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The Power and the Glory: A New History of the World Cup
'A master at telling football's greatest ever stories... Breathtaking. Wilson's eye for detail and his elegant writing brings the World Cup to life like no other book on the topic I have ever read' ELIS JAMES
'Epic in scope, awesomely rich in detail, and compulsively entertaining' TOM HOLLAND
'So much of what we know of football's history we know thanks to Wilson' SIMON KUPER
'Wilson is football's pre-eminent popular historian' OBSERVER
The football World Cup is the most watched sporting event on the planet. It has become a global 211 nations initially entered the 2022 edition. It has been running for almost a century. Yet there is no comprehensive history of the based on fresh interviews and meticulously researched this book will change that.
By 1930, football had outgrown the Olympic Games. A new competition, run by Fifa, would take international football to the next level. After a shambolic start to the first cup in Uruguay - an incomplete stadium, shoddy refereeing and physios accidentally injuring players - the thrilling final saw Uruguay take on Argentina, beating them 4-2.
From those chaotic beginnings grew the modern World Cup, a cultural phenomenon that draws the world together like nothing else, and that gives it a profound importance. Ask a random person on a random street to name a moment in the history of Senegal and they may well say Pape Bouba Diop's winner against France in the 2002 World Cup, a goal not only against the defending champions but against the former colonial masters.
The World Cup has political significance. West Germany's success in 1954 was a moment of reintegration into global society. Progress to the semi-finals in 1998 gave a huge boost to Croatia's sense of national self. But football is an unpredictable sport. In the so-called Soccer War of 1969 tensions between El Salvador and Honduras were ignited by a World Cup qualifier. More recently, the focus for governments seeking to political gain has been hosting the tournament, with the World Cups in Russia and Qatar clear examples of sportswashing, staging a tournament to project an image of a thriving society.
There has never been a comprehensive history of the World Cup that has considered not only the matches and goals, the players and coaches, the tales of scandal and genius, the haggling and skulduggery of the bidding process, but has also placed the tournaments within a socio-political framework. The story of the World Cup is also the story of the world; this book tells its definitive history.
'Epic in scope, awesomely rich in detail, and compulsively entertaining' TOM HOLLAND
'So much of what we know of football's history we know thanks to Wilson' SIMON KUPER
'Wilson is football's pre-eminent popular historian' OBSERVER
The football World Cup is the most watched sporting event on the planet. It has become a global 211 nations initially entered the 2022 edition. It has been running for almost a century. Yet there is no comprehensive history of the based on fresh interviews and meticulously researched this book will change that.
By 1930, football had outgrown the Olympic Games. A new competition, run by Fifa, would take international football to the next level. After a shambolic start to the first cup in Uruguay - an incomplete stadium, shoddy refereeing and physios accidentally injuring players - the thrilling final saw Uruguay take on Argentina, beating them 4-2.
From those chaotic beginnings grew the modern World Cup, a cultural phenomenon that draws the world together like nothing else, and that gives it a profound importance. Ask a random person on a random street to name a moment in the history of Senegal and they may well say Pape Bouba Diop's winner against France in the 2002 World Cup, a goal not only against the defending champions but against the former colonial masters.
The World Cup has political significance. West Germany's success in 1954 was a moment of reintegration into global society. Progress to the semi-finals in 1998 gave a huge boost to Croatia's sense of national self. But football is an unpredictable sport. In the so-called Soccer War of 1969 tensions between El Salvador and Honduras were ignited by a World Cup qualifier. More recently, the focus for governments seeking to political gain has been hosting the tournament, with the World Cups in Russia and Qatar clear examples of sportswashing, staging a tournament to project an image of a thriving society.
There has never been a comprehensive history of the World Cup that has considered not only the matches and goals, the players and coaches, the tales of scandal and genius, the haggling and skulduggery of the bidding process, but has also placed the tournaments within a socio-political framework. The story of the World Cup is also the story of the world; this book tells its definitive history.
697 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 4, 2025
103 people are currently reading
492 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Wilson
86 books51 followersJonathan Wilson is a British-born writer and professor who lives in Newton, Massachusetts.
Jonathan Wilson is the author of seven books: the novels The Hiding Room and A Palestine Affair, a finalist for the 2004 National Jewish Book Award, two collections of short stories Schoom and An Ambulance is on the Way: Stories of Men in Trouble, two critical works on the fiction of Saul Bellow and most recently a biography, Marc Chagall, runner-up for the 2007 National Jewish Book Award. His work has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine and Best American Short Stories, among other publications, and he has received a Guggenheim Fellowship. He is Fletcher Professor of Rhetoric and Debate, Professor of English and Director of the Center for the Humanities at Tufts University.
