FIFA, the International Football Federation, celebrates 100 years of soccer with a beautiful gift book that every fan will cherish--the first official publication on the sport's history, and the most comprehensive and wide-ranging. It's filled with rare and breathtaking images, interviews with soccer's top personalities, and other material from FIFA's extensive archives. FIFA has spared no expense in creating this lavish volume, which celebrates a century of soccer--and the care shows on every page. It's the fullest, most fabulous history ever of this global sport, beginning with the ancient ball games that were soccer's direct ancestors, moving on to the establishment of official rules (in a London pub in 1863), and continuing right to the present day. All the richness and diversity of this extraordinary sport come through in an examination of different styles of play, various stadiums throughout the world, the international media coverage, and the growing importance of women's teams. Money, politics, personalities, fan mania, the youthful players who are soccer's future--they're all here. Above all, there are the amazing pictures, which not only capture the excitement of the game (with players caught flying in midair, and even upside down) but also feature posters, images from magazines and newspapers, and paintings by soccer-loving artists. Like the sport itself, it's simply magnificent.

Pelé—legendary footballer and humanitarian—explores the sport’s recent history and shares his most inspiring experiences, heartwarming stories, and hard-won wisdom. “I know in my heart that soccer was good to me, and great to the world....I saw, time and again, how the sport improved countless millions of lives, both on and off the field. For me, at least, that’s why soccer matters.” The world’s most popular sport goes by many names—soccer, football, the beautiful game—but fans have always agreed on one thing: The greatest player of all time was Pelé. Before Messi, before Ronaldo, before Beckham, Pelé had a stunning twenty-year career, where he was heralded as an international treasure. His accomplishments on the field proved to be pure magic: an unprecedented three World Cup championships and the all-time scoring record, with 1,283 goals. Since retiring, he has traveled the world as soccer’s global ambassador, relentlessly promoting the positive ways soccer can transform young men and women, struggling communities, even entire nations. This is Pelé’s legacy, his way of passing on everything he’s learned and inspiring a new generation. In Why Soccer Matters, Pelé details his ambitious goals for the future of the sport and, by extension, the world.

To describe the World Cup as a soccer tournament is equivalent to calling Mount Everest a rather steep hill, Niagara Falls an interesting water feature and the Great Wall of China merely a boundary fence. World Cup France 98 will be massive: a sports spectacle that will transfix billions of people worldwide. Thirty-two countries playing 64 matches, over the course of four hot weeks in June and July, across the length and breadth of France...It isn't just important, it means everything!

The Official History of the FIFA World Cup Book is an authoritative and comprehensive review of the 20 FIFA World Cups to have taken place since the inaugural tournament in 1930. Packed with stunning photography, exclusive interviews of the biggest stars of each edition, unique official documents and statistics, it is a must read for any football fan around the world. No other event in the sporting world can rival the glamour, impact, fervent following and universal appeal of the FIFA World Cup. This unique book tells the stories behind the scenes, as well as analyzing the most famous incidents. It features the biggest stars and many previously unknown ones too, all with a unique worldwide point of view.

During his soccer career, superstar forward Pelé won three FIFA World Cup titles and became the all-time leading scorer for Brazil. Find out more about his record-breaking achievements and lasting legacy in this biography.

An officially licensed FIFA publication, that includes puzzles based on all aspects of the game, from classics like Spot the Ball or Be the Ref, to logic puzzles based on league positions and action puzzles based on the action on the pitch.

What does a turnip have in common with a pair of £500 sunglasses? They've both played a pivotal role in football history. Following on from Neil MacGregor's groundbreaking The History of the World in 100 Objects, Gavin Mortimer provides a quirky and unique take on the beautiful game told through its defining objects. A History of Football in 100 Objects begins on the momentous day in October 1863 when several men in frock coats formed the Football Association. Ever since, the sport has continually evolved - and created new ways to thrill and infuriate its billions of followers along the way. If you've ever wanted to know when footballers started to feign injury, why an old sock helped Pelé become a global legend or how a draper's letter changed football, you'll find the answer in this fascinating history of invention, ingenuity, indiscipline - and sometimes inebriation. From the inaugural red card to a Buddhist shrine, each of the objects selected gives us an intimate glimpse of an unexpected truth behind footie mythology.