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The History of the World in 12 Soccer Matches
256 pages, Hardcover
Published May 26, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
If you search for "History of the World in 12" books, you'll find ones about maps, carpets, shipwrecks, beans, and now "soccer matches." Unfortunately, it's the kind of breathless title that promises quite a lot, and in the case, fails to deliver. The author is a longtime Italian soccer journalist, and what he does here is select a dozen soccer matches from the past century or so that have some connection to history and sketch a story around each. Which is perfectly fine -- just don't use a title that promises a narrative throughline and then write in the introduction "Don't waste your time searching for a narrative thread..."
The book opens with the well-worn tale of the World War I Christmas truce of 1914 that allowed some between-the-trenches soccer between Allied and German troops. To his credit, Bizzotto attempts to track down primary sources that can corroborate the legend, although the Wikipedia entry on the same topic goes a bit deeper. (It doesn't help matters that the lovely black and white photo introducing the chapter is actually of modern-day reenactors in Belgium). Next up is a chapter about the rise of soccer in England and a wildly overpopulated 1923 game at Wembley between Bolton and West Ham and the horse that was apparently integral to crowd control. Not the most captivating of stories.
Next is an Anschluss parable involving a 1938 game between Austria and Germany, in which certain players declined to participate. This is mirrored in a later chapter about the Chilean team and Pinochet. Germany reappears a few chapters later in the colorful account of an East German soccer defector who died in suspicious circumstances a few years into his lush new life.
There's a chapter on the famous so-called "Soccer War" between El Salvador and Honduras in 1969. That's well known through Polish journalist Ryszard Kapuściński's essay of the same name -- and here Bizzotto capably walks through the specifics (and helpfully points out the key part of Kapuściński's account that has since been disproven.) Similarly familiar stories appear in later chapters about the 1990 match between Dinamo Zagreb and Red Star Belgrade, which presaged the last days of Yugoslavia, and the 2015 France-Germany friendly in Paris that took place as terror attacks unfolded across the city.
One's enjoyment of all this is likely tied to how much you already know about each episode. I knew about 50% of the games and circumstances written about, but I can't say that the other 50% were particularly compelling. Some of that is down to the prose, which is just a touch too hyperbolic for my taste. It's hard to know how much of that is down to translation vs. Bizzotto's own style, but Italian soccer journalists are not generally known for their restraint... There are also some chapters rely heavily on interviews with people he's tracked down, and these end up reading like lengthy transcriptions. If these had appeared intermittently as magazine articles, I probably would have enjoyed them somewhat more as simple standalone slices of history and wouldn't have minded the writing as much. But as a book, I'm looking for a bit more quality and throughline.
The book opens with the well-worn tale of the World War I Christmas truce of 1914 that allowed some between-the-trenches soccer between Allied and German troops. To his credit, Bizzotto attempts to track down primary sources that can corroborate the legend, although the Wikipedia entry on the same topic goes a bit deeper. (It doesn't help matters that the lovely black and white photo introducing the chapter is actually of modern-day reenactors in Belgium). Next up is a chapter about the rise of soccer in England and a wildly overpopulated 1923 game at Wembley between Bolton and West Ham and the horse that was apparently integral to crowd control. Not the most captivating of stories.
Next is an Anschluss parable involving a 1938 game between Austria and Germany, in which certain players declined to participate. This is mirrored in a later chapter about the Chilean team and Pinochet. Germany reappears a few chapters later in the colorful account of an East German soccer defector who died in suspicious circumstances a few years into his lush new life.
There's a chapter on the famous so-called "Soccer War" between El Salvador and Honduras in 1969. That's well known through Polish journalist Ryszard Kapuściński's essay of the same name -- and here Bizzotto capably walks through the specifics (and helpfully points out the key part of Kapuściński's account that has since been disproven.) Similarly familiar stories appear in later chapters about the 1990 match between Dinamo Zagreb and Red Star Belgrade, which presaged the last days of Yugoslavia, and the 2015 France-Germany friendly in Paris that took place as terror attacks unfolded across the city.
