Promotional Information

The fascinating story of a nation's love affair with football - over 10,000 copies sold to date in trade paperback.With a new introduction by Socrates and a new afterword by the author. Shortlisted for the British Book Awards Sports Book of the Year

About the Author

Alex Bellos is the correspondent for the Guardian and the Observer in Rio de Janeiro where he has lived and worked for four years. This is his first book.

Reviews

'Entertaining and richly informative' Daily Telegraph 'Wacky ... spectacular' Daily Mirror 'Hugely entertaining ... wonderfully researched' New Statesman 'An affectionate and shrewd account of the game ... The book is full of intriguing sidelights on Brazilian popular culture; its hedonism, piety and wondrous absurdity' Guardian