Wilson also writes a column on soccer for the Internet Newspaper, The Faster Times.
Jonathan Wilson is the author of seven books: the novels The Hiding Room and A Palestine Affair, a finalist for the 2004 National Jewish Book Award, two collections of short stories Schoom and An Ambulance is on the Way: Stories of Men in Trouble, two critical works on the fiction of Saul Bellow and most recently a biography, Marc Chagall, runner-up for the 2007 National Jewish Book Award. His work has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine and Best American Short Stories, among other publications, and he has received a Guggenheim Fellowship. He is Fletcher Professor of Rhetoric and Debate, Professor of English and Director of the Center for the Humanities at Tufts University.
Wilson also writes a column on soccer for the Internet Newspaper, The Faster Times.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
March 4, 2026
*Thanks to NetGalley for an eARC of this book*
There is nothing objectively wrong with this book, but I have been trying to read it since October, and I am still only one third of the way through it.
I think the information and writing style are excellently researched and presented, but I prefer my histories to have less game-by-game play back type description. I am someone who does not picture things when I read and I think the constant descriptions of games and plays meant that I was constantly lost in the words and disconnecting from the overall narrative.
This is definitely a me issue and not a book issue though and so I do wholeheartedly recommend this title to anyone who is interested in the World Cup and in the ways that sport and politics have always mixed.
There is nothing objectively wrong with this book, but I have been trying to read it since October, and I am still only one third of the way through it.
I think the information and writing style are excellently researched and presented, but I prefer my histories to have less game-by-game play back type description. I am someone who does not picture things when I read and I think the constant descriptions of games and plays meant that I was constantly lost in the words and disconnecting from the overall narrative.
This is definitely a me issue and not a book issue though and so I do wholeheartedly recommend this title to anyone who is interested in the World Cup and in the ways that sport and politics have always mixed.
November 11, 2025
An epic undertaking. Well researched as you'd expect from Wilson and written with his usual knowing panache. Superb.
February 16, 2026
Thorough and cutting. I got through this incredibly quickly as it is a narrative powered by well-placed gossip and intriguing mini-biographies. e.g. The Austrian team apologising for not turning up to 1938 because of Anschluss-and-all-that is a helluva way to start a chapter.
That said Wilson is willing to brave some analysis and postulate some theories for some of the darker mysteries; why the World Cup may have been nicked-and-dumped in 1966, the origin of FIFA's modern sin in Joã0 Havelange and how the tournament is becoming further mired in corruption and death but also how that is nothing new.
I plan to pass this book round liberally as I am keen to discuss the gossip; from Henry Kissinger believing he'd been humiliated by other's underhand diplomacy to how España 1982 was probably the World Cup at it's peak for pure drama with Rossi's redemption and West Germany being pantomime villians.
Warning. When listening to the audiobook there can be sudden jumps from one narrative to the next in one tournament, which can occasionally leave you a little lost for a few seconds.
That said Wilson is willing to brave some analysis and postulate some theories for some of the darker mysteries; why the World Cup may have been nicked-and-dumped in 1966, the origin of FIFA's modern sin in Joã0 Havelange and how the tournament is becoming further mired in corruption and death but also how that is nothing new.
I plan to pass this book round liberally as I am keen to discuss the gossip; from Henry Kissinger believing he'd been humiliated by other's underhand diplomacy to how España 1982 was probably the World Cup at it's peak for pure drama with Rossi's redemption and West Germany being pantomime villians.
Warning. When listening to the audiobook there can be sudden jumps from one narrative to the next in one tournament, which can occasionally leave you a little lost for a few seconds.
February 26, 2026
As usual with Wilson’s books, any notion that the “old days” of football were free of the political and social issues that seem so intertwined with the modern game were convincingly swept away. Nothing new is under the sun, yet there is a clear distinction between the days of stolen bracelets and pool parties vs selling tournaments to petro-states. Yet, as he reminds us, as the World Cup survived Mussolini, the Junta and Putin, it will survive its latest afflictions.
Besides the sweeping social analysis, the characteristic detours into and tidbits about the oddities of international football were extremely entertaining; reminding us at the end of the day mankind has always been wonderfully bizarre. Good stuff.