One's enjoyment of all this is likely tied to how much you already know about each episode. I knew about 50% of the games and circumstances written about, but I can't say that the other 50% were particularly compelling. Some of that is down to the prose, which is just a touch too hyperbolic for my taste. It's hard to know how much of that is down to translation vs. Bizzotto's own style, but Italian soccer journalists are not generally known for their restraint... There are also some chapters rely heavily on interviews with people he's tracked down, and these end up reading like lengthy transcriptions. If these had appeared intermittently as magazine articles, I probably would have enjoyed them somewhat more as simple standalone slices of history and wouldn't have minded the writing as much. But as a book, I'm looking for a bit more quality and throughline.
May 30, 2026
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The History of the World in 12 Soccer Matches by Stefano Bizzotto and translated by Will Schutt looks at a dozen soccer games which mirrored the geopolitical, or political, aspects of the era. Mr. Bizzotto is an Italian journalist and sports commentator, and Mr. Schutt is a writer and translator.
Just in time for the 2026 FIFA World Cup comes a book which puts 12 of the most well known soccer matches in context of the times. The most popular game in the world is sometimes used as a to send a message of a unified world, but often it can be also used as a political weapon.
The premise of the book is that soccer is a language that most people in the world understand, and has been used by teams to send messages to their governments, and vice versa. The book doesn't recount the games play by play, but reconstructs the national or geopolitical mood and atmosphere of the era, as defined by the tensions around the game before, during, and after.
I enjoyed reading about the selection of the matches, some I saw, some I only heard about, and a few which I had no idea happened. While many of the matches take place in Europe, there are games which shaped policy, or nationalism in Africa, the Middle East and, of course, South America where fútbol is its own religion
The authors didn't just manage to capture the atmosphere, smells and sounds in the stadiums. The reader also gets to be a fly on the wall among the political maneuvers and machinations, as well as feel the added weight on the shoulders of the players, who already weighed down playing a game with high-stakes.
This is by no means an exhaustive history of a specific era and events. Each match is told in a short chapter, packed with information. It is a great introduction to the events which can serve as a gateway to learn about the events in more depth.
The book's weakest aspect is that it doesn't draw a connection between the chosen games. While I can see, and appreciate what it was going for, there's not common narrative flowing through tying each event to the previous one.
And in geopolitics there's always a thread leading one thing to another.
The book does shine giving an overview of how authoritarian regimes and democracies on the rise use soft power. It shows how a win can unite a country in turmoil, and a loss can be the catalyst for regime change.
The History of the World in 12 Soccer Matches by Stefano Bizzotto and translated by Will Schutt looks at a dozen soccer games which mirrored the geopolitical, or political, aspects of the era. Mr. Bizzotto is an Italian journalist and sports commentator, and Mr. Schutt is a writer and translator.
Just in time for the 2026 FIFA World Cup comes a book which puts 12 of the most well known soccer matches in context of the times. The most popular game in the world is sometimes used as a to send a message of a unified world, but often it can be also used as a political weapon.
The premise of the book is that soccer is a language that most people in the world understand, and has been used by teams to send messages to their governments, and vice versa. The book doesn't recount the games play by play, but reconstructs the national or geopolitical mood and atmosphere of the era, as defined by the tensions around the game before, during, and after.
I enjoyed reading about the selection of the matches, some I saw, some I only heard about, and a few which I had no idea happened. While many of the matches take place in Europe, there are games which shaped policy, or nationalism in Africa, the Middle East and, of course, South America where fútbol is its own religion
The authors didn't just manage to capture the atmosphere, smells and sounds in the stadiums. The reader also gets to be a fly on the wall among the political maneuvers and machinations, as well as feel the added weight on the shoulders of the players, who already weighed down playing a game with high-stakes.
This is by no means an exhaustive history of a specific era and events. Each match is told in a short chapter, packed with information. It is a great introduction to the events which can serve as a gateway to learn about the events in more depth.
The book's weakest aspect is that it doesn't draw a connection between the chosen games. While I can see, and appreciate what it was going for, there's not common narrative flowing through tying each event to the previous one.
And in geopolitics there's always a thread leading one thing to another.
