This text provides an account of Ferenc Puskas' life, including his growing up in Soviet-occupied Hungary, travelling the world with the national side and army team Honved, and his many achievements in the game of football."

The story of the vibrant and revolutionary soccer culture in Hungary that, on the eve of World War II, redefined the modern game and launched a new era. In the early 1950s, the Hungarian side was unbeatable, winning the Olympic gold and thrashing England in the Match of the Century. Their legendary forward, Ferenc Puskás, was one of the game's first international superstars. But as Jonathan Wilson reveals in The Names Heard Long Ago, this celebrated era was in fact the final act of the true golden age of Hungarian soccer. In Budapest in the 1920s and 1930s, a new school of soccer emerged that became one of the most influential in the game's history, shaped by brilliant players and coaches who brought mathematical rigor and imagination to the style of play. But with the onset of World War II, many were forced into exile, fleeing anti-Semitism and the rise of fascism. Yet their legacy endured. Against the backdrop of economic and political turmoil between the wars, and in spite of extraordinary odds, Hungary taught the world to play.

The Rough Guide to Cult Football is the ultimate companion to the beautiful game. The only football book of its kind, it goes beyond the usual back page material to uncover the most amazing stories and unlikeliest personalities on Planet Football. It reveals the stories behind the mavericks and cult figures that make up the real heroes of the game - from cultured midfielders to jailbirds, drinkers to hard men, local legends to international wanderers. The Rough Guide to Cult Football looks at everything from special clubs - like the New York Cosmos and Berwick Rangers - to managers and football rivalries - from 'El Clásico' to the Faroe Islands derby, via an unusual roll-call of talent that stretches from Ferenc Puskas to Stan Bowles, Eric Cantona to Jose Chilavert and Garrincha to Perry Groves. It also recalls extraordinary games, from 'The Battle of Highbury' to underdog fixtures where the likes of Northern Ireland, Wimbledon and Dynamo Kiev overcame the might of Spain, Liverpool and the Nazis. Post-match analyses of football culture, ephemera, science and some strange statistics, complete this ultimate fiesta of football fun.

Detailed descriptions of important games and profiles of outstanding managers and athletes are included in a chronicle of the World Cup soccer tournament since its inception in 1930.

Football is not just a beautiful game, but a global obsession. Every four years, football kicks off a frenzy with every match, every player and every goal being analysed with fervour and recorded with vigour. This essential guide is a companion volume for every football-crazy fan who wants facts, statistics and data right on hand. The Football Fanatic?s Essential Guide is jam-packed with important and fascinating information on international matches and players, and India?s role in football history. Put together by reputed sports broadcaster and columnist Novy Kapadia ? one of India?s foremost football experts ? this compendium is invaluable for every passionate enthusiast of this legendary game.

Audisee® eBooks with Audio combine professional narration and sentence highlighting to engage reluctant readers! What goal caused the most legendary celebration in soccer history? Who invented the bicycle kick? Who was the first player to score 1,000 goals? Get the full story on scoring goals in soccer, from the earliest days to the present. This book is full of facts about the sport’s greatest goals and the women and men who scored them.

'Better than Pele' - Diego Maradona 'One of the greatest footballers ever.' - Sir Alex Ferguson Pele, Best and Maradona everyone has heard of, but to the true football cognoscenti Alfredo Di Stefano, the magician behind Real Madrid’s five European Cups in a row, is the greatest of them all. Over 20 years, Di Stéfano was the guiding force behind three teams in three countries: at River Plate in his native Argentina; at Millonarios of Bogotá in Colombia; and then in 1953, after one of the most bitter transfer tug-of-wars in sporting history, Real Madrid. There he became football’s first global icon, nicknamed the striking ‘Blond Arrow’ for his powerful stamina, tactical versatility and precision goal scoring. He would lead Madrid as a team whose playing style others learnt from, whose stylishness was envied and whose widespread appreciation elsewhere help portray Franco’s otherwise isolated and right-wing Spain in a more flattering light. By the time he retired, Di Stefano has changed Spain as a nation, culturally and politically, and his rebellious pioneering career set new benchmarks for his sport in the epoch of perhaps football’s greatest transformation. This is his complete story, including candid and exclusive interviews highlighting his journey from humble beginnings to emerging as one of the first global sport superstars that we so commonly see today.

The definitive companion to the 2018 World Cup Every four years, football kicks off a frenzy with every match, every player and every kick being analysed with fervour and recorded with vigour. This essential handbook is the perfect volume for every football crazy fan who wants facts, statistics and data right on hand. The Football Fanatic?s Essential Guide for 2018 is jam-packed with fascinating facts on international matches and players since the World Cup began. Put together by reputed sports journalist, columnist and commentator Novy Kapadia, this compendium of football facts will score with every passionate enthusiast of the beautiful game. PLUS - 100 quiz questions to test your football quotient - All the stats you need from 1930 to 2014 - Tracking charts for 2018 matches