What do you think?
Rate this book
The Power and the Glory: The History of the World Cup
A definitive new history of the world’s most watched sporting event—just in time for the 2026 tournament
"Wilson is the game’s pre-eminent popular historian."—Observer (UK)
An Irish Times Best Sports Book of the Year
Since 1930, the World Cup has become a truly global obsession. It is the most watched sporting event on the planet, and 211 teams competed to make it into the 2022 tournament. From its inception, it has also been a vehicle for far more than soccer. A tool for self-mythologizing and influence-peddling, The World Cup has played a crucial role in nation-building, and continues to, as countries negotiate their positions in a globalized world.
The Power and the Glory is a comprehensive history of the matches and goals, the tales of scandal and triumph, the haggling and skulduggery of the bidding process, and the political and cultural tides behind every tournament. Jonathan Wilson details not merely what happened but why, based on fresh interviews and meticulous research. The book is as much about the legends of the sport, from Pelé to Messi, as it is about the nations that made them, from Mussolini’s Italy to partitioned Germany to controversy-ridden Qatar.
Brimming with politics, heart, and drama, on and off the pitch, The Power and the Glory is the definitive story of the greatest cultural event of our time.
"Wilson is the game’s pre-eminent popular historian."—Observer (UK)
An Irish Times Best Sports Book of the Year
Since 1930, the World Cup has become a truly global obsession. It is the most watched sporting event on the planet, and 211 teams competed to make it into the 2022 tournament. From its inception, it has also been a vehicle for far more than soccer. A tool for self-mythologizing and influence-peddling, The World Cup has played a crucial role in nation-building, and continues to, as countries negotiate their positions in a globalized world.
The Power and the Glory is a comprehensive history of the matches and goals, the tales of scandal and triumph, the haggling and skulduggery of the bidding process, and the political and cultural tides behind every tournament. Jonathan Wilson details not merely what happened but why, based on fresh interviews and meticulous research. The book is as much about the legends of the sport, from Pelé to Messi, as it is about the nations that made them, from Mussolini’s Italy to partitioned Germany to controversy-ridden Qatar.
Brimming with politics, heart, and drama, on and off the pitch, The Power and the Glory is the definitive story of the greatest cultural event of our time.
Audible Audio
First published September 4, 2025
About the author
Jonathan Wilson
86 books54 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 159 reviews
June 4, 2026
I started this audiobook on 21 April, with the thought that I had best read it now, since by 20 July it will no longer be a history encompassing every tournament. As it happens I only just got it finished in time for the start of the upcoming one. It’s certainly the most comprehensive history of the World Cup that I’ve read.
There’s a lot of politics in here. That’s fair enough since, as the author says, the World Cup has never been just about football. Possibly the politics took over a bit in the last few chapters. I had to roll my eyes at what seemed an unnecessary reference to Brexit in the review of the 2018 tournament. The last chapter really focuses on the appalling abuse of the migrant workers in Qatar who built the stadiums for the 2022 championship - not that I disagreed with anything the author said about that.
The early tournaments had a sort of charmingly amateurish quality to them. The players from the 4 European countries who competed in 1930 regarded the whole thing as “a bit of a lark.” As late as 1950 only 13 countries competed in the finals. Right from the start though, there were a great many highly suspicious refereeing decisions, and multiple allegations of referees being bought. These suspicions have continued into the current century, though for recent tournaments the focus in the book is more on the astonishing levels of corruption involved in bidding to host the tournament. It has been almost impossible to be appointed as host country without extensive use of bribes, something many FIFA delegates viewed as simply a perk of the job.
The 1970 World Cup is the first one I can remember, and the book has plenty of nostalgic memories for people of my age.
It’s a bit impressionistic at times, and I often had a feeling that post-hoc rationalisations were being applied to explain victories and defeats. Still, a worthwhile read for those interested in the history of the World Cup.
I found the narration of the audiobook a little odd. There were times when there are longish pauses in the middle of a paragraph, but at other times the narrator jumps to a different subject without pausing for breath, and the listener doesn’t initially realise that the topic has changed.
