyff was the greatest player ever--he was certainly one of the top three--but he is

84

Eight World Cups: My Journey through the Beauty and Dark Side of Soccer

George Vecsey

4.0

On the eve of the 2014 World Cup, New York Times sports columnist George Vecsey offers a personal perspective on the beautiful game

Blending witty travelogue with action on the field—and shady dealings in back rooms—George Vecsey offers an eye-opening, globe-trotting account of the last eight World Cups. He immerses himself in the great national leagues, historic clubs, and devoted fans and provide

85

La Roja: How Soccer Conquered Spain and How Spanish Soccer Conquered the World

Jimmy Burn

4.0

"La Roja" is bestselling author Jimmy Burns tremendous opus on Spanish soccer. From its early beginnings when the first soccer on the shores of Bilbao and Buenos Aires was played by British sailors and engineers, through to the influx of South American stars, and similarly inspirational Italians, Dutchman and Scandinavians, Burns show how the engagement of foreigners with home-grown Spanish talent

86

WOLFPACK: How to Come Together, Unleash Our Power, and Change the Game

Abby Wambach

4.0

Based on her inspiring, viral 2018 commencement speech to Barnard College’s graduates in New York City, New York Times bestselling author, two-time Olympic gold medalist and FIFA World Cup champion Abby Wambach delivers her empowering rally cry for women to unleash their individual power, unite with their pack, and emerge victorious together.

Abby Wambach became a champion because of her incredible

87

The Away Game: The Epic Search for Soccer's Next Superstars

Sebastian Abbot

4.0

Over the past decade, an audacious program called Football Dreams has held tryouts for millions of 13-year-old boys across Africa looking for soccer’s next superstars. Led by the Spanish scout who helped launch Lionel Messi’s career at Barcelona and funded by the desert kingdom of Qatar, the program has chosen a handful of boys each year to train to become professionals—a process over a thousand t

Recommended by Grant Wahl.

Grant Wahl

I’ll be there. This is a fantastic book. https://t.co/cmH10e6q9B [source]

88

Risky Play (Red Card, #1)

Rachel Van Dyken

4.0

Even one-night stands deserve a second chance in New York Times bestselling author Rachel Van Dyken’s novel of sporting desire.

What else can a virgin do when she’s ditched at the altar? Seattle heiress Mackenzie Dupont is treating herself to a single-girl honeymoon in Mexico and a desire to relinquish her innocence to a gorgeous one-night stand. Fake names. True pleasure. But when she wakes up alo

89

The Flea: The Amazing Story of Leo Messi

Michael Part

4.0

The captivating story of soccer legend Lionel Messi, from his first touch at age five in the streets of Rosario, Argentina, to his first goal on the Camp Nou pitch in Barcelona, Spain. The Flea tells the amazing story of a boy who was born to play the beautiful game and destined to become the world's greatest soccer player.

90

Africa United: Soccer, Passion, Politics, and the First World Cup in Africa

Steve Bloomfield

4.0

Africa United is the story of modern day Africa told through its soccer. Travelling across thirteen countries, from Cairo to the Cape, Steve Bloomfield, the former Africa Correspondent for The Independent, meets players and fans, politicians and rebel leaders, discovering the role that soccer has played in shaping the continent. This wide-ranging and incisive book investigates Africa’s love of soc

91

Coming Out to Play

Robbie Rogers, Eric Marcus

4.0

“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

92

Now Is the Time for Running

Michael Williams

4.0

When tragedy strikes, Deo's love of soccer is all he has left. Can he use that gift to find hope once more?

Just down the road from their families, Deo and his friends play soccer in the dusty fields of Zimbabwe, cheered on by Deo's older brother, Innocent. It is a day like any other ..until the soldiers arrive and Deo and Innocent are forced to run for their lives, fleeing the wreckage of their vi

93

Dios es redondo

Juan Villoro

4.0

Sergi Pamies ha descrito a Juan Villoro como B+un crack de la literatura futbolistica mundialB; . Durante varias decadas, el escritor mexicano se ha ocupado del oficio de patear balones y del delirio colectivo que convoca. Dios es redondo ofrece una vibrante cronica de la religion laica que llena los estadios, las mitologias y supersticiones de un deporte que ocurre en el cesped pero tambien en la

94

Rock 'n' Roll Soccer: The Short Life and Fast Times of the North American Soccer League

Ian Plenderleith, Rodney Marsh

4.0

The North American Soccer League - at its peak in the late 1970s - presented soccer as performance, played by men with a bent for flair, hair and glamour. More than just Pelé and the New York Cosmos, it lured the biggest names of the world game like Johan Cruyff, Franz Beckenbauer, Eusebio, Gerd Müller and George Best to play the sport as it was meant to be played-without inhibition, to please the

95

The End Game

David Baldacc

4.0

“Professional athletes are pillars of their respective communities. They are heroes in the eyes of boys and girls and are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that positively represents their community.”

The public loves a good scandal. Seeing someone fall from the pinnacle of success makes a great headline. No one knows that better than I do. What started out as a promising career in college

96

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

Jere Longman

4.0

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 clas

97

The United States of Soccer: MLS and the Rise of American Soccer Fandom

Phil West

4.0

In 1988, FIFA decreed that the 1994 World Cup would be played in the United States – with the condition that the U.S. would start a new professional league. The North American Soccer League had failed just four years prior, and the prospects of launching a new league for Americans, who didn’t share the rest of the world’s love for soccer, were both exciting and daunting.

The United States of Soccer

98

Gerrard: My Autobiography

Steven Gerrard

4.0

Steven Gerrard is a hero to millions, not only as the inspirational captain of Liverpool FC, but as a key member of the England team. Here, for the first time, he tells the story of his lifelong obsession with football, in an honest and revealing book which captures the extraordinary camaraderie, the soul-destroying tensions and the high-octane thrills of the modern game as never before. He speaks

99

Barca: A People's Passion

Jimmy Burns

4.0

Founded in 1898, FC Barcelona or Barca, is the world's biggest and best-loved football club. Barca has more than 500 local fan clubs spread across the world, while its championship matches attract a global TV audience. This title presents the story of FC Barcelona.

100

1000 Football Clubs: Teams, Stadiums, and Legends of the Beautiful Game

Jean Damien Lesay

4.0

The most in-depth guide to soccer clubs around the world, featuring 1,000 illustrations and more than 1,000 teams from 100 countries. This superbly illustrated volume is the fan’s most comprehensive insight into 1,000 football clubs (a.k.a., soccer teams), both professional and collegiate, from every continent, illustrating each club’s history and what it means to support their team. Included are