We Are the World (Cup): A Personal History of the World's Greatest Sporting Event – Soccer's Triumphs, Heartbreaks, and the Passion That Unites Fans Worldwide

by Roger Bennett

From the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller (RE)BORN IN THE USA and face of the wildly successful soccer media platform MEN IN BLAZERS, Roger Bennett, comes a joyous, big-hearted celebration of the World Cup from the 1970s onward, published in the ramp up to the 2026 tournament.

Every four years, millions of viewers all over the globe are united in the drama of the world’s biggest sporting event. Geopolitical turmoil, popular culture, clashes of custom and style all weave together on the pitch, making the World Cup about so much more than soccer. For fans, it is a series of triumphs, heartbreaks, and shocking twists of fate. For the players, single matches, single plays, single glorious moments can be life changing. In We are the World (Cup), Roger Bennett imbues his unmitigated love for and dedication to the game into a deeply researched and deeply personal distillation of every tournament he has experienced from the 1978 to 2022.

As founder of MEN IN BLAZERS, the largest independent soccer focused media company in North America, Roger has been at the front of the curve as the popularity of soccer has sky-rocketed in the United States. We are the World (Cup) offers an in-depth history of how a sport that was mocked and dismissed in the 70s and 80s has become so energized, and the role that he and MEN IN BLAZERS have played.

Beloved for his wit, humility, and unadulterated love of the game that the rest of the world calls “football” is a celebration of our global culture and the power of sport to unite us all.

Genres: Sports, Soccer, Nonfiction, Memoir, Audiobook

352 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 3, 2026

Reviews

[Mai H.]

Non-fiction November TBR

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Dey Street Books

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a well written book in a very good format. Wit is amazing and laughed quite a bit throughout. Must read to get hyped for 2026 WC.

Best quote for funny factor and accuracy - "Berhalter was tactically suspect and had the charisma of Dunder Mifflin’s HR rep Toby Flenderson."

[Nick Cunningham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rog is a wordsmith who had me hooked within the first pages. Enjoyed getting a history lesson of past world cups in conjunction with Rog and his story.

[Spencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a dedicated fan of the "Men in Blazers" since I first discovered them in 2014. I came to know Rog and Dave-O as they launched a flurry of podcast episodes about the World Cup that took place in Brazil that summer. Their love of the beautiful game, knowledgeable insights, and hilarious takes on every imaginable aspect of the World Cup captivated me and helped me enjoy that year's tournament more than ever before. Also, their passion for bringing together and building a community of soccer-loving Americans was contagious; when listening to their podcast, I felt like I was joining an exciting club and movement that was speeding ahead with adrenaline and momentum. Over the subsequent 12 years, I have listened to hours and hours of podcast episodes from the MiB media network, primarily the original podcast, but also newer shows (Vamos, The Women's Game, etc.). With their detailed explanations and careful guidance, I was introduced to the Premier League, came to understand the logistics of the league (and the whole English football pyramid), learned about each of the teams (as well as many managers and players), and, eventually, became a passionate fan of English soccer. All of this is to say that I am a huge fan of MiB and owe them much for the joy they have brought me over the past 12 years. I previously read the two MiB books ("Encyclopedia Blazertannica" and "Gods of Soccer") and Rog's previous book "(Re)Born in the USA", so I was very excited to learn about this new book. I also strongly believe that the World Cup is the greatest sporting event in the world, so was excited to read about Rog's personal experiences with this incredible tournament. And the book did not disappoint! Hearing about how Rog experienced this once-every-four-years month of excitement helped me remember where I was for each tournament and how I enjoyed watching the games (at least since 1998 onward). It was so fun to read the summaries of each tournament, remember the key storylines and exhilarating moments, and relive the final games where the tournament champions were forever immortalized. An additional joy of this book was hearing Rog's perspective about how the MiB media network first started and then, over the subsequent years, grew and grew and grew until it became the massive success that it is today. And, just like when I listened to those first podcast episodes way back in 2014, I still find Rog's perspective, sense of humor, and absolute love of the game to be inspiring and beautiful. So, thanks MiB and, especially, Rog for promoting and encouraging the love of soccer in our great country and for bringing so much joy to so many fans like me through our collective shared experiences with this beautiful game.

