The World Cup: Heroes, Hoodlums, High-kicks and Head-butts

by Paul Hansford

Every four years in June, the planet grinds to a halt to witness the pursuit of one of sport’s greatest prizes: the FIFA World Cup. With a history populated by legends, scandal and diplomatic incidents, the tournament has seen more than its fair share of triumph, heartbreak and intrigue - not to mention dictators, temper tantrums and the tears of fully-grown men...

Join author Paul Hansford on a journey into the (sometimes dark) heart of the World Cup, where the biggest names in football - Pele, Maradona, More, Beckenbauer, Cruyff, Ronaldo - forged their legends, and where the weird and wonderful side of the sport - from shoeless strikers and stolen trophies to psychic Dutchmen and doggy disruptions - captures the world’s imagination. Complete with a profile of every World Cup from 1930 to 2010, as well as a look at the tournament’s cult heroes, footballing superpowers, shocking moments and best conspiracy theories, this is your essential companion to the greatest - and maddest - month in world football.

Genres: Football

202 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2014

Reviews

[Stephen Callan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Needs a bit of fact checking but don’t let the truth get in the way of a good story! This was a humorous way to prep for the current World Cup.

[Christopher Ainsworth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny and interesting history of the World Cup. Some phrases felt weirdly dated. Structure of each chapter going chronologically makes it feel a repetitive.

[Mike Stuchbery · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of fun, a good history of the competition and some great trivia.

[Mary Abraham · Rating 2 out of 5]

It reads like a statistics book - not what I was expecting