World Cup Fever
A Footballing Journey in Nine Tournaments
(Author) Simon Kuper'A brilliant evocation of the joy of the football carnival and the absurdities of the global spectacle... an essential companion' David Goldblatt It's the biggest sporting competition on Earth. A four-yearly chance for our greatest footballers to realise their ultimate dream. A month-long spectacle that's watched by billions. But the inaugural World Cup, held in Uruguay in 1930, was semi-professional, poorly attended and haphazardly organised - so how did it become a bonanza of multinational sponsorship, dubious ethics and shadowy characters, and the ultimate stage for football's greatest drama?Simon Kuper is one of very few people to have attended every World Cup since 1990. In World Cup Fever he looks back at each tournament he's experienced - from half-empty stands at Italia 90 to the French triumph as hosts in 1998, South Africa's national dream in 2010 and the troubling legacy of 2022 - to reveal a captivating portrait of sport in a globalised world. World Cup Fever is the story of how the tournament touches and sometimes even changes our lives, by one of the best writers on the beautiful game.
Simon Kuper
Simon Kuper is a British author and journalist known for his insightful sports writing and cultural commentary. His most notable works include "Soccernomics" and "Football Against the Enemy", in which he explores the intersection of soccer, politics, and society. Kuper's writing style is characterized by a blend of data-driven analysis and personal anecdotes, providing readers with a unique perspective on the world of sports. His contributions to literature include shedding light on the social and political significance of sports, as well as challenging conventional wisdom in the field. "Soccernomics" stands out as his most famous work, offering a fresh take on the economics and statistics behind the beautiful game. Kuper's impact on the literary genre of sports writing is undeniable, as he continues to inspire readers and fellow writers with his thought-provoking and engaging work.
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