[Garrett Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Roger Bennett could publish schizophrenic ramblings about the weather, and I would call it a masterpiece; however, there is just something about this specific book that has convinced me that he is the greatest English-speaking writer the soccer (football) world has ever seen. My friends and family know that soccer shapes the way I view the world. It is the only reason why I know that half of the countries on Earth exist, because they may one day be an opponent I need to know everything about. Roger, though, has encapsulated a feeling that I could never really put into words by describing the way that, for people like us, life is measured by the passage of time between World Cups. This book is ultimately many things in one. It is one man's memoir about his experience watching the World Cups of his lifetime, how they affected him, and where he was in life at that given moment. But it is also the story of how one man felt so much love for that simple game of soccer that he felt it was his own personal mission to share that love with the American people. For me, that was one of the most intriguing and enlightening parts of this book because without Roger, I am not sure I would love this sport in the same way. It is fascinating that it was such an uphill battle to make the world's "most powerful" country fall in love with the world's most popular game. I am eternally grateful for the work that he did. In reality, however, the part of this book that truly captivated me was how it helped me relive my own memory of the World Cups of my lifetime by reading through someone else's memory. The chapter about South Africa 2010 reminded me of the countless summer days I spent in front of the living room TV with my younger brother, trying to recreate the World Cup itself on the 2010 FIFA World Cup video game. The Brazil 2014 chapter put me back in the backseat of my dad's orange Chevy Avalanche, listening to the heartbreaking US loss to Belgium on the radio. Nevertheless, I went to high school soccer practices that fall yelling Tim Howard's name every time I made a mediocre save. The 2018 chapter reminded me of how the US crashing out in qualifying led to my personal, unintentional boycott of the entire World Cup. The final chapter put me back into the backroom of the TJ Maxx in Kochville, Michigan, where I sneakily watched the US games on my phone while hanging that day's shipment of clothes. That all came to an end when I celebrated a little bit too loudly when Messi finally won his World Cup and got written up by my manager. In all, this book's real value is in this. It's a wonderful way to help you relive your own memories of the world's biggest event.

[Val · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t think I’m going to come up with the right words to explain the absolute joy and wonder this book has brought me (I mean, with the exception of being forced to relive the nightmare of the 2014 semi when Brazil were annihilated at home by Germany - I’m still not over that loss and have a physical reaction in my gut when I think about it).

The way Rog captures these moments elicit raw emotion and bestow a proper footballing education. I can’t tell you how many things I googled and went in rabbit holes on his because I had no idea the backstory or the extent of things. (Take for instance the reason that Landon was omitted from the US squad in 2014 was because he lacked match fitness post 4 months backpacking adventure in Cambodia. I dont think I ever heard the full story back then, but the media sure did have a heyday making it seem like Klinsman was a bigger villain than he actually might have been in that narrative.)

It was also incredible learning the stories from before I was World Cup wild, from someone who lives and breathes it. 1994 was the first WC on my radar, but I was young enough to not know the details, just the highlights of US’s hosting duties, the first round of US stars (clad in faux denim), and that my parents wouldn’t take me to a match but were kind enough to drive me by the stadium while on vacation in Orlando, swinging by a McDonalds to buy a logo’ed soccer ball water bottle. (Also a 1994 honorable mention of a connection I didn’t realize - did you know the OK Bronco Chase happened the same day as the WC Opening ceremony and match? Wild how time both compresses and extricates moments like that.)

All of this and not even to mention yet the telling of the Men In Blazers origin story. Total and absolute swoon. What a tale. What a team. What an absolute force to bring football to the forefront of the great American Tale. Thank you ROG!!!!

Basically, I’m enamored with this book. If you love football/soccer even a little bit, you’re going to love it.

[Abigayle · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a longtime fan of Men in Blazers and football, generally… especially my beloved Liverpool (including a tattoo to prove it!), I was very excited to read this book. I was thrilled that it did not disappoint in the slightest.

I thought Roger Bennett did well to truly encapsulate the epic highs and lows of being a footy fanatic and how the World Cup connects us to our humanity through passionately witnessing and experiencing with our players, both the miracles and tragedies which unfold in those 90 minutes on the pitch.

Though I’m fairly well-versed on World Cups which came before me, reading them as stories through Bennett’s personal lens was a delightful way to revisit my own knowledge of the sport I love most.