The book does shine giving an overview of how authoritarian regimes and democracies on the rise use soft power. It shows how a win can unite a country in turmoil, and a loss can be the catalyst for regime change.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Soccer is a massive sport and cultural phenomenon and while it can’t actually explain the history of the world (only existing for 0.000004% of the planet’s life makes that slightly difficult) it does often intersect with major geopolitical events in interesting ways. History of the World in 12 Soccer Matches highlights 12 examples of such convergences. It’s a good read even if it only scratches the surface of many of its topics.
The book is divided into 12 self-contained chapters in chronological order. Chapters include the 1914 World War I Christmas truce game between German and British soldiers, Chile vs. the USSR in 1973 after Augusto Pinochet took power in Chile, and Dinamo Zagreb vs. Red Star in 1990 as Yugoslavia was breaking up. You generally get a few details about the on-field action and loads of context for why the game was important.
Bizzotto is an Italian sports journalist who has covered seven World Cups. The book reads a bit whimsically and informally, like an exuberant Italian grandfather is regaling his family about old soccer stories. I don’t know if this is a function of the translation or the “base” Italian text (or both) but I found it charming, though it took a second to get used to. His passion for his subject matter comes through quite clearly.
I see the book as a “tasting menu” of topics. This is a fast read and there’s not a ton of detail of any single event. As a casual soccer fan (probably familiar with about half of the games in the book on some level) there were a few chapters like the 1969 Soccer War between El Salvador and Honduras where I noted I wanted to do more reading on the subject but appreciated being introduced to it. Overall, I would have liked longer chapters but still learned a good bit and enjoyed myself while doing it.
7/10
The book is divided into 12 self-contained chapters in chronological order. Chapters include the 1914 World War I Christmas truce game between German and British soldiers, Chile vs. the USSR in 1973 after Augusto Pinochet took power in Chile, and Dinamo Zagreb vs. Red Star in 1990 as Yugoslavia was breaking up. You generally get a few details about the on-field action and loads of context for why the game was important.
Bizzotto is an Italian sports journalist who has covered seven World Cups. The book reads a bit whimsically and informally, like an exuberant Italian grandfather is regaling his family about old soccer stories. I don’t know if this is a function of the translation or the “base” Italian text (or both) but I found it charming, though it took a second to get used to. His passion for his subject matter comes through quite clearly.
I see the book as a “tasting menu” of topics. This is a fast read and there’s not a ton of detail of any single event. As a casual soccer fan (probably familiar with about half of the games in the book on some level) there were a few chapters like the 1969 Soccer War between El Salvador and Honduras where I noted I wanted to do more reading on the subject but appreciated being introduced to it. Overall, I would have liked longer chapters but still learned a good bit and enjoyed myself while doing it.
7/10
July 2, 2026
This was an interesting book, but not even close to what it claims to be in the title. Bizzotto shows how soccer has interacted throughout certain historical events, which shows the sports importance in some ways. But it not a history of the "world", taking place almost exclusively in Europe, and it isn't really even a "history", but some nice anecdotes. I will say that Bizzotto does a good job of saying what facts we are confident about and what are suspect as he explores the sources and their reliability. But having loved Franklin Foer's "How Soccer Explains the World", I was hoping for something much more substantive than this. I gave it three stars because he is a good story teller, but I was largely disappointed in it.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Great book that connects history and soccer. Some of the matches I knew about and some I hadn't which was great. The author does a great job painting the picture of the images and scenery behind the match and trying to connect it to the present day. The chapters are long enough to provide you the information you need but short that you can digest them. The chapters are the Argentina vs USSR matches as well as the Yugoslavia riot were particularly informative that I will look more into.
March 12, 2026
As a casual soccer fan I found this book to be incredibly informative and, at times, moving. The matches selected not only bring the drama of the game to life but are wonderful windows into the geopolitics surrounding them.
The writing is also incredible. The tone is great and brings an intimacy to the book, like a friend sharing their recollections.
The writing is also incredible. The tone is great and brings an intimacy to the book, like a friend sharing their recollections.
October 3, 2026
Several of these stories were riveting. A good portion were also extremely overstated. In the end, it is a fun read full of fascinating facts.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews