Describes the achievements and career statistics of soccer's greatest stars.

'Incredibly well-researched and loaded with modern-day, high-tech football insights' – Tony Strudwick, Head of Performance, Wales national football team Professional football is more demanding than ever. Top internationals reach speeds of 36km/hr, run 12km each match and play up to 60 games each season. Sports scientists are now key figures at every top club, applying cutting-edge techniques to boost fitness, accelerate recovery and forge lean, mean, winning machines. This illuminating book uncovers the training and fuelling secrets of today's greatest footballers, drawing on access to the world's best clubs, including Barcelona, Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and many more. Why does Cristiano Ronaldo have his own cryotherapy chamber? Why does Paul Pogba wear custom-made compression socks? Why does Sergio Agüero altitude-train when returning from injury? From virtual-reality units to the omnipresence of GPS vests, taking in brain-training, innovative gear and performance nutrition along the way, you'll discover what it takes to reach the top of the game – and how to apply this knowledge to your own training.

From his childhood in the United States to his triumphs in Europe and beyond, Christian Pulisic is one of the World's Greatest Soccer Players. The title features informative sidebars, exciting photos, a glossary, and an index. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. SportsZone is an imprint of Abdo Publishing, a division of ABDO.

This title will introduce you to Pelé, Mia Hamm, Lionel Messi, and more of the all-time greatest players in soccer. Complete with action-packed stories of their most memorable moments, spotlight stats, information boxes, a glossary, additional resources and more. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. SportsZone is an imprint of Abdo Publishing, a division of ABDO.

"Describes the achievements and career statistics of soccer's greatest stars"--Provided by publisher.

Pelé—legendary footballer and humanitarian—explores the sport’s recent history and shares his most inspiring experiences, heartwarming stories, and hard-won wisdom. “I know in my heart that soccer was good to me, and great to the world....I saw, time and again, how the sport improved countless millions of lives, both on and off the field. For me, at least, that’s why soccer matters.” The world’s most popular sport goes by many names—soccer, football, the beautiful game—but fans have always agreed on one thing: The greatest player of all time was Pelé. Before Messi, before Ronaldo, before Beckham, Pelé had a stunning twenty-year career, where he was heralded as an international treasure. His accomplishments on the field proved to be pure magic: an unprecedented three World Cup championships and the all-time scoring record, with 1,283 goals. Since retiring, he has traveled the world as soccer’s global ambassador, relentlessly promoting the positive ways soccer can transform young men and women, struggling communities, even entire nations. This is Pelé’s legacy, his way of passing on everything he’s learned and inspiring a new generation. In Why Soccer Matters, Pelé details his ambitious goals for the future of the sport and, by extension, the world.