Besides the sweeping social analysis, the characteristic detours into and tidbits about the oddities of international football were extremely entertaining; reminding us at the end of the day mankind has always been wonderfully bizarre. Good stuff.
March 8, 2026
Wilson has such a readable style. He seems to truly understand the balance between the depth needed to be a truly informative history, the feeling and folklore around being a football fan, but also a dedication to the truth and factual accuracy. This covers some of the same ground as David Goldblatt's totemic The Ball Is Round, but with a much more fluid style that lends itself to better storytelling. A hefty tome but still felt like it flew by.
January 27, 2026
Wilson is in his element here, telling 20th century political and cultural history through the lens of football. It is clear he’s more knowledgeable about / intetested in some teams more than others (much of the Argentina material here is rehashed from Angels with Dirty Faces, for example), but there are always going to be focuses and absences in a book like this. Really enjoyed it.
February 8, 2026
A well researched and thorough insight into the history of the World Cup. Each chapter is a different world cup told chronologically building into (for me) the more recent world cups and familiarity. What is driven home is that the World Cup has always been a means of exercising soft power or sports washing. Even if teams at the beginning thought it was a silly waste of time. The depressing level of corruption, autocracy and corporate sterilization is very present in more recent years but those moments and images of the pure joy and crushing disappointment (in a sporting sense) still shine through. From the hand of God, to the Zidane headbutt to Messi finally winning, to Gazza's tears - we still love it all even if the noise increasingly encroaches on the purity of the game. Or was it ever that pure?
January 19, 2026
really enjoyed getting stuck into this on my week off work. great read
February 22, 2026
Epic. Thorough. I probably should've saved this for closer to the actual tournament
March 2, 2026
Imperfect yet interesting
While this is indeed a history of the World Cup, because of the focus of a chapter per tournament and the attempt of the author pull in geopolitical strands too, the reader, me, was left with the impression a series of vignettes strung together, rather than a whole, complete narrative. What would have been better is a series of books, one for each tournament, to allow the stories of and around teams and games to breathe.
There was also the impression of the author trying to squeeze in too much information and at the same time assuming too much knowledge in the casual reader - I repeatedly had to break away to check information online.
Overall, given Jonathan Wilson's reputation, I'm disappointed this was not a better reading experience.
While this is indeed a history of the World Cup, because of the focus of a chapter per tournament and the attempt of the author pull in geopolitical strands too, the reader, me, was left with the impression a series of vignettes strung together, rather than a whole, complete narrative. What would have been better is a series of books, one for each tournament, to allow the stories of and around teams and games to breathe.
There was also the impression of the author trying to squeeze in too much information and at the same time assuming too much knowledge in the casual reader - I repeatedly had to break away to check information online.
Overall, given Jonathan Wilson's reputation, I'm disappointed this was not a better reading experience.
January 26, 2026
This was a very in depth and fascinating journey through the history of the World Cup and as a by-product, some of the histories of the countries hosting and participating. It’s hard to square how much joy this sport and in particular this tournament brings me with supporting the international crime syndicate that is FIFA. This tournament has been steeped in corruption and human rights abuses from the beginning, with Italy hosting in 1934 under Mussolini, to the junta in Argentina 1978 and most recently Qatar.
It’s a very prescient book as the USA is about to host during this time of rising fascism. I guess it’s in some ways comforting that this tournament has survived Mussolini, Argentina, Qatar, and Sepp Blatter and it will survive Trump and Gianni Infantino.
My favorite quote comes from talking about the magic that was Messi finally lifting the World Cup in Qatar:
“Here was soccer, this phenomenon we absorb week after week, month after month, year after year, in which we have invested so much emotional and intellectual energy, and he was the best anybody too young to have witnessed Maradona in his prime had seen at that phenomenon, and this was probably his final appearance on the biggest stage. His brilliance, his imagination, his technical excellence were what we held up in the face of the void, in him somehow was bound a sense of the extremes of human excellence. Yes, death is inevitable. Yes, there may be no greater meaning or purpose. Yes, there may be a terrible randomness both to the formation of every ego and to its dissolution. But at least as a species we are capable of artistic creation like that.”
It’s a very prescient book as the USA is about to host during this time of rising fascism. I guess it’s in some ways comforting that this tournament has survived Mussolini, Argentina, Qatar, and Sepp Blatter and it will survive Trump and Gianni Infantino.
