The World Cup: Soccer's Global Championship

Gr 4–7—Internationally, the World Cup is the most widely viewed sports event, with a viewing audience surpassing that of the Super Bowl and the Olympics. From modest beginnings in 1930, soccer's biggest competition has soared in popularity. Doeden has scored a winning goal with this insightful look at the game's prestigious championship event. Like his earlier book The Super Bowl, this latest is well researched. He discusses the history, appeal, and format of this event, as well as some fundamentals of the game. The chapter on heroics and heartbreaks of past World Cups is quite lengthy and may not resonate well with readers who are not dedicated fans. Men's and women's soccer are covered. True to his engaging style of writing, he presents information with abundant use of appealing photographs and charts. In addition, he addresses in an objective manner controversial issues that have marred the reputation of the sport, most notably the 2015 scandal that rocked the governing body of international soccer.