Further, and perhaps most importantly, I adored the way Roger described and narrativized the way America viewed and treated “soccer” in the late 20th century and its slow crawl to greater cultural prominence. Being born after the American vitriol for the sport began to subside, I was both saddened about how hard it was for soccer to break into the American mainstream and thrilled for all the progress that has been made in bringing the beautiful game closer to the forefront of American sports… It also made me extremely grateful for the ability to access televised coverage of all the football I desire in the states.

Overall, I found this book extremely entertaining, moving, and consider it a must-read for American football fans and non-football fans alike ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

[Robyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Coastline Library | In dire need of more editing, made me like football less | Bennett is heavily prone to repeating himself, over-using set phrases, and using the same adjective multiple times in a single paragraph, and those fundamental writing issues are constant here. This is just a single example to make the point, there are so many of these sorts of repetitions throughout the book: page 48 "spite and revenge are the rocket fuel of motivations", page 63 " pettiness and spite are two of the greatest human motivators", page 256 "spite is the rocket fuel of human motivation". Et cetera. So that's the writing quality problem, but the bigger concern is that he's made me less interested in football. The book presents the game as dirty, corrupt, rife with bad calls, full of egomaniacs, and surrounded by bad people who don't even like the game. I'm a hockey and rugby fan who has been coming around to football over the past six years, but this book has pushed me away again. My library bought it on my recommendation, so I came into it expecting good things, but in the end the good news is that I don't have to wrestle with my conscience over watching the World Cup hosted by my country under this terrible government and run by the money laundering organization known as FIFA, because I'm no longer interested. Third star because if what you want is an overview of 50 years of the tournament, you do get it here.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a ARC from Net Galley. This was the right book to read at the right time for me. I had just completed reading two books that highlighted dark times (Russia’s “lost generation” to Putinism and Argentina’s disappeared youth) that oddly felt like current events. However, this book is part narrative and biography that gets me excited for this summer and the World Cup coming to America.

Roger does an amazing job connecting the pride, passion, agony, heartbreak of soccer and the periods of time when the World Cup occurred. I appreciated how he highlighted the US team’s journey but also of England, Argentina, France, and other teams. It was great to go down memory lane.

I have been a follower of Men in Blazers for a while — attended a few live shows, listened to the podcast, etc. This book felt like an intimate look back at not only Rog’s journey but the journey we all have been on with US Soccer. As he recounted each Tournament, I felt myself going back to reflect on where I was and what I was doing when the games occurred.

I think this book will appeal to both avid sports fan and casual fans as we prepare for this summer’s tournament. Thank you to Rog for writing it and allowing us to US soccer fans to dream about a deep run in the World Cup.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

As both a casual soccer fan and occasional listener of Roger’s podcast, I had to snap up this one when I saw it pop up on NetGalley. If you are looking for a more in-depth history of past World Cups, you may want to look elsewhere, but if you want to be taken on a laugh out loud journey through Roger’s hilarious storytelling, this is absolutely your book. It is his love letter to soccer, to his adopted home country of America and the growth of the sport here, and his personal story of finding success as a soccer journalist and podcaster. Even as someone who is a more adjacent fan of the sport, I still immensely enjoyed listening (the audiobook version read by Roger is a *must*) and enjoyed every moment.

Thank you HarperAudio Adult and NetGalley for providing me an Audio ARC of this book! All opinions are my own.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recollections of World Cups experienced by Roger Bennett, one of the founders of the Men in Blazers soccer focused media company. Written with Bennett's endearing combination of love for the game of football, humor, desire for Americans to share his passion for the sport, and literary and pop culture references I really enjoyed this book. Stories of the author's life situations, the political events of the time, both around the world and at the venues, and the tournaments themselves are blended together to pain a picture of a time and place that I really enjoyed. This book is a great view of the impact of the World Cup from one man's perspective but the universality of the sentiments came through as well.

[Steven Thorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a magnificent book on the World Cup by the incomparable Roger Bennett, who might love America more than anyone since U2. Framing the World Cup with personal memories since his first in 1978, Rog tells a story of the world’s biggest event with history and humor. This book is accessible to the soccer novice and the fútbol fanatic, to the Premier League Morning +1 and the Fulham fan at your soccer bar.
I especially loved how Rog weaved in the narrative of the rise of Men in Blazers. Rog has lived a true American dream, and his personal story enriches this book. We Are the World (Cup) is his best book, a true triumph.
Love you, Rog. Courage.