My favorite quote comes from talking about the magic that was Messi finally lifting the World Cup in Qatar:
“Here was soccer, this phenomenon we absorb week after week, month after month, year after year, in which we have invested so much emotional and intellectual energy, and he was the best anybody too young to have witnessed Maradona in his prime had seen at that phenomenon, and this was probably his final appearance on the biggest stage. His brilliance, his imagination, his technical excellence were what we held up in the face of the void, in him somehow was bound a sense of the extremes of human excellence. Yes, death is inevitable. Yes, there may be no greater meaning or purpose. Yes, there may be a terrible randomness both to the formation of every ego and to its dissolution. But at least as a species we are capable of artistic creation like that.”
March 8, 2026
If you think there is no precedent for Fifa President Gianni Infantino’s repulsive sycophancy towards authoritarian thugs like Trump, Putin, and MBS, then think again. Even though as I write this review one of this year’s host nations has started bombing one of the qualified countries, Jonathan Wilson’s history of the World Cup shows how the tournament – almost from its very inception – has been a vehicle for sportswashing, political chicanery, financial corruption and toadying to dictatorships.
Wilson has said that “The Power and his Glory” is his attempt to update Brian Glanville’s canonical history of the World Cup (or at least to write a less anglo-centric version of Glanville’s text). But this is really a political history of the World Cup, with Jonathan Wilson focusing on the forces – whether they be economic, military, or socio-cultural – that shaped each tournament.
So, if you thought that Qatar 2022 was an especially heinous example of sportswashing, examine Argentina 1978: a world cup hosted in the midst of what was essentially a civil war, with 30,000 people ‘disappeared’ by the ruling military junta. Sports and politics have always mixed at the World Cup, a case in point being the narco-terrorism that doomed Colombia’s bid for world cup at USA 94. In this rigorously researched book, Wilson presents the political forces that have propelled each tournament, including how some of the earliest World Cups became promotional campaigns for Italian fascism and a way that Mussolini’s regime could project its power internationally.
In sketching the history of the World Cup, Jonathan Wilson leans heavily on his previous histories of Argentinian and Hungarian football and his book on the Charlton brothers (no bad thing seeing as Wilson has written the definitive accounts of all those subjects). Given its seismic impact on football over the last decade and a half, Wilson pays suprisingly scant attention to the corrupt process behind the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar respectively (Simon Kuper’s recent book on the World Cup provides much greater insight on these hugely significant decisions). In spite of that, Wilson’s chapter on Qatar 2022 captures the nauseatingly surreal nature of that tournament, as representing “the perfect image of the new colonialism in a globalised world”.
While international football has - since the start of the 21st century – declined in standards and prestige relative to the club game, when it comes to collective events for humanity the World Cup remains at the pinnacle. By writing this warts-and-all account of the World Cup – by showing the political duplicity that so often lurks behind the beauty and drama on the pitch - Jonathan Wilson has written a history of the competition that could easily go toe-to-toe with that of Glanville. If you are so revolted by Infantino’s kowtowing to Trumpian fascism that you are planning to boycott the 2026 tournament, there would be few better uses of that time than immersing yourself in this impressive tome.
Wilson has said that “The Power and his Glory” is his attempt to update Brian Glanville’s canonical history of the World Cup (or at least to write a less anglo-centric version of Glanville’s text). But this is really a political history of the World Cup, with Jonathan Wilson focusing on the forces – whether they be economic, military, or socio-cultural – that shaped each tournament.
So, if you thought that Qatar 2022 was an especially heinous example of sportswashing, examine Argentina 1978: a world cup hosted in the midst of what was essentially a civil war, with 30,000 people ‘disappeared’ by the ruling military junta. Sports and politics have always mixed at the World Cup, a case in point being the narco-terrorism that doomed Colombia’s bid for world cup at USA 94. In this rigorously researched book, Wilson presents the political forces that have propelled each tournament, including how some of the earliest World Cups became promotional campaigns for Italian fascism and a way that Mussolini’s regime could project its power internationally.
In sketching the history of the World Cup, Jonathan Wilson leans heavily on his previous histories of Argentinian and Hungarian football and his book on the Charlton brothers (no bad thing seeing as Wilson has written the definitive accounts of all those subjects). Given its seismic impact on football over the last decade and a half, Wilson pays suprisingly scant attention to the corrupt process behind the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar respectively (Simon Kuper’s recent book on the World Cup provides much greater insight on these hugely significant decisions). In spite of that, Wilson’s chapter on Qatar 2022 captures the nauseatingly surreal nature of that tournament, as representing “the perfect image of the new colonialism in a globalised world”.
