Cold War Football: A History in Ten Matches

by Tony Shaw, Alan Mcdougall

A gargantuan battle for hearts and minds, the Cold War is the supreme example of a 'people's war'. But what did the 'people's game' have to do with it? From Dynamo Moscow's stormy tour of Britain in 1945 to the inaugural Women's World Cup in 1991, Tony Shaw and Alan McDougall chart the clash between capitalism and communism in ten iconic football matches. They take us across Europe, Asia, South America and Africa to uncover football's part in bolstering democracies and dictatorships and in the struggle for influence in the developing world. They show how these matches offered a rare opportunity to see what life was like on 'the other side' of the Iron Curtain, making friends of enemies but also fuelling revolution. Featuring legendary players, goals and on- and off-field controversies, this is a fascinating history of how the Cold War shaped football and how football shaped the Cold War.

Genres: History, Sports

284 pages, Hardcover

Published June 11, 2026

Reviews

[Theediscerning]

A welcome and successful look at ten major football matches that could demonstrably have the strongest connection to the path of the Cold War's history. We start as the rubble of the actual War was still being picked over – Arsenal not allowed to play at home yet, and so playing Dynamo Moscow at Spurs'. Well, I say Arsenal – it was an enhanced eleven, to say the least. From the off here we can see the balance of things finely tuned between the history and context of the times (and those of the teams), and the reportage of the games.

Next is the '54 World Cup final, where a West Germany still a touch unsure of its near future edged the greatest eleven on the planet, who went home to Hungary, this argues, to find argument and disgruntlement in the air – which certainly would not have been heard after victory, and seemingly alerted many to the potential of street protest. But some of the games may be more impactful for the country this side of the Iron Curtain – a Spain victory over a Soviet side they'd run scared from just years before, for one.

This isn't always an us-v-them situation, as a Bucharest derby, ending in more ignominy than most, shows. Some of the games seem to have less apparent justification for being here – Ireland v Yugoslavia, which actually does have massive foreshadowing of the degaming going on with the imminent Israel match. But whatever the combatant, the writing here is engaging and there's never a doubt that these events, and indeed the whole sporting world, formed a strong part of the perception, rivalries and interests of many when it comes to the Cold War.

[Μίλτος Τρ.]

Συνεχίζοντας το διάβασμα παράλληλα με το Μουντιάλ, εδώ ένα υπέροχο βιβλίο που αποδεικνύει το προφανές: το ποδόσφαιρο ήταν πάντα περισσότερο από ένα άθλημα. Εδώ γραμμένες με υπέροχο τρόπο (χωρίς εκπτώσεις σε πολιτικό και ποδοσφαιρικό background) δέκα ματς ποδοσφαίρου αντιπροσωπευτικά του Ψυχρού Πολέμου. Διασκεδαστικό βιβλίο.

[Christian]

The title says it all: the history of the Cold War told through ten football matches, from 1945 to 1991. Don't expect alot of quirky stories or fun anecdotes, though. This is a book written by two historians and is dryly academic. As such, is a good, albeit not fantastic, read.