The Power and the Glory

A definitive new history of the world’s most watched sporting event—just in time for the 2026 tournament​

Since 1930, the World Cup has become a truly global obsession. It is the most watched sporting event on the planet, and 211 teams competed to make it into the 2022 tournament. From its inception, it has also been a vehicle for far more than soccer. A tool for self-mythologizing and influence-peddling, The World Cup has played a crucial role in nation-building, and continues to, as countries negotiate their positions in a globalized world.

The Power and the Glory is a comprehensive history of the matches and goals, the tales of scandal and triumph, the haggling and skulduggery of the bidding process, and the political and cultural tides behind every tournament. Jonathan Wilson details not merely what happened but why, based on fresh interviews and meticulous research. The book is as much about the legends of the sport, from Pelé to Messi, as it is about the nations that made them, from Mussolini’s Italy to partitioned Germany to controversy-ridden Qatar.

Brimming with politics, heart, and drama, on and off the pitch, The Power and the Glory is the definitive story of the greatest cultural event of our time.

• “A history of the World Cup that is also a four yearly temperature check on the history of the entire world. Epic in scope, awesomely rich in detail, and compulsively entertaining.”
  Tom Holland, co-host, The Rest Is History
• “Meticulously researched and well-organised—an informative account of how the World Cup became the global event it is today.”
  Jamie Carragher, former player, Liverpool FC
• “So much of what we know of football’s history we know thanks to Wilson, and he tells it so engagingly, with an eye for personality and story as well as the deeper structures. He sees the connections between football and everything else and is dazzlingly international. The game is lucky to have him.”
  Simon Kuper, co-author of Soccernomics
• “The Power and the Glory: A fantastic ride through World Cup history. Legendary players, unforgettable matches, and the politics that surround the game on the global stage.”
  Bob Bradley, soccer manager
• “There could be no better guide to the glory and the shame of the world’s most popular sporting event than Jonathan Wilson, the world’s most accomplished soccer writer.”
  Stefan Szymanski, co-author of Soccernomics