While international football has - since the start of the 21st century – declined in standards and prestige relative to the club game, when it comes to collective events for humanity the World Cup remains at the pinnacle. By writing this warts-and-all account of the World Cup – by showing the political duplicity that so often lurks behind the beauty and drama on the pitch - Jonathan Wilson has written a history of the competition that could easily go toe-to-toe with that of Glanville. If you are so revolted by Infantino’s kowtowing to Trumpian fascism that you are planning to boycott the 2026 tournament, there would be few better uses of that time than immersing yourself in this impressive tome.
March 16, 2026
This is a chunky book, covering the entire history of the FIFA World Cup from the first edition in 1930. It doesn't just focus on facts and figures, scores and fixtures, but instead delves deeper into the people who made each edition of the World Cup what it was, both on and off the pitch.
Jonathan Wilson knows how to tell a tale, and each chapter is structured to best reveal the story he is telling for that particular tournament. For a year like 1930, the progression is relatively linear to cover the evolution of the World Cup itself and follow Uruguay's path to become its first champions. For 1986, Wilson talks about the final before cycling back to the quarter-final between Argentina and England, a proxy for the tensions raised by the Falklands War and the greatest example of the flawed genius of Maradonna. For 2006, he starts at the final, the headbutt felt around the world.
For all of my appreciation about this book not being a stuffy collection of facts, I would have appreciated slightly more facts. There was nothing in the book about the various changes in format that the World Cup has undergone over the years, which left me confused more than once in the years with a second group stage. There were also a few times when reference was made to a previous World Cup without it being made clear, another source of confusion.
My main problem with the book was the three separate references to Laurent Blanc being France captain in 1998. It being one of the relatively few World Cups I can actually remember, I was pretty sure that Didier Deschamps was captain but Wilson was adamant that Deschamps only captained France in the final because Blanc had been suspended after picking up a red card in the semi-final. Did I go back and watch the semi-final to confirm this? Yes, yes I did. Blanc wasn't captain.
I enjoyed how Wilson wasn't afraid to address the less pleasant sides of the World Cup, from the rampant corruption, to the sportswashing of totalitarian regimes, to Neymar being a petulant pup. I didn't think Mick McCarthy deserved to be used as a by-word for mediocrity though.
Overall, an enjoyable read for a football fan. It's just a shame it'll be out of date in three months' time
Jonathan Wilson knows how to tell a tale, and each chapter is structured to best reveal the story he is telling for that particular tournament. For a year like 1930, the progression is relatively linear to cover the evolution of the World Cup itself and follow Uruguay's path to become its first champions. For 1986, Wilson talks about the final before cycling back to the quarter-final between Argentina and England, a proxy for the tensions raised by the Falklands War and the greatest example of the flawed genius of Maradonna. For 2006, he starts at the final, the headbutt felt around the world.
For all of my appreciation about this book not being a stuffy collection of facts, I would have appreciated slightly more facts. There was nothing in the book about the various changes in format that the World Cup has undergone over the years, which left me confused more than once in the years with a second group stage. There were also a few times when reference was made to a previous World Cup without it being made clear, another source of confusion.
My main problem with the book was the three separate references to Laurent Blanc being France captain in 1998. It being one of the relatively few World Cups I can actually remember, I was pretty sure that Didier Deschamps was captain but Wilson was adamant that Deschamps only captained France in the final because Blanc had been suspended after picking up a red card in the semi-final. Did I go back and watch the semi-final to confirm this? Yes, yes I did. Blanc wasn't captain.
I enjoyed how Wilson wasn't afraid to address the less pleasant sides of the World Cup, from the rampant corruption, to the sportswashing of totalitarian regimes, to Neymar being a petulant pup. I didn't think Mick McCarthy deserved to be used as a by-word for mediocrity though.
Overall, an enjoyable read for a football fan. It's just a shame it'll be out of date in three months' time
October 29, 2025
A wonderful read and a great history of the World Cup, not just the football side of it but the socio-political and economic side.
Each chapter details the build up to each World Cup and how it came to bed and the politics and personalities. Yes the football is the star of the show but the supporting cast are no less enjoyable (sometimes for the wrong reasons).
