The Football season is on, and there is no better time than this to update your knowledge about the most followed sport in the world. The Football Encyclopedia makes things easy for you by taking you down the memory lane as well as helping you correct the misconceptions you might have had for the game, all within its 140-odd pages.Authored by Clive Gifford, this book is not just related to international football but also covers major tournaments around the world. Not only does it tell you all there is to know about your favorite footballers but also about the teams you follow. With Copa America and Euro 2020 currently in full swing, going through this book should be a football fan’s ultimate dream.

After all, where else will you find the profiles of 75 of the world’s most skillful footballers as well as stunning ‘Match Action’ digital artworks that recreate famous moves and goals! From Diego Maradona’s controversial ‘hand of god’ goal to Roberto Baggio’s costly miss in 1994, each moment is recreated digitally, giving fans an insight they haven’t seen before. Then there is the in-depth coverage of football skills and tactics, besides updates on all the action that takes place on the football field.

The book is divided into seven chapters. Some might find the first chapter ‘Introduction’ important because of being new to the game, while for many, the ‘Competitions’ chapter will hold more value. However, everyone would love ‘Football Legends’ and ‘Great Sides’ chapters where the readers will go back in time and spend precious moments in the glorious football past.

And then there are the interesting chapters titled ‘Playing the Game’ and ‘The Brain Game’ that might be of great importance to those who are players, coaches, or want to improve their tactical skills! Not only do the readers get to read about basic skills, goal-scoring, formation, and the importance of a manager, but they will also get to read about the great managers who shaped great players.

What has been the career highlight for Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo? What makes Barcelona’s Lionel Messi an asset for the club? Which players were a product of the Olympic Games and how are they different to the other football competitions? You will find the answers to all these and many more questions within these pages. The action-packed images add color to the wonderfully designed pages that make you fall in love with football if you aren’t already in love with the beautiful game!

Nothing can be complete without the mention of football’s origins, officials, and the rules that have evolved with the game. Don’t be surprised to read that most of the players who represent their country in the Olympic Games should be under-23, and it was only after 1996, that only three over-23 players were allowed to represent their country! Or that before the 1990s, there was a West German side that dominated the world. Some of the new fans might get confused among Brazil’s Ronaldo and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, but they are as different from each other as their appearance.

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