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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
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
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.
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Published September 4, 2025
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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 - 19 of 19 reviews
November 11, 2025
An epic undertaking. Well researched as you'd expect from Wilson and written with his usual knowing panache. Superb.
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."
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 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.
January 2, 2026
Simply the best book on football I have ever read.
January 8, 2026
The perfect voice to explain the warts and all journey of the World Cup.
January 13, 2026
Interesting and thorough with a quick enough pace through the timeliness to not get bored.
December 23, 2025
A tour de force, written by the crème de la crème of football journalism. Very few stones are left unturned by Wilson, on or off the pitch, with the World Cup’s minnows and one-timers given as much page-time as its powerhouses. The depth of research reveals some unbelievable facts, anecdotes and theories, and the connections made between football, politics and culture, often through direct reference to scholars and visionaries, kept adding new books, authors and topics to my reading list.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews