Football 500: The Ultimate Companion to 9 Decades of the World Cup

TOR! TOR! TOR! TOR!

For the uninitiated, that is the iconic commentary by Herbert Zimmermann on 4 July 1954 during the World Cup final between Hungary and West Germany. After the winning goal was shot in the 84th minute by West Germany, he shouted ‘Tor! Tor! Tor! Tor!’ (Tor is 'goal' in German) and his voice became the iconic narration of a nation's victory. The FIFA trophy, on the other hand, has its own history of being lost and then found (by a dog no less) and then redesigned, and yet it has always charted great distances to make its way to the champions. The FIFA World Cup, with its legacy of almost a century, has many such stories waiting to be unravelled and Football 500 brings you just that!

As we prepare for yet another season in 2026, refresh your knowledge about all the World Cup clashes – starting from the very beginning in 1930 in Montevideo, Uruguay. From behind-the-scenes stories, goals and GOATs, to tenacious teams and grand stadiums, this book covers it all! It is full of spellbinding stories, quizzes and puzzles sprinkled with QR codes and images for you to relive the magic of the last 96 years of the beautiful game as you read along.