New book: The Official History of the FIFA World Cup™

The FIFA World Football Museum has published its first book – a 304-page review of the history of the FIFA World Cup™ from its early 20th century origins to the 2014 finals played in Brazil. The Official History of the FIFA World Cup™, featuring over 600 photographs and available at present in French and English, is a FIFA Official Licensed Product. Published by Carlton Books in London, it differs from previous licensed histories of the World Cup in that the content was produced under the supervision of the FIFA World Football Museum. Calling on the expertise of a team of journalists, the authors have based the book on a series of match reports for the best and most notable games in each of the 20 World Cups played so far. But that's not all. The book breaks new ground by also telling the story through the words of those who took part. </figure>There are quotes and first-hand memories from all 20 tournaments, revealing a new dimension to the established histories. Each of the FIFA World Cup™ chapters is full of anecdotes – curiosities long forgotten as well as the memorable and downright bizarre incidents on and off the pitch which have helped define each of the finals. Many of the photos feature artefacts and historic items on display in the FIFA World Football Museum, along with images from the museum's recently acquired photo collections. The most notable of these, from the Vittorio Pozzo archive, helps shed new light on the extraordinary Italy team of the 1930s which became the first to win back to back World Cups. Pozzo remains the only coach to win two World Cups, something that Germany's Joachim Löw will set out to emulate next summer in Russia. With 15 world titles between them, Brazil, Germany, Italy and Argentina feature heavily in the narrative. As President Infantino says in his foreword to the book, "There would be no Lionel Messi and no Diego Maradona without Guillermo Stabile. No Neymar and Pelé without Leônidas da Silva. No Philipp Lahm and no Franz Beckenbauer without Fritz Walter." The book tells the stories of all these heroes past and present. But the authors have also not forgotten the minnows who have contributed so much to the success of the FIFA World Cup™, from the bespectacled Achmad Nawir, captain of the Dutch East Indies team in 1938, to the unconquered Kiwis at the 2010 finals in South Africa. Special attention is also paid to the origins of the World Cup. To order your copy of The Official History of the FIFA World Cup™ in either French or English, please follow the links below: EN <a href="https://www.carltonbooks.co.uk/the-official-history-of-the-fifa-world-cup-hb.html">https://www.carltonbooks.co.uk/the-official-history-of-the-fifa-world-cup-hb.html</a> FR <a href="http://www.marabout.com/lhistoire-officielle-de-la-coupe-du-monde-de-la-fifa-9782501124942">http://www.marabout.com/lhistoire-officielle-de-la-coupe-du-monde-de-la-fifa-9782501124942</a>