There’s a lot of politics in here. That’s fair enough since, as the author says, the World Cup has never been just about football. Possibly the politics took over a bit in the last few chapters. I had to roll my eyes at what seemed an unnecessary reference to Brexit in the review of the 2018 tournament. The last chapter really focuses on the appalling abuse of the migrant workers in Qatar who built the stadiums for the 2022 championship - not that I disagreed with anything the author said about that.
The early tournaments had a sort of charmingly amateurish quality to them. The players from the 4 European countries who competed in 1930 regarded the whole thing as “a bit of a lark.” As late as 1950 only 13 countries competed in the finals. Right from the start though, there were a great many highly suspicious refereeing decisions, and multiple allegations of referees being bought. These suspicions have continued into the current century, though for recent tournaments the focus in the book is more on the astonishing levels of corruption involved in bidding to host the tournament. It has been almost impossible to be appointed as host country without extensive use of bribes, something many FIFA delegates viewed as simply a perk of the job.
The 1970 World Cup is the first one I can remember, and the book has plenty of nostalgic memories for people of my age.
It’s a bit impressionistic at times, and I often had a feeling that post-hoc rationalisations were being applied to explain victories and defeats. Still, a worthwhile read for those interested in the history of the World Cup.
I found the narration of the audiobook a little odd. There were times when there are longish pauses in the middle of a paragraph, but at other times the narrator jumps to a different subject without pausing for breath, and the listener doesn’t initially realise that the topic has changed.
April 13, 2026
Listen; fair play.
July 20, 2026
This was exactly the type of book I wanted to read during this current World Cup.
Obviously covering the previous 22 tournaments, there's an element of just scratching the surface - but we get a detailed look at memorable results and influential players involved.
One aspect that I appreciated was the process on how the hosts were picked each time.
We also get some political and world events that has had an impact too, like no tournament in 1942 and 1946 and why Brazil Switzerland and Sweden hosted them in the 1950's.
The reunification of Germany and the break up of Yugoslavia as examples.
I was also pleasantly suprised to see my team Brighton and The Amex Stadium mentioned!
It would have been nice to have all the results included as an appendix, but that's just a minor quibble.
Obviously covering the previous 22 tournaments, there's an element of just scratching the surface - but we get a detailed look at memorable results and influential players involved.
One aspect that I appreciated was the process on how the hosts were picked each time.
We also get some political and world events that has had an impact too, like no tournament in 1942 and 1946 and why Brazil Switzerland and Sweden hosted them in the 1950's.
The reunification of Germany and the break up of Yugoslavia as examples.
I was also pleasantly suprised to see my team Brighton and The Amex Stadium mentioned!
It would have been nice to have all the results included as an appendix, but that's just a minor quibble.
July 4, 2026
Finished just in time for Canada’s historic qualifying win to the World Cup’s knockout stage! This book provided some much needed insight into the titanic political power of the beautiful game.
In my opinion, this book only slots in at 4 stars because it is both blessed and cursed with covering so much of the World Cup’s long history. When talking about players and coaches of the 30s to 50s, even a fairly knowledgeable football fan (which I consider myself), has trouble keeping up with the myriad of innovators and national heroes that pop up in this story. However, Wilson manages to synthesize close to 100 years of football in a brilliantly readable fashion, which can only be described as quite remarkable.
Especially striking was the influence that World Cup performances had on authoritarian regimes’ fates in South America, and the rampant corruption of today’s game as bribery reaches State to State levels.
Watching the current World Cup unfold, I cannot help but notice both the horrible bastardization of the world’s greatest sporting event, but also the unifying beauty of Cinderella stories and underdogs from all over the world giving it their all in the name of football.
In my opinion, this book only slots in at 4 stars because it is both blessed and cursed with covering so much of the World Cup’s long history. When talking about players and coaches of the 30s to 50s, even a fairly knowledgeable football fan (which I consider myself), has trouble keeping up with the myriad of innovators and national heroes that pop up in this story. However, Wilson manages to synthesize close to 100 years of football in a brilliantly readable fashion, which can only be described as quite remarkable.
