World Soccer Presents

World Soccer Presents is a bi-monthly souvenir bookazine collection from the team at Word Soccer magazine. Each issue provides expert analysis and insight into the world’s most popular sport, focusing on a specific theme, including, the world’s most important players, club, rivalries and tournaments.

From the editor

World Soccer Presents

Where it all began • First touted back in 1902, agreed in principle in Antwerp in 1920 and passed as a resolution at FIFA’s 1928 Congress, soccer’s World Cup was finally launched on July 13, 1930

Home advantage seals it for the Azzurri • With qualification required for the first time, the holders choosing not to defend their trophy and political machinations clearly at play, the ground-breaking second edition of the World Cup, won by hosts Italy, was an historic event

Italy retain their crown • Azzurri coach Vittorio Pozzo ensured his place amongst the game’s immortals after sealing back-to-back World Cup triumphs with an arguably even better Italian side in 1938

Blame it on Rio • The extraordinary tournament in Brazil, decided by a thriller that wasn’t even a real final, was plagued by withdrawals ahead of the first post-war World Cup

West Germany stun Magical Magyars • Everything leading up to the fifth World Cup had pointed to a Hungarian triumph, but West Germany had other ideas

The nearly men • Hungary were undoubtedly the best team of the early 1950s but the “Magic Magyars” narrowly failed to win the World Cup that they richly deserved.

Pele makes his mark • The legend of Pele was unleashed unto the world, with the 1958 World Cup proving a trailer to a 12-year cycle of Brazilian success bar just one hiccup

The scandal in Chile • Thuggery and brutality marred the seventh World Cup finals but, in Pele’s injury-enforced absence, Brazil had the tremendous Garrincha to thank for a second glorious triumph

ICONIC MOMENT

When football came home • Geoff Hurst’s hat-trick and a controversial decision by an Azerbaijani linesman sealed English football’s greatest moment, but the tournament had its ups and downs

The General • Brian Glanville remembers England’s 1966 World Cup-winning manager Sir Alf Ramsey

ICONIC MOMENT

Campeons del mundo • In a supreme advertisement for entertaining and attacking football, Pele and Co. brought the World Cup trophy back to Brazil

More than a team • Brazil’s 1970 World Cup-winning side are the most celebrated in the history of the game, but technical, tactical and training innovations were as important to their success as sheer individual brilliance.

ICONIC MOMENT

Total football to total failure • The Netherlands, without doubt the most outstanding team throughout the 1974 World Cup finals, fell at the final hurdle against the hosts West Germany

Battle of River Plate sees the Dutch lose again • After losing the 1974 final, defeat in the 1978 final – yet again to the host nation – spelled the end of the Oranje era. But violence by both World Cup finalists, on and off the ball, only served to underline the place the 1978 epic must hold in soccer history

Total recall • Brian Glanville tells the story of the Netherlands’ World Cup campaigns of 1974 and 1978

World Cup greats • Ahead of Spain 1982, World Soccer profiled a selection of “men who mattered” – players who had made World Cup history in the early years between 1930 and 1978

ICONIC MOMENT

The Italians clinch third World Cup crown • After a slow start to the 1982 finals, Italy’s star striker Paolo Rossi, just back from a two-year ban, inspired his team to World Cup glory in Spain

Rossi comes good • Paddy Agnew recalls how Italy’s star striker Paolo Rossi went from tragedy to...