About:
The History of the World in 12 Soccer Matches by Stefano Bizzotto and translated by Will Schutt looks at a dozen soccer games which mirrored the geopolitical, or political, aspects of the era. Mr. Bizzotto is an Italian journalist and sports commentator, and Mr. Schutt is a writer and translator.
- 256 pages
- Publisher : Melville House
- Language : English
- ISBN-10 : 1685892299
My rating for The History of the World in 12 Soccer - 4
Buy The History of the World in 12 Soccer from Amazon.com*
More books by Stefano Bizzotto*
More books translated by Will Schutt*
Thoughts:
Just in time for the 2026 FIFA World Cup comes a book which puts 12 of the most well known soccer matches in context of the times. The most popular game in the world is sometimes used as a to send a message of a unified world, but often it can be also used as a political weapon.
The premise of the book is that soccer is a language that most people in the world understand, and has been used by teams to send messages to their governments, and vice versa. The book doesn't recount the games play by play, but reconstructs the national or geopolitical mood and atmosphere of the era, as defined by the tensions around the game before, during, and after.
I enjoyed reading about the selection of the matches, some I saw, some I only heard about, and a few which I had no idea happened. While many of the matches take place in Europe, there are games which shaped policy, or nationalism in Africa, the Middle East and, of course, South America where fútbol is its own religion
The authors didn't just manage to capture the atmosphere, smells and sounds in the stadiums. The reader also gets to be a fly on the wall among the political maneuvers and machinations, as well as feel the added weight on the shoulders of the players, who already weighed down playing a game with high-stakes.
This is by no means an exhaustive history of a specific era and events. Each match is told in a short chapter, packed with information. It is a great introduction to the events which can serve as a gateway to learn about the events in more depth.
The book's weakest aspect is that it doesn't draw a connection between the chosen games. While I can see, and appreciate what it was going for, there's not common narrative flowing through tying each event to the previous one.
And in geopolitics there's always a thread leading one thing to another.
The book does shine giving an overview of how authoritarian regimes and democracies on the rise use soft power. It shows how a win can unite a country in turmoil, and a loss can be the catalyst for regime change.
Buy The History of the World in 12 Soccer from Amazon.com*
More books by Stefano Bizzotto*
More books translated by Will Schutt*
The authors argue that soccer is the most accurate lens through which to view modern history. As we look forward to the World Cup this summer, which 'untold story' of 2026 do you think we will still be talking about fifty years from now?
Zohar — Man of la Book
Disclaimer: I got this book for free.
*Amazon links point to an affiliate account, the money is usually spent on books