Especially striking was the influence that World Cup performances had on authoritarian regimes’ fates in South America, and the rampant corruption of today’s game as bribery reaches State to State levels.
Watching the current World Cup unfold, I cannot help but notice both the horrible bastardization of the world’s greatest sporting event, but also the unifying beauty of Cinderella stories and underdogs from all over the world giving it their all in the name of football.
June 12, 2026
Jonathan Wilson has done it again. If Pickles the dog and Qatari bribes don’t get you in the mood for the World Cup then nothing will. Sorry that it took so long, I was watching the match.
March 28, 2026
A timely read ahead of the World Cup in the U.S. this year. Jonathan Wilson's books are always very thoroughly researched and include some fascinating small details. It's remarkable how far the World Cup (and soccer, in general) has come from being played by part-time and out-of-shape barkeepers to being the height of athletic achievement on the world stage. And how political the most watched sporting tournament in the world always has been.
June 14, 2026
The Power and the Glory: A New History of the World Cup
Jonathan Wilson. Paperback version.
A good book!
I enjoyed the political context, from mischievous chicanery to downright Machiavellian at times, as opposed to the interludes on tactical developments within the tournaments themselves. It is fascinating how often football has been a cultural adhesive that helped countries work through their sense of self in a domestic context as much as a nation’s style of played defined itself against others.
If there is criticism it is that there are a few typos and sometimes the paragraphs are a little disjointed. Also some of Wilson’s discussions of results, of the pathway to victory, are a touch teleological. That also bleeds into some perfunctory mentions of Brexit in the chapter of England’s exploits in 2018.
Nevertheless, Wilson has an eye for the curious little detail and a talent for the perfect phrase at the right time:
- Writing of Messi’s struggles to win the WC in 2014 and criticism he received in Argentina, ‘the problem with being the appointed Messiah is that when things go wrong, there will be cause for crucifixion.’ (p. 461).
- Or the coining by the Scottish head of the English FA Adam Crozier in relation to the England team of the early noughties as the ‘Golden Generation’, ‘which would haunt the side while encapsulating the spirit of entitlement that seems to undermine it, (p. 401).
- Or in Pelé’s embracement of the clamour around his public figure and commercial opportunities which ceded to his private personality ‘that division [between public figure and private individual] ceased to exist: the mask became the man’ (p. 207).
There is the sublime (over a period of six years Hungary lost only one of 51 matches: the 1954 WC Final (p. 110)) and the ridiculous (e.g. in sounding out support for England’s bid to host the 2006 World Cup, Paraguayan FIFA ExCo member Nicolás Leoz ‘demanded a knighthood, an invitation to the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton and the FA Cup be named after him’ - worth a go I guess! (p.477)).
There are also astute selections of phrases to bring out the particular cultural context: ‘It is the Waterloo of the tropics’ wrote one Brazilian in relation to their 1950 loss to Uruguay in the final at their home World Cup that became known as the Maracanazo.
On the eve of the 2026 edition, one is reminded that history does not repeat itself, but it does rhyme: see the ticketing chaos of Spain 1982 where ‘Mundiespaña, the company set up to handle logistics took advantage of the monopoly position…usually at grossly inflated prices’ (p. 266).
It is hard to draw distinct phases, but the sweep through the tournaments does provide something of such. Pre 1974 the tournaments are chaotic and surprisingly amateurish. From 1974 and the advent of Havelange as FIFA’s commander-in-chief, there is a decidedly commercial slant to the tournaments which accelerates and is best seen in the decision to give a country with a poor footballing culture at the time (USA) the competition in 1994, the expansion to 32 teams in France in 1998, and (albeit following Havelange’s departure) the ushering in of the Global Game with the awarding of it to Japan and South Korea in 2002. The tournaments from 2010 onwards appear to have been another inflection point - as from then onwards, FIFA has taken 100 per cent of broadcast, sponsorship, licensing and ticketing revenues, which previously they shared with the host nation(s) (p. 432).
Poor or extremely generous referring and/or corruption seem perennial.
Elsewhere, other notorious moments are provided helpful context. Zindane’s red card in the 2006 final is well known. Wilson notes however that it was the fourteenth red card of his career, twelve of them for retaliating after provocation (p. 409).
The best teams never to win it? They seem to have been: Hungary 1954 (Puskas), Netherlands 1974 (Cruyff, Neeskens) and Brazil 1982 (Socrates, Zico).
One is left wondering if Jules Rimet is correct, that ‘the World Cup was about using football to foster understanding amongst nations’ or if it has always been more closely hewn to Orwell’s view of football - ‘war without the shooting’!
Jonathan Wilson. Paperback version.
A good book!
I enjoyed the political context, from mischievous chicanery to downright Machiavellian at times, as opposed to the interludes on tactical developments within the tournaments themselves. It is fascinating how often football has been a cultural adhesive that helped countries work through their sense of self in a domestic context as much as a nation’s style of played defined itself against others.
If there is criticism it is that there are a few typos and sometimes the paragraphs are a little disjointed. Also some of Wilson’s discussions of results, of the pathway to victory, are a touch teleological. That also bleeds into some perfunctory mentions of Brexit in the chapter of England’s exploits in 2018.
Nevertheless, Wilson has an eye for the curious little detail and a talent for the perfect phrase at the right time:
- Writing of Messi’s struggles to win the WC in 2014 and criticism he received in Argentina, ‘the problem with being the appointed Messiah is that when things go wrong, there will be cause for crucifixion.’ (p. 461).
- Or the coining by the Scottish head of the English FA Adam Crozier in relation to the England team of the early noughties as the ‘Golden Generation’, ‘which would haunt the side while encapsulating the spirit of entitlement that seems to undermine it, (p. 401).
- Or in Pelé’s embracement of the clamour around his public figure and commercial opportunities which ceded to his private personality ‘that division [between public figure and private individual] ceased to exist: the mask became the man’ (p. 207).
There is the sublime (over a period of six years Hungary lost only one of 51 matches: the 1954 WC Final (p. 110)) and the ridiculous (e.g. in sounding out support for England’s bid to host the 2006 World Cup, Paraguayan FIFA ExCo member Nicolás Leoz ‘demanded a knighthood, an invitation to the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton and the FA Cup be named after him’ - worth a go I guess! (p.477)).
There are also astute selections of phrases to bring out the particular cultural context: ‘It is the Waterloo of the tropics’ wrote one Brazilian in relation to their 1950 loss to Uruguay in the final at their home World Cup that became known as the Maracanazo.
On the eve of the 2026 edition, one is reminded that history does not repeat itself, but it does rhyme: see the ticketing chaos of Spain 1982 where ‘Mundiespaña, the company set up to handle logistics took advantage of the monopoly position…usually at grossly inflated prices’ (p. 266).
It is hard to draw distinct phases, but the sweep through the tournaments does provide something of such. Pre 1974 the tournaments are chaotic and surprisingly amateurish. From 1974 and the advent of Havelange as FIFA’s commander-in-chief, there is a decidedly commercial slant to the tournaments which accelerates and is best seen in the decision to give a country with a poor footballing culture at the time (USA) the competition in 1994, the expansion to 32 teams in France in 1998, and (albeit following Havelange’s departure) the ushering in of the Global Game with the awarding of it to Japan and South Korea in 2002. The tournaments from 2010 onwards appear to have been another inflection point - as from then onwards, FIFA has taken 100 per cent of broadcast, sponsorship, licensing and ticketing revenues, which previously they shared with the host nation(s) (p. 432).
Poor or extremely generous referring and/or corruption seem perennial.
Elsewhere, other notorious moments are provided helpful context. Zindane’s red card in the 2006 final is well known. Wilson notes however that it was the fourteenth red card of his career, twelve of them for retaliating after provocation (p. 409).
The best teams never to win it? They seem to have been: Hungary 1954 (Puskas), Netherlands 1974 (Cruyff, Neeskens) and Brazil 1982 (Socrates, Zico).