Politics and using the World Cup as a vehicle to put on a front has never been changed only the Mussolinis, Juntas of yesterday are today's sportswashing with the recent Qatar and upcoming Saudi World Cups. With all the money spent on World Cups they are essentially white elephants after the Greatest Show On Earth leaves the staidums remain and all the problems of the people and millions (now billions) of debt remains. Especially as the World Cup has gone to countries like South Africa and Brazil where people are dispalced for the stadia and nobody really cares what happens afterwards.
Reading the book the interesting thing for me is two World Cups 1970 and 2002. 1970 was when football and the World Cup went colour and commercial and 2002 is when footballers were truly global.
2002 also happened to be my first World Cup where I paid attention to football and I can remember becoming a teenage expert in the metatarsal bone, loving the Fevernova ball, Anh Jung-Hwan's goal against Italy, Ronaldinhos free kick and Rivaldo's play acting. Until 2022 being a Welshman we only saw the World Cup here in the UK through the rose tinted glasses of England. Though as an adult I dislike international football and feel no connection to it.
I digress but the book highlights to me that football has changed as technology and globalisation grows and improves but the politicking and corruption has been ever present. The names change Rimet, Rous, Havelange, Blatter, Infantino but the self-serving rot is always there.
Each chapter details the build up to each World Cup and how it came to bed and the politics and personalities. Yes the football is the star of the show but the supporting cast are no less enjoyable (sometimes for the wrong reasons).
Politics and using the World Cup as a vehicle to put on a front has never been changed only the Mussolinis, Juntas of yesterday are today's sportswashing with the recent Qatar and upcoming Saudi World Cups. With all the money spent on World Cups they are essentially white elephants after the Greatest Show On Earth leaves the staidums remain and all the problems of the people and millions (now billions) of debt remains. Especially as the World Cup has gone to countries like South Africa and Brazil where people are dispalced for the stadia and nobody really cares what happens afterwards.
Reading the book the interesting thing for me is two World Cups 1970 and 2002. 1970 was when football and the World Cup went colour and commercial and 2002 is when footballers were truly global.
2002 also happened to be my first World Cup where I paid attention to football and I can remember becoming a teenage expert in the metatarsal bone, loving the Fevernova ball, Anh Jung-Hwan's goal against Italy, Ronaldinhos free kick and Rivaldo's play acting. Until 2022 being a Welshman we only saw the World Cup here in the UK through the rose tinted glasses of England. Though as an adult I dislike international football and feel no connection to it.
I digress but the book highlights to me that football has changed as technology and globalisation grows and improves but the politicking and corruption has been ever present. The names change Rimet, Rous, Havelange, Blatter, Infantino but the self-serving rot is always there.
October 4, 2025
“The World Cup has never been just about football — it is politics, power, and identity played out on a global stage.”
Jonathan Wilson’s The Power and the Glory: The Definitive History of the World Cup is a sweeping, engaging history of football’s greatest stage. Wilson shows that the World Cup has always been about more than goals and trophies: it’s a story of politics, identity, and power.
What makes the book shine are the contrasts — the chaos of the early years, like the 1930 final with “penalty spots in the wrong place” and police wandering the pitch, against the modern mega-spectacle where, as Wilson notes, “every stadium, slogan, bid and broadcast is freighted with meaning.”
Football highlights include Brazil’s 1970 side (“the greatest team ever to win a World Cup”), scandals such as Argentina’s 6–0 win over Peru in 1978, and unforgettable flashpoints like the infamous “Battle of Santiago” in 1962, which commentator David Coleman called “the most stupid, appalling, disgusting and disgraceful exhibition of football, possibly in the history of the game.” But the deals, bribes, politics and scandals are just as engaging, as is the corruption within FIFA - and the damning last chapter on Qatar finals.
Sometimes the level of detail on governance or bidding can feel heavy, but overall Wilson balances narrative and analysis well. This is not just a history of football — it’s a history of the world seen through football. For fans of the game or anyone interested in how sport and politics collide, it’s essential reading.
Jonathan Wilson’s The Power and the Glory: The Definitive History of the World Cup is a sweeping, engaging history of football’s greatest stage. Wilson shows that the World Cup has always been about more than goals and trophies: it’s a story of politics, identity, and power.
What makes the book shine are the contrasts — the chaos of the early years, like the 1930 final with “penalty spots in the wrong place” and police wandering the pitch, against the modern mega-spectacle where, as Wilson notes, “every stadium, slogan, bid and broadcast is freighted with meaning.”
Football highlights include Brazil’s 1970 side (“the greatest team ever to win a World Cup”), scandals such as Argentina’s 6–0 win over Peru in 1978, and unforgettable flashpoints like the infamous “Battle of Santiago” in 1962, which commentator David Coleman called “the most stupid, appalling, disgusting and disgraceful exhibition of football, possibly in the history of the game.” But the deals, bribes, politics and scandals are just as engaging, as is the corruption within FIFA - and the damning last chapter on Qatar finals.
Sometimes the level of detail on governance or bidding can feel heavy, but overall Wilson balances narrative and analysis well. This is not just a history of football — it’s a history of the world seen through football. For fans of the game or anyone interested in how sport and politics collide, it’s essential reading.
November 25, 2025
What more is there to be said about the great Jonathan Wilson? Without a shadow of a doubt, the greatest English speaking football writer of his generation. Anytime Wilson writes about a topic, it almost certainly becomes the definitive literature on the matter, whether that be Brian Clough, Hungarian football, or now the behemoth that is the men’s World Cup.
Wilson was a huge inspiration to me personally, as I decided to pursue a career in sports journalism, and I am frequently amazed by just how wonderful his work is. In a world that feels increasingly sterile, dystopian, and bizarre, Wilson’s work feels pure, rooted in reality. We could do with more of that
I find his books (and I mean this in the best way possible) to be like connect-the-dot books for adults. He’ll drop nuggets of information on page 22 that will play into the wider story on page 331.
No one has, or ever will, for that matter, examined the World Cup in such forensic detail. Without a second thought, this is my sport’s book of the year.
The only thing I’d say: just needed a little bit more Sunderland discussion.
Superb as always.
Wilson was a huge inspiration to me personally, as I decided to pursue a career in sports journalism, and I am frequently amazed by just how wonderful his work is. In a world that feels increasingly sterile, dystopian, and bizarre, Wilson’s work feels pure, rooted in reality. We could do with more of that
I find his books (and I mean this in the best way possible) to be like connect-the-dot books for adults. He’ll drop nuggets of information on page 22 that will play into the wider story on page 331.
No one has, or ever will, for that matter, examined the World Cup in such forensic detail. Without a second thought, this is my sport’s book of the year.
The only thing I’d say: just needed a little bit more Sunderland discussion.
Superb as always.
January 4, 2026
This is an extremely readable account of all the World Cup tournaments that we have had so far, as shown by me reading it in three days. It is also written in Wilson's trademark somewhat acerbic style but also in his genuine love for both the game and a good story. The desire to balance a love for the sport and a clear loathing for its administrators becomes increasingly evident as we get to the frankly depressing chapter about Qatar.
The other achievement of this book is to set these tournaments in their full political and social context in a way that is particularly effective when writing about the early tournaments, and those of us who enjoy his football history podcasts will recognise a lot of old topics, explained with clarity and passion.
At times the scale of the project of writing about all of the interesting things that a World Cup can throw up almost seems to overwhelm, and we can feel his desire to go 'and I need to tell you about this'. This means it might be best to read them as individual essays rather than as a whole, come back to the book again and again - but there's no denying it's really good fun.
The other achievement of this book is to set these tournaments in their full political and social context in a way that is particularly effective when writing about the early tournaments, and those of us who enjoy his football history podcasts will recognise a lot of old topics, explained with clarity and passion.
At times the scale of the project of writing about all of the interesting things that a World Cup can throw up almost seems to overwhelm, and we can feel his desire to go 'and I need to tell you about this'. This means it might be best to read them as individual essays rather than as a whole, come back to the book again and again - but there's no denying it's really good fun.
December 10, 2025
No connection with Graham Greene,apart from sharing a 5 star rating.
Wilson makes the book entertaining by combining sociological and economic trends with the four- yearly events.Apart from the amusing stories,the reader is kept entertained by the continuing strand of corruption, something which the current head of FIFA,Infantino, has brought to a new level.
Stories of the ego and sexual peccadilloes of players are enlightening.The sad saga of the slightly nutty Maradona are summed up by him telling the Press to "suck it and keep on sucking".The mafia of Naples probably sent him over the edge in the end.
There are heartening stories as well:the continuing epic success of Uruguay from 1930 is proof that small nations can thrive.The early World Cups with their amateurism and often bizarre events are a treat when compared to the modern game.
