Glittering Prize

Author: Jonathan O'Brien

c 1945 to c 2000 (Post-war period) | c 2000 to c 2010 | Sports teams & clubs | History of sport | Football (Soccer, Association football) | World Cup

Published on 18^th May 2026 by Pitch Publishing Ltd in the United Kingdom as part of 'The Story of the FIFA World Cup' series.

Hardback | 528 pages
241mm x 166mm x 43mm | 846g

Every four years, the planet stops dead for an event like no other. The World Cup captures the global imagination in a way that dwarfs every other sporting competition. Glittering Prize tells the full story of its thrilling century-long arc. Volume II focuses on what many consider the tournament's golden era: Paolo Rossi's surprise eruption to fire Italy to victory in Spain in 1982; Diego Maradona's almighty show of will and skill four years later in Mexico; the unforgettable exploits of Totò Schillaci and Roger Milla at Italia 90; the glitzy extravaganza of USA 94; and France's vivid triumph on home soil in 1998. Brimming with fascinating detail and compelling personalities such as Michel Platini, Lothar Matthäus, Roberto Baggio and Zinedine Zidane, Glittering Prize is a riveting chronicle of the greatest sporting show on earth.