One is left wondering if Jules Rimet is correct, that ‘the World Cup was about using football to foster understanding amongst nations’ or if it has always been more closely hewn to Orwell’s view of football - ‘war without the shooting’!
November 11, 2025
An epic undertaking. Well researched as you'd expect from Wilson and written with his usual knowing panache. Superb.
June 27, 2026
This didn't focus on the tactics quite as much, giving brief overviews of the tournaments on-field for each team, but it did a fantastic job tying the politics of the era into the storylines of each (important) team at that tournament. Very impressive example of showing how soccer goes beyond the field in so much of the world.
July 16, 2026
An excellent analysis of every World Cup to date as well as providing an accompanying socioeconomic, political, and historical context to each. Fascinating read!
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.
July 13, 2026
what a slog! it’s a 20 hour long list of facts, innit?
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 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.
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.
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 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.
June 25, 2026
A very apt book for the month that’s in it. And a very good one.
This is a detailed account of each successive finals tournament from 1930 to 2022.
The focus, naturally enough, is on the matches and the players, and these are recounted vividly and with real insight, evoking more than a few memories.
It’s fascinating to consider how specific countries can emerge or wane over time, and what influenced those trends. Why are giants of old like Austria, Hungary or Uruguay now mere also-rans? Why do the Netherlands invariably implode amidst egos and in-fighting?
In the case of more recent tournaments there is also some very good analysis of the political backdrop and prevailing winds of the day.
Unfortunately the book is beset by numerous jarring continuity errors. The fault of poor editing rather than poor research or writing I suspect.
The author examines in detail the aftermath of one particular Brazil manager’s contentious departure, without previously mentioning the circumstances; or even the fact of his leaving.
In one paragraph Paulo Rossi is a Vicenza player. In the next he’s celebrating a league title with (I assume) Juventus.
And there are many more such instances. It certainly doesn’t spoil the book, but it is a pity.
Nevertheless, this is a really good read, written with enthusiasm and expertise, and all in a very accessible style.
What better time to read it than the beginning of the 2026 adventure.
This is a detailed account of each successive finals tournament from 1930 to 2022.
The focus, naturally enough, is on the matches and the players, and these are recounted vividly and with real insight, evoking more than a few memories.
It’s fascinating to consider how specific countries can emerge or wane over time, and what influenced those trends. Why are giants of old like Austria, Hungary or Uruguay now mere also-rans? Why do the Netherlands invariably implode amidst egos and in-fighting?
In the case of more recent tournaments there is also some very good analysis of the political backdrop and prevailing winds of the day.
Unfortunately the book is beset by numerous jarring continuity errors. The fault of poor editing rather than poor research or writing I suspect.
The author examines in detail the aftermath of one particular Brazil manager’s contentious departure, without previously mentioning the circumstances; or even the fact of his leaving.
In one paragraph Paulo Rossi is a Vicenza player. In the next he’s celebrating a league title with (I assume) Juventus.
And there are many more such instances. It certainly doesn’t spoil the book, but it is a pity.
Nevertheless, this is a really good read, written with enthusiasm and expertise, and all in a very accessible style.
What better time to read it than the beginning of the 2026 adventure.
July 17, 2026
“For Jules Rimet, the World Cup was about using soccer to foster understanding among nations. Even he didn’t think it was purely about sport; his idealism, in fact, saw from the beginning that the soccer was a means to an end, even if that end was rather more wholesome than the goals of the present incarnation of FIFA. … It survived Mussolini and the Argentinian junta, it survived British indifference and Joao Havenlange, it survived the scandals of Russia and Qatar, and it will also survive Mohammed bin Salman and Gianni Infantino. Countries have always used the World Cup to promote themselves, to fight proxy wars, to project an image of unity and strengths to negotiate their positions in the world, but some small spark of Rimet’s vision remains.”
July 25, 2026
This book was the perfect accompaniment to my World Cup viewing, the way it showed that perhaps the maverick tactical developments of today’s game are just reworks of earlier football managers, and that the corruption of FIFA, especially around world cups, has always run deep was really enlightening.