The endless and worsening corruption is the standout of the story though.As the author says":To question that is simply to misunderstand how FIFA works."
Wilson makes the book entertaining by combining sociological and economic trends with the four- yearly events.Apart from the amusing stories,the reader is kept entertained by the continuing strand of corruption, something which the current head of FIFA,Infantino, has brought to a new level.
Stories of the ego and sexual peccadilloes of players are enlightening.The sad saga of the slightly nutty Maradona are summed up by him telling the Press to "suck it and keep on sucking".The mafia of Naples probably sent him over the edge in the end.
There are heartening stories as well:the continuing epic success of Uruguay from 1930 is proof that small nations can thrive.The early World Cups with their amateurism and often bizarre events are a treat when compared to the modern game.
The endless and worsening corruption is the standout of the story though.As the author says":To question that is simply to misunderstand how FIFA works."
February 24, 2026
A couple of years ago, something happened to me — I fell in love with football. It finally clicked with me, even after a childhood spent kicking a ball about in the playground, I never really cared about the professional game. From grassroots level to the World Cup, the main thing that drives football are the stories in and around the sport.
Wilson's love for football is present on every page and his research and knowledge shine through in a pop culture analysis of world history through the lens of the World Cup, cut up into a new slice every four years — one for every year of the tournament since its inception.
A must-read for fans of football and, arguably, for anyone remotely interested in the sport or the World Cup, especially ahead of the 2026 edition in a couple of months from the time of writing.
Wilson's love for football is present on every page and his research and knowledge shine through in a pop culture analysis of world history through the lens of the World Cup, cut up into a new slice every four years — one for every year of the tournament since its inception.
A must-read for fans of football and, arguably, for anyone remotely interested in the sport or the World Cup, especially ahead of the 2026 edition in a couple of months from the time of writing.
December 10, 2025
Here is as close to a definitive history of the World Cup as you can get. Sometimes the author's writing gets in the way of the stories he is trying to tell, particularly in the accounts of early Cups. You can get lost as he switches from one team to another in each chapter, and the game accounts often don't translate well. Then again, there is such a wealth of such unbelievable material here about greed and arrogance among players, coaches and bureaucrats that a dispassionate accounting works the best. By the end, the overwhelming bloat on display at the organizational level is difficult to reconcile with the quality seen on the pitch.
January 31, 2026
Excellent, comprehensive history of the men's football world cup from its inception through to the 2022 tournament that digs into notable matches, players, managers, and incidents, as well as into the backdrop against which each tournament was carried out, and doesn't turn a blind eye to the the dirty dealings and corruption at the highest levels of FIFA, sportswashing and political posturing involved over the decades.
February 17, 2026
This is a must read if you are a soccer fan (even if once every four years) or interested in world history or both. The research is meticulous but it never seems overly pedantic. Reading the book brought back so many memories but also highlighted facts under the surface which I’d never known previously, including the corruption circlejerk at FIFA. My only gripe is that it could use a little more editing. But hard to not give this five stars.
January 13, 2026
A dream book for lovers of football and history. Many chapters leave you keen to delve deeper into some of the host countries’ pasts, as Wilson has done with ‘Angels with Dirty Faces’.
The book also contains great insight into the inner workings of FIFA and outlines how it transitions from a footballing body to profit-orientated global powerhouse.
The book also contains great insight into the inner workings of FIFA and outlines how it transitions from a footballing body to profit-orientated global powerhouse.
October 31, 2025
Great book about the World Cup. One chapter per tournament from Uruguay 1930 to Qatar 2022. Not just about football , plenty of background information about the competing nations and the political situation etc in ther countries. A must for football fans everywhere.
December 21, 2025
An outstanding walk through each world cup with the key figures and drama that dominated each version, along with the evolution of FIFA throughout. As always, Wilson combines a keen eye for details with a gift for storytelling.
January 1, 2026
Incredible. 500 pages but I didn't want it to end. Somehow with the benefit of context it doesn't feel that the game's gone, or at least it's always been a bit gone. World Cup fever has officially started (6 months early)...
November 11, 2025
Excellent book from a great author. He manages to cover all World Cups but with different angles, not a list of results
November 18, 2025
Superb as always from Jonathan Wilson, such a great football historian
November 24, 2025
Insightful. Well researched.
December 14, 2025
This is brilliantly written and beautifully researched. Another excellent book from one of my favourite writers on football.
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