This summer, the world’s biggest sporting event is coming right to our backyard as North America hosts the FIFA World Cup tournament across three countries, with the massive final match happening right nearby at MetLife Stadium. If watching all that world class action inspires you or your family to lace up your cleats and hit the field, remember that practice makes perfect! Our library has totally got you covered with all the best books to help you step up your game, sharpen your skills, and master the beautiful game.
World Cup Fever : A Soccer Journey in Nine Tournaments by Simon Kuper
In World Cup Fever, Simon Kuper explores the history and cultural impact of the FIFA World Cup through his personal experiences attending nine tournaments since 1990. The book traces the evolution of the World Cup from its inaugural event in 1930 in Montevideo to contemporary tournaments, highlighting changes in professionalism, globalization, media coverage, and the broader social, political, and economic contexts surrounding the games.
World Cup : A History of the Planet’s Biggest Sporting Event by Clemente Angelo Lisi
The ultimate history of the World Cup. Every four years, the world’s best national soccer teams compete for the World Cup. Billions of people tune in from around the world to experience the remarkable games unfolding live. From Diego Maradona’s first goal against England at the 1986 World Cup to Nelson Mandela’s surprise appearance at the 2010 final in South Africa, these unforgettable World Cup moments have helped to create a global phenomenon.
The Power and the Glory : The History of the World Cup by Jonathan Wilson
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.
How to Watch Soccer Like a Genius : What Architects, Stuntwomen, Paleoanthropologists, and Computer Scientists Reveal About the World’s Game by Nicholas Greene
After reading this fun book, you’ll never look at soccer the same way again. In How to Watch Soccer Like a Genius, Nick Greene calls on a turf manager, an expert on color theory, and a landscape historian to understand the field itself, a paleoanthropologist to talk kicking, and an Anglican priest to explain schisms how American football, soccer, and rugby could all develop from the field games of rowdy 19th-century British schoolboys. Greene delves deep into what defines the game, how it developed, and what happens during a match’s 90 minutes (and then some). His expert commentators include a domino toppler, a developmental neuroscientist, an art historian, a civil engineer, and more.
The Messi Effect : How the Global Legend Changed the Future of American Soccer by Paul Tenorio
In The Messi Effect, Paul Tenorio, national soccer writer for The Athletic, who has spent more than a decade breaking news and providing critical insight into the power and politics of the sport, draws on his numerous high-ranking sources inside Inter Miami, American soccer, and overseas to bring readers behind the scenes and to chronicle the last act of Lionel Messi.
The Soccer 100 by Oliver Kay
A celebration of the beautiful game and its 100 greatest players, from the pre–World War II exploits of Dixie Dean to the modern-day genius of Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi. These players left legacies, redefined the game with trademark skills, and grew into national icons. They have their stats—the goals, the wins, the trophies—but, more importantly, they have their stories.
Maradona : The Boy. the Rebel. the God by Guillem Balague
Diego Armando Maradona was widely acclaimed as a genius. One of the greatest footballers of all time, he was also one of the most controversial. In an international career with Argentina he earned 91 caps and scored 34 goals and played in four FIFA World Cups. With his unforgettable ‘hand of God’ goal and unsurpassed second one in the 1986 quarter-final against England, he captained his nation and led them to victory over West Germany in the final in Mexico.
How Soccer Explains the World : An Unlikely Theory of Globalization by Franklin Foer
Just in time for the 2026 World Cup in North America — a reissue of the bestselling sports classic, featuring a new preface from the author. With the 2026 World Cup in all three nations of North America, the power and scope of soccer has truly become global. In this remarkably insightful, wide-ranging work, Franklin Foer argues that soccer is much more than a game, or even a way of life.
American Soccer Nation : The Remarkable 150-Year History of Yanks on a Roll, from Mob Football to the Modern Game by Mark Franek
Soccer is the most popular game in the world, but does it truly belong in the heart of American sports culture? The answer is a resounding yes — and the 150-year journey of elite men’s soccer in the US is filled with drama, surprises, reversals, and triumphs that rival any world-class match. With meticulous research and lifelong passion, Mark C. Franek delivers a fast-paced, foundational soccer book that also serves as a celebration of American soccer.
The Long Game : U.S. Men’s Soccer and Its Savage, Four-Decade Journey to the Top, or Thereabouts by Leander Schaerlaeckens
Things began to shift, and today’s U.S. men’s team is loaded with young and pedigreed talent, expected to make its mark at the 2026 World Cup. The story of this team’s rise to prominence is a dramatic journey, with setbacks, buffoonery, misunderstandings, glory, and a wide, eccentric, talented cast of characters. With unprecedented access to former and current national team players, coaches, and administrators, Schaerlaeckens traces the sport’s evolution in the U.S.—from its outsider status to its modern foothold—and the challenges that have shaped the men’s national team along the way.
The Striker and the Clock : On Being in the Game by Georgia Cloepfil
Georgia Cloepfil played professional soccer for six years, on six teams, in six countries. In those years, the sport became more than a game–it was an immersive yet transient way of life. This book examines the joy and pain of serious athletics. It’s also an eye-opening look at the still-developing world of professional women’s soccer.
The Game at the End of the World : Villainous Referees, Communist Bakers, the Secret Women’s World Cup, and a Goalkeeper’s Last Stand by Juan Villoro
Soccer (née football) fans will rejoice at this all-new volume of crackling essays from the author of God Is Round. Here, Juan Villoro explores the sport through the elements that make it the world’s favorite pastime, from its ancient origins, near-mythic players, exhilarating matches, endemic rivalries, and the unlikely moments in which football has changed history.
—Hongmei, Adult Services & Acquisitions