Enlarge Cover
Media/Desk Copy Request
For sports fans and history buffs alike and just in time for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, this accessible guide to the evolution of soccer—from ancient traditions to sold-out stadiums—shows just how much influence on politics, economics, and popular culture one sport can have
In 2026, the FIFA World Cup will return to North America for the first time since 1994, bringing the world’s most watched sporting event to a nation of people more obsessed with soccer than ever before. With the proliferation of Emmy-winning television series set in and around the world of soccer—like Ted Lasso and Welcome to Wrexham—and the celebrity ownership of teams by everyone from Ryan Reynolds to Elton John, soccer has skyrocketed in its international appeal. How did this game go from an upper-class pastime to one of the world’s most inclusive, commercial, and political sports?
Sports historian Brian D. Bunk takes readers on a journey from soccer’s humble roots in nineteenth-century England to its meteoric rise in popular culture, tracing the game through time and space. Drawing on key historical and contemporary events, from World Cup boycotts to fights on the pitch, Bunk crafts a concise yet comprehensive history of the sport as an influence that continues to be felt around the world. The Shortest History of Soccer provides a helpful compendium for history buffs and soccer fans alike, helping to shape our perception of economics, politics, and the kind of indescribable camaraderie that only sports can provide.
The Shortest History books deliver thousands of years of history in one riveting, fast-paced read.
“Praise for From Football to Soccer
“As soccer grows in popularity today, Brian Bunk shows that it has been part of the sporting scene for many centuries. This book is essential reading for historians of sport, and an absorbing read for the casual soccer/football fan.”—Stefan Szymanski, coauthor of Soccernomics
“From Football to Soccer is the best kind of sport history. It effectively places soccer’s story into larger social contexts while meticulously documenting source material.”—American Historical Review
“An excellent addition. . . From Football to Soccer undoubtedly adds much to the historiography of soccer in the United States.”—Journal of Popular Culture
“An impressive volume which does not claim to be the final word on US soccer history, and gives historians potential new avenues and approaches towards the subject matter.”—Idrottsforum
“An important addition to the publisher's Sport and Society series. . . . Recommended.”—Choice