Would have been 5 stars if not for a couple of errors (stating that Sam Allardyce was manager of West Ham when they signed Mascherano and Tevez when it was actually Alan Pardew, and the quote that got Anelka sent home from the 2010 tournament which has been said as false by Domenech himself) as well as very little mention of Wales and there success jn reaching the 2022 tournament, despite lots of content about the other home nations at tournaments they had reached.
Would have been 5 stars if not for a couple of errors (stating that Sam Allardyce was manager of West Ham when they signed Mascherano and Tevez when it was actually Alan Pardew, and the quote that got Anelka sent home from the 2010 tournament which has been said as false by Domenech himself) as well as very little mention of Wales and there success jn reaching the 2022 tournament, despite lots of content about the other home nations at tournaments they had reached.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
April 12, 2026A deep dive into the history of the World Cup with each chapter focusing on each edition from its inception in 1930 and the political and social backdrop of each country hosting the event and how it used the World Cup for its benefit. I couldn't help but feel roughly 20-30 pages devoted for each World Cup was insufficient, especially for someone like Wilson whose research and attention to detail (and there was a lot of research for this with 45 pages of references in the endnotes in the hardback edition) is what makes his books so readable and wondering what he could have done with more. Maybe me being a bit greedy.
Some quite interesting and amusing anecdotes throughout, as well as some mythbusting of some well-known stories from the past that have carried through time to the modern day. All in all, a recommended read for those interested in international football and its history.
3.5*
Some quite interesting and amusing anecdotes throughout, as well as some mythbusting of some well-known stories from the past that have carried through time to the modern day. All in all, a recommended read for those interested in international football and its history.
3.5*
April 30, 2026
Another excellent book from Wilson, who is probably the best football writer out there at the moment.
Whilst this is a history of each World Cup finals in turn, Wilson weaves the prevalent political and social narratives of the day into each tournament and his research and eye for detail is second to none. Amazing how many pre-war players and administrators turn out to Nazis or war criminals (or both), or how high profile referees end up getting arrested for smuggling heroin through US customs.
Wilson also destroys some of the myths and urban legends that have built up around the World Cup, shattering a few illusions, but these are more than made up for in the stranger-than-fiction tales he comes across.
My only quibble - not enough Scotland. But when we win it in the US this year, I expect a full chapter about the rise of Grant Hanley and Lyndon Dykes in the next edition.
Whilst this is a history of each World Cup finals in turn, Wilson weaves the prevalent political and social narratives of the day into each tournament and his research and eye for detail is second to none. Amazing how many pre-war players and administrators turn out to Nazis or war criminals (or both), or how high profile referees end up getting arrested for smuggling heroin through US customs.
Wilson also destroys some of the myths and urban legends that have built up around the World Cup, shattering a few illusions, but these are more than made up for in the stranger-than-fiction tales he comes across.
My only quibble - not enough Scotland. But when we win it in the US this year, I expect a full chapter about the rise of Grant Hanley and Lyndon Dykes in the next edition.
June 30, 2026
God og ambisiøs VM-historie som selvsagt er helt perfekt å lese akkurat nå. Det leses som en slags idéhistorisk fotballhistorie og ikke minst om hvordan fotballens historie og historien for øvrig henger sammen.
Denne historien er også utrolig interessant og det balanseres godt mellom skildring av samtidige politiske dimensjoner, taktisk utvikling, kampreferat og morsomme anekdoter.
Denne historien er også utrolig interessant og det balanseres godt mellom skildring av samtidige politiske dimensjoner, taktisk utvikling, kampreferat og morsomme anekdoter.
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
July 31, 2026
É 5 estrelas para quem gosta de futebol, um 4 para quem não gosta. É uma obra brilhante pelo rigor histórico e por conseguir unir um olhar maravilhado pelos pequenos episódios e pelas pequenas nuances (a bola que vai fora, o quase golo) com uma visão global do mundo, da evolução do capitalismo e da sua captura do futebol.
July 25, 2026
Wilson is goated
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.”
Displaying 1 - 30 of 159 reviews