Sports Soccer

Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest footballers of all time, a dream he pursued from the age of just 12 when he left his humble origins on Madeira behind. It wasn't long before he had the biggest clubs in Europe knocking on his door, but it was Manchester United who won the race for his signature. Under the tutelage of Sir Alex Ferguson, Ronaldo developed into the complete footballer and athlete, winning three league titles and a Champions League along the way. He then became the biggest galáctico of them all when he transferred to Real Madrid for a record-breaking fee.

xGenius explores the interplay between analysis, tactics, and decision-making. It seeks to put the sport of football under the microscope with the aim of getting closer to the ultimate truth of what makes players, managers and teams successful. What, ultimately, wins football matches. Packed with examples from the Premier League and beyond, xGenius shows how xG and other performance analysis tools are helping answer previously unanswerable questions.

Wall Street Journal reporters Joshua Robinson and Jonathan Clegg offer a deeply reported account of the intertwined sagas and legacies of two of the greatest soccer players of all time—Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo—examining how their rivalry has grown from a personal competition to a multi-billion-dollar industry, paralleling the stunning rise, overwhelming excesses, and uncertain future of modern international soccer.

A brief introduction to the basic moves and plays of a soccer game.

No player has been more synonymous with the glory years of Manchester United Football Club over the past two decades than right-back Gary Neville. An Old Trafford regular since he attended his first match at the age of six, captain of the brilliant 1992 FA Youth Cup-winning team that became known as 'Fergie's Fledglings', outspoken representative of MUFC, Neville is the ultimate one-club man. He has been at the heart of it all, and he is telling it all.

In July 2021, shortly after being named League Two's Player of the Season and Golden Boot, Paul Mullin sent shockwaves through the EFL by taking a downwards move to National League team, Wrexham AFC. Since then, 'Super Paul Mullin' has helped transform the Wrexham team, scoring dozens of goals and capturing the imaginations of football fans across the world in the process. Here for the first time, Mullin tells his own story: his roots in Liverpool, the highs and lows of English football's promotion race, lessons learnt from his young son, and what happens when Hollywood comes knocking.

Despite debuting on Canada’s senior national soccer team 20 years ago, scarce is known of Atiba Hutchinson. We’ve watched him win Canadian Men’s Player of the Year six times; celebrated his club team championships; and mourned his injuries. We’ve lamented the state of Canadian soccer and cursed the lost potential—and years. Yet, we know little about Atiba’s personal life, or how he rose from suburban Brampton to becoming Canada’s most-capped national men’s team player, often described as the country’s greatest athlete you haven’t heard about.

FC 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 any other sports club except Real Madrid CF—and by one earlier measure, more than all 32 NFL teams combined. It has more in common with multinational megacompanies like Netflix or small nation-states than it does with most soccer teams. Journalist Simon Kuper tells the story of how FC Barcelona became the most successful club in the world.

Jürgen Klopp is the charismatic German manager who single-handedly overthrew the accepted order in German football, taking Borussia Dortmund from nowhere to back-to-back Bundesliga titles and the Champions League final. He had long been admired in the Premiership and was finally wooed by Liverpool in the belief he could bring back the glory days to the Kop. Klopp is revered as a master tactician with his own unique playing philosophies.

Alex Morgan first joined a soccer team when she was 14 years old, quickly impressing her peers and coaches with her skills. From there, she grew to become a world-class soccer player, reaching incredible heights including a FIFA Women's World Cup championship and an Olympic gold medal. Learn about Alex's rise in soccer in this electric biography in the Stars of Sports series.

Lionel Messi is a superstar soccer player. But what happens when he’s not scoring goals on the pitch? High-interest details of his fascinating life will enthrall listeners.

New-kid Javier Moreno makes a big splash on the soccer field when a video of his amazing goal goes viral. But now the fame is going to his head, and he's hogging the ball and showing off. Will Javi's solo act ruin the team's chances at making the state championship?

On June 23, 2018, twelve young players of the Wild Boars soccer team and their coach enter a cave in northern Thailand seeking an afternoon’s adventure. But when they turn to leave, rising floodwaters block their path out. The boys are trapped! Before long, news of the missing team spreads, launching a seventeen-day rescue operation involving thousands of rescuers from around the globe. As the world sits vigil, people begin to wonder: how long can a group of ordinary kids survive in complete darkness, with no food or clean water?

New-kid Javier Moreno makes a big splash on the soccer field when a video of his amazing goal goes viral. But now the fame is going to his head, and he's hogging the ball and showing off. Will Javi's solo act ruin the team's chances at making the state championship?

Peter Reid is one of the most colourful characters to emerge from England over the last 50 years. As a player, he established himself as one of the leading midfielders of his era, being named PFA Player of the Year in 1985 and credited as the fourth best footballer in the world. He won numerous honours with Everton, including two league titles, one FA Cup and one European Cup Winners’ Cup. He also won 13 England caps, playing at the 1986 World Cup – where a date with destiny at the ‘hand’ of Diego Maradona would provide a lasting, painful memory.

Instantly acquire all the knowledge you need to pass as an expert in the world of football. Never again be found wanting when asked what Albert Camus said about the ‘beautiful’ game, why a surprising number of other famous writers and thinkers opted to play ‘between the sticks’, why a rotation system is not to be confused with a revolving door management policy and why an impressive collection of trophies is no way to describe the perma-tanned WAGs in the directors’ box.

Hope Solo is the face of the modern female athlete. She is fearless, outspoken, and the best in the world at what she does: protecting the goal of the U.S. women's soccer team. Her outsized talent has led her to the pinnacle of her sport - the Olympics and the World Cup - and made her into an international celebrity who is just as likely to appear on ABC's Dancing with the Stars as she is on the covers of Sports Illustrated, ESPN The Magazine, and Vogue.

From the funny to the poignant, this book has been specifically curated with great soccer stories for children who are just embarking on their journey through this beautiful sport. Whether you're a die-hard soccer fan or just enjoy a good story, The Most Amazing Soccer Stories—for Kids! is sure to keep both parents and children entertained.

In 2018, Luka Modric made football history with an unprecedented feat - winning all four of the most prestigious football awards in the same year: the Golden Ball at the World Cup in Russia, FIFA’s The Best Men's Player, UEFA Men’s Player of the Year and the Ballon d’Or. The same year, as the team captain he led Croatia to the silver medal at the World Cup. Globally renowned as a visionary playmaker and midfield maestro, Luka Modric was born with the ambition to prove himself and to lead.

Written by Dan Blank, Everything Your Coach Never Told You Because You’re a Girl is one of the most inspirational stories ever written for the female athlete. Coaches and teams of all sports – from soccer to golf to equestrian – have embraced this book as the foundation for a new brand of female competitor.