The whole story of the Manchester United superstar This is a story of the little boy with footballing stardom in his family (his father played for Mexico), who the coaches thought would be too small for the rigors of the professional game, and how he proved everyone wrong, reaching the pinnacle of the game with World Cups, Premiership titles, and Champions League finals. Javier Hernandez, El Chicharito ("The Little Pea," so named for his green eyes), is rapidly becoming one of the most idolized young soccer stars on the planet. After an amazing World Cup debut for Mexico, he left Guadalajara and started his dream career at Manchester United. He was initially expected to be a bit part player learning his apprenticeship, but instead instantly became a hit with fans both on and off the field, cementing his place with 20 goals and a lightning pace as the club's leading striker alongside Wayne Rooney. Using sources from Guadalajara to Old Trafