Panini Legends, a new book about the cult of soccer stickers, features 85 icons such as Pelé, Diego Maradona, Franz Beckenbauer, and Bobby Moore as well as Lionel Messi, Marta, Kylian Mbappé, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Alexia Putellas, among many others. Written by Greg Lansdowne, each of the 85 stars featured includes a selection of photos […]

Dr Clive Chijioke Nwonka and Matthew Harle’s much-anticipated new book, Black Arsenal: Club, Culture, Identity, can be essential. In what already feels like a vital, seminal text, Black Arsenal weaves together insight from professors, artists, fans, coaches, photographers, ex-players, and journalists alike, in charting Arsenal Football Club’s pioneering relationship with Black British culture in the […]

What do we want in the owner of our favorite soccer club? We want someone who cares and whose primary interest is the success of our club. We want them to spend whatever it takes to win, whatever that means. Fans prefer them to be local and to have gone on the same emotional roller […]

Brazil is to soccer what New Orleans is to jazz – the most beautiful form it can take. Brazil is always a contender to win the men's World Cup or any other competition it plays in. The national side sacks managers for only reaching the quarterfinals but no further. A last-eight finish is a waste […]

Don Revie was Jose Mourinho, Sam Allardyce, Kenny Dalglish and so much more wrapped into one. Yet, today, many younger soccer fans cannot name him or point to why he is relevant. Except, of course, that he was played masterfully and villainously by Colm Meaney in The Damned United. To many fans, especially those supporting […]

Due to the myriad ethical, moral, and logistical issues, the 2022 World Cup left one very important question unanswered: was the World Cup an appropriate celebration of Middle Eastern soccer? Seeing Morocco advance to the semifinals and Saudi Arabia giving Argentina its only blemish suggested that, yes, the World Cup was a coming out for Middle Eastern […]

How do they do it? When confronted with a dramatic situation for our favorite club or a stressful moment in an engaging match, we usually regress to unintelligible sounds or a series of annoying semi-connected syllables. Broadcasters, conversely, not only need to keep their cool and convey the moment, but transmit the gravity of what is going […]

Street art is an increasingly appreciated form of expression, especially in the United States. Artists modify buildings and surfaces to express opinions on people and events. This unique representation is hard to replicate elsewhere. Painting the face of Lionel Messi with Argentine colors in his hometown is a statement of love and affection. People simply […]

The World Cup is upon us, and whether this is your first or fortieth year of watching the world's greatest tournament, each one has its own unique story. Certainly this one in the winter and in Qatar is historic, but also complicated and controversial. To help the casual soccer fan navigate the Qatar World Cup, […]

When the US Men's National Team roster was announced for the 2022 World Cup, the club names of the players were dazzling: Arsenal, Barcelona, Juventus, among others. The "kids" playing in Qatar in the red, white, and blue are part of a new generation of soccer players. Top clubs covet these names with contributions pouring […]

A few weeks back, American superstar Christian Pulisic made waves in the media with quotes about his relationship with then-manager Thomas Tuchel. Excerpts from his book, Christian Pulisic: My Life So Far, describe his disappointment with alleged promises of playing time in the Champions League, plus highlighting areas of disagreement during his Chelsea tenure. The […]

Brentford FC is trying to do things a different way. As fans of the Premier League saw last year, the club operates a little differently than others. Despite 2021/22 being the club's first top-flight season in decades, the club stuck to its scout-and-develop system. The other option tends to be spend freely to build up […]

Review: World Soccer Talk's Robert Hay Jr. details the autobiography of Paul Mariner, My Rock and Roll Football Story. Universal shock and dismay in the soccer world came in response to the passing of Paul Mariner this summer. Mariner was the epitome of a 'jack-of-all-trades'. Mariner won near universal praise for his larger-than-life personality and kindness […]

The Global Game – Writers on Soccer. Edited by John Turnbull, Thom Satterlee & Alon Raab. Bison Books. 296 pp. $19.95. Living in the States, you are about as likely to find a good book about soccer/football right off the shelf at your local bookstore as you are to get Anne Hathaway's phone number after […]

A quick review on two excellent trivia volumes that were sent our way from Apex Publishing. The first is The Tottenham Hotspur Quiz Book, which was compiled by John DT White and includes a foreword written by two Spurs legends – Gary Mabbutt and Pat Jennings. The 1,250 questions in this quiz book cover every […]