Encyclopedia of the FIFA World Cup

September 1, 2015
This slim volume provides quick access to the people, places, and events that have made the FIFA World Cup one of the most popular sporting events in the world. The book begins with a brief chronology of the tournament, followed by an introduction documenting the humble beginnings of the first World Cup, in Uruguay (1930), to its rise as a global spectacle. Tournament recaps offer a snapshot into the play and politics for each of the 20 World Cups through 2014. The bulk of the book is made up of an AZ listing of notable World Cup players, coaches, referees, countries, venues, and a few general entries, such as Attendance and Third-place game. Some entries are more detailed than others; Argentina's entry covers 22 pages, while most countries garner barely a page. The index is adequate, but it would have benefited from added general entries for coaches and officials for increased access to lesser-known names. The book ends with appendixes listing World Cup winners and individual award winners for each cup. Although it's not listed in the bibliography, Dunmore co-opted some information from his previous soccer reference: The Historical Dictionary of Soccer (2011). Libraries gearing up for the 2018 World Cup may find this concise volume a helpful addition for soccer enthusiasts of all ages.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)