The Shortest History of Soccer: From Ancient Kicking Games to the World's Most Popular Sport

by Brian D. Bunk

A whirlwind history of soccer’s improbable rise—from ancient traditions to worldwide cultural focus

How did a simple kicking game conquer the world? In this concise yet comprehensive history, sports historian Brian D. Bunk traces soccer’s unlikely, meteoric rise, showing how a pastime humbly rooted in English schoolyard contests grew to become the planet’s most popular sport. Today, soccer is a cultural and economic The World Cup, the sport’s crown jewel, is now our most-watched sporting event, and one of soccer’s biggest stars, Cristiano Ronaldo, is the world’s most-followed person on social media. Soccer even has the power, as Bunk’s surprising history recounts, to sway elections and topple governments. Drawing on key historical and contemporary events both on and off the field, from famous victories to the dark money and backroom deals that now power the game at its highest levels, Bunk shows us the many ways that a single soccer goal today may not only electrify a sold-out stadium but reverberate around the world.

The Shortest History books deliver thousands of years of history in one riveting, fast-paced read.

Genres: Sports, Nonfiction, History, Soccer

Kindle Edition

Published June 2, 2026

Reviews

[Miles Tupikowska · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book attempts to cover too much in too few pages. The topics covered read well enough, however there is a lot of repetition of the same topics throughout which gets a bit annoying at a point (makes me think AI was used?). A lot of important events and people also get missed out, but for what the book aims to do, it does a decent enough job.

[Jacqueline Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Felt appropriate ⚽️🌎

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read it because the world cup was going on. Interesting enough for a subject I have little interest in.

[Richard McGeough · Rating 4 out of 5]

First book I’ve read in the “shortest history” series. Any book attempting to cover such a vast subject in a couple of hundred pages is inevitably going to run into tough choices about what to include and what to leave out. So, it would be churlish to reprimand it for overlooking anything specific.

In fact, given how short the book is, it’s admirable how much it attempts to cover. It aims for the widest possible audience: the entire history of the origins, professionalization and commercialization of both the men’s game and the women’s game around the world. In 230 pages.

Naturally, it has to gloss over a lot. But because its reach is so wide, I learned a lot that a book with a narrower focus would miss.

It’s also very easy reading. Suitable for anyone from 9 to 99.

[Blake Passe · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I appreciated the concision and focus on the origins of soccer, this book felt scattered, AI generated, and lacking of sufficient intelligent commentary. I did thoroughly enjoy all the soccer basics I learned as someone who has not connected with the sport to a significant degree in the past.

[Priyanka · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I appreciate some of the information in this book, it wasn’t presented in the best way and none of the chapters flowed well. I think it needed several rounds of editing before it hit the shelves.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Got a bit boring listing dates of historic "firsts", which can be a danger for any broad history book.

Turned around in the end, and was a good overall picture of the evolution of the sport.

[Hunter Lake · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty cool to read about the history. Kind of dragged towards the end

[Mark K.Astley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Its okay, more insightful for a new football fan from North America..