The power and the glory : the history of the World Cup / Jonathan Wilson.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Wilson, Jonathan, 1976- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Soccer--History.

Soccer.

World Cup (Soccer)--History.

World Cup (Soccer).

Physical Description:

viii, 567 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 25 cm

Edition:

First US edition.

Place of Publication:

New York, NY : Bold Type Books, 2025

Summary:

"A definitive new history of the world's most watched sporting event--just in time for the 2026 tournament​. Since 1930, the World Cup has become a truly global obsession. It is the most watched sporting event on the planet, and 211 teams competed to make it into the 2022 tournament. From its inception, it has also been a vehicle for far more than soccer. A tool for self-mythologizing and influence-peddling, The World Cup has played a crucial role in nation-building, and continues to, as countries negotiate their positions in a globalized world. 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, from Mussolini's Italy to partitioned Germany to controversy-ridden Qatar. Brimming with politics, heart, and drama, on and off the pitch, The Power and the Glory is the definitive story of the greatest cultural event of our time." -- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Prologue

The dreamers

The triumph of fascism

The last waltz

Hubris and the salami salesman

'Call me crazy'

Prodigy

A pig, a dog, and mynah bird

Three faces of the lion

Beauty and the beasts

Cold war by other means

Glory in a time of terror

Ectoplasmic redemption

The revenge of the gaucho

Wind of change

Life can be bright

A new kind of glory

The global game

The headbutt and the fairy tale

False dawn

The most expensive bus station in the world

A new leaf

Desert gold

Epilogue

Acknowledgments

Notes

Bibliography

Index.

Notes:

"Originally published in the United Kingdom in 2025 by Little, Brown Group Ltd., a member of Hachette UK"

Includes bibliography and index.

ISBN:

9781645030409

1645030407

OCLC:

1495071478

Publisher Number:

90103158437