[Meghan Walsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the way Rog writes and tells stories. He is a born storyteller. Finding the Men in Blazers in the early 2010s was one of the greatest gifts of my life. Soccer is a story of human triumph and despair, and no one does a better job of capturing that ethos than the MiB team. I love how Rog weaved his personal memories of past World Cups with the actual game action. And his historical anecdotes brought back so many personal memories for me too, of where I was, who I was watching with, and the feelings of joy and heartbreak. I hope that he brings us a similar version in the future, but instead focused on the women's game. I'll keep coming back for more always.

[Leonardo Sette-Camara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! A love letter to football and life. Of all the many hilarious and memorable quotes, this deeply heartfelt statement will probably stick with me forever.

“…and it was so healing to experience noble English joy that as I sat at the bar, even in defeat, my eleven-year-old self, my fifteen-year-old self, and nineteen-year-old self were watching along side me….In life, it is impossible to shed the sense of where you come from, and football has a great power to remind you of that by enabling your deepest memories to well up and overwhelm you even when you think they lie dormant. "

[John Schorg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe it's just me, but since Roger Bennett became a leading voice on soccer in this country, he has become more of a cheerleader, rather than the reliable pundit of years gone by who was willing to toss a few jabs. This is a tame look at World Cup history, filtered through the author's life. There's nothing much wrong here, but nothing that would make you go back and read it again.

[Liam Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A genuine self portrait of a man that loves a game that brings so many together. Vulnerable, honest, hopeful, all the good words you can use.

Laughed, cried, remembered my own experiences with friends and family of the World Cup moments recounted.

Will be recommending to everyone I talk with between now and the start of the World Cup.

[Birgitta Taylor-Lillquist · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will continue to read anything Roger Bennett puts out! I have been a fan of MiB for years, and the combination of Roger’s writing and the magic of the World Cup make this a great preview for the upcoming World Cup. It is also a way to feel some optimism and American pride amidst a dark and troubling time for our country.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect read in the run up to this year’s World Cup. Hearing Rog tell his personal story (and the story of MiB) and connecting it to each World Cup brought back a ton of memories of my own experiences watching. He’s a great storyteller with a facility for weaving in great pop culture references and of course plenty of Philip Larkin and Tracy Chapman.

[Adam Parrilli · Rating 5 out of 5]

An immensely likable primer for the semi-casual fan. Having read another of Bennet’s book I sorta knew what I was in for. This is part memoir married to a history lesson of each Cup from 1978-2022. A great refresher ahead of the North American World Cup this summer. 👍

[Shelley Swift · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore Roger Bennet and his writing, so this book was a real treat for me. I got to relive several World Cups and all the feelings, and the best part was Rog's path to one of my favorite podcasts/shows: The Men in Blazers. Weaving this journey into the World Cup fabric was a true delight.

[Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

No true soccer fan should miss this book. Roger Bennett has written the perfect build up to this World Cup, including the political and arrogant atmosphere that seems to get worse each Cup.
It will change the way you absorb the experience ahead.
Men in Blazers continues on fire!

[Tom Lucas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rog’s storytelling ability and the way that he writes so creatively makes every page of this book so captivating and enjoyable. I’m super thrilled and pumped for this summer’s World Cup. A must read for football/soccer fans everywhere.

[Rob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply, delightful, and elegant…and maybe a few cheeky elbows mixed in. An awesome journey through the World Cup. And a reminder that yes it still is a game and that game is a joy.

[Teddy Swift · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent storytelling

[Dan Ayer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just a fun read. Many sportswriters hide their fandom and it shows. Rog doesn't and you feel it.

[Stewart Ulrich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fun history of the World Cup through his eyes. Perfect to get you excited about the tournament coming up!

[Rich Connors · Rating 5 out of 5]

Roger Bennett beautifully recaps the recent history of the world’s greatest sporting event and invites fans old and new to make memories watching soccer together.

[Bradley Way · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read - love the way it reads like Roger’s voice, the analogies are amazing. A bit dense but overall highly enjoyed.

[Barton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful, fun and informative book! Rog's wit and humor are infectious and I love it!!!