**Updated 2026 World Cup Edition In this modern classic, a leading sportswriter and an acclaimed sports economist apply high-powered analytical tools to everyday soccer topics.“Soccernomics is the most intelligent book ever written about soccer.” ―San Francisco Chronicle**Why do clubs almost always lose money—and does it mean some will disappear? Why doesn’t America dominate the sport internationally? Do coaches actually even matter? These are the question...

The story of how soccer has transformed the world—as seen through nine World Cups—by one of our most talented writers on the sport.The World Cup is the biggest sporting spectacle on Earth—a chance every four years for the greatest players to win international glory, and a month-long media event that's watched by an audience of billions.But the tournament has changed beyond recognition since the inaugural event in Montevideo, Uruguay, in July 1930. What was ...

An entertaining and openhearted tale of a naïf eventually getting to understand a complex, glittering, beautiful and often cruel society - at least a little.When Simon Kuper left London for Paris in his early thirties, he wasn't planning to make a permanent move. Paris, however, had otherplans. Kuper has grown middle-aged there, eaten the croissants, seen his American wife through life-threatening cancer, taken his children to countless football matches on f...

“Fascinating, rich, and probing . . . a beguiling and endlessly interesting portrait”—The Wall Street JournalFor fans of John le Carré and Ben Macintyre, an exclusive first-person account of one of the Cold War’s most notorious spies“Kuper provides a different and valuable perspective, humane and informative. If the definition of a psychopath is someone who refuses to accept the consequences of his actions, does George fit ...

Now with a new chapter on the end of the chumocracy era - and Oxford's upcoming elite for 2050.THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER AND TIMES BEST BOOK OF 2022A TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT BEST BOOK OF 2023Power. Privilege. Parties.It's a very small world at the top.'Brilliant ... traces Brexit back to the debating chambers of the Oxford Union ...

With rare and unrivaled access, bestselling coauthor of Soccernomics and longtime Financial Times journalist Simon Kuper tells the story of how FC Barcelona became the most successful club in the world—and how that era is now endingFC Barcelona is not just the world’s highest grossing sports club, it is simply one of the most influential organizations on the planet. At last count, it had approximately 214 million social media followers, more than ...

Soccer is much more than just the most popular game in the world. It is a matter of life and death for millions around the world, an international lingua franca. Simon Kuper traveled to twenty-two countries to discover the sometimes bizarre effect soccer can have on politics and culture. At the same time he tried to discover what makes different countries play a simple game so differently. Kuper meets a remarkable variety of fans along the way, from the East Berliner persecuted by the Stas...

Simon Kuper's New York Times bestseller Soccernomics pioneered a new way of looking at soccer through meticulous empirical analysis and incisive -- and witty -- commentary. Kuper now leaves the numbers and data behind to explore the heart and soul of the world's most popular sport in the new, extraordinarily revealing Soccer Men.Soccer Men goes behind the scenes with soccer's greatest players and coaches. Inquiring into the genius and hubris of t...

'Football history at its best' SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY'Hugely moving... a very good book indeed' FOUR FOUR TWO'Kuper is an original, sophisticated and adventurous writer. The story he has to tell... is fascinating and pressing' SUNDAY TIMESIn FOOTBALL AGAINST THE ENEMY Simon Kuper crossed the globe in search of the links between football, politics and culture. In AJAX, THE DUTCH, THE WAR he skilfully pieces together an a...

'GREAT' Independent'TERRIFIC' Guardian'WONDERFUL' Time Out'QUALITY' Mail on Sunday'DEFINITIVE' FourFourTwoWinner of the William Hill Sports Book AwardFeatured in FourFourTwo's list of 'The 10 Best Football Books Ever'Featured in Esquire's 'Best Sports Bo...

The European Union’s origins lie in the ruins of World War Two. This war inflicted huge psychological damage and everyone came to the same conclusion: no more war!European integration proved a successful tool for realising this deep-seated need. Now, 60 years on, the tool appears to have lost its effectiveness. A large section of the population is worried about the EU’s common policies. Will the Greeks ever pay back those billions? Will immigrants ever really integrate?For ...

The European Union’s origins lie in the ruins of World War Two. This war inflicted huge psychological damage and everyone came to the same conclusion: no more war!European integration proved a successful tool for realising this deep-seated need. Now, 60 years on, the tool appears to have lost its effectiveness. A large section of the population is worried about the EU’s common policies. Will the Greeks ever pay back those billions? Will immigrants ever really integrate?For ...