About the Author

Grant Wahl was one of the world’s leading soccer journalists. He was the owner and creator of the Fútbol with Grant Wahl website and podcast, did television work for CBS Sports, and produced documentary films. His book The Beckham Experiment was the first soccer book to make the New York Times bestseller list. Wahl spent twenty-five years at Sports Illustrated, where he wrote more than three dozen cover stories. He covered thirteen World Cups (eight men’s, five women’s). Grant Wahl died in 2022.

Reviews

“Marrying first-rate reportage with stylish writing, Grant Wahl demonstrates why he’s considered the dean of U.S. soccer writing—a master of modern soccer, so to speak. This book has the weight and depth to appeal to hardcores, and the smart analysis to captivate the casual fan. Soccer’s answer to Men at Work.”
—JON WERTHEIM, SPORTS ILLUSTRATED EXECUTIVE EDITOR
 
“Grant Wahl is a master of modern soccer writing and this book is a Rosetta stone for anyone who wants to fully understand the contemporary game. It’s a user’s manual to how the game is (or ought to be) played, coached, managed, and watched. Everyone interested in soccer—fans, youth coaches, even top professionals—will gain fascinating insights from some of the game’s finest craftsmen, one of whom is Wahl himself.” 
—STEVE RUSHIN, AUTHOR OF STING-RAY AFTERNOONS AND COLUMNIST FOR SPORTS ILLUSTRATED
 
“I started it taking off at LAX and finished it landing at JFK. It’s an incredible peek behind the curtain into the way players, coaches, and technical directors see themselves and their jobs. These entertaining and candid profiles help explain some of the complexities and mysteries of the beautiful game and the people who inhabit it.” 
—ALEXI LALAS
 
“Reading Grant Wahl on soccer is always a pleasure. Hardly anyone else gets so much ac­cess to players, thinks so hard about what he hears, and tells it so well. No hype here—just insights into top-class professionals, by a top-class professional.”
—SIMON KUPER, COAUTHOR OF SOCCERNOMICS