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The ultimate history of the FIFA World Cup Every four years, the world''s best national soccer teams compete for the FIFA 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. In The FIFA World Cup: A History of the Planet''s Biggest Sporting Event, 2026 Edition , veteran soccer reporter Clemente A. Lisi chronicles the tournament from 1930 to today, including a preview of the 2026 World Cup co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Lisi provides vivid accounts of individual games, details the innovations that impacted the sport across the decades, and offers biographical sketches of greats such as Pele, Maradona, and Lionel Messi. In addition, Lisi includes objective coverage of off-field controversies such as the FIFA corruption case, making this book the only complete and impartial history of the tournament. Featuring personal interviews and behind-the-scenes stories from the author''s many years attending and covering the World Cup, The FIFA World Cup is the definitive history of this global event.
List of contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter 1: Crossing the Ocean
Chapter 2: Brazil's Revenge
Chapter 3: Swinging Sixties
Chapter 4: The Beautiful Game
Chapter 5: Maradona's Ascent
Chapter 6: Magical Nights
Chapter 7: A New Century
Chapter 8: European Sweep
Chapter 9: Rising Out of the Desert
Chapter 10: A Trio of Hosts
Bibliography
Index
About the Author
About the author
Clemente A. Lisi has worked as a journalist and editor for more than two decades. In that time, he has been an editor at major metropolitan dailies such as the
New York Post and the
New York Daily News and served as a senior editor at
ABCNews.com. He is the author of
The U.S. Women's Soccer Team: An American Success Story,
A History of the U.S. Men's National Soccer Team, and all editions of
A History of the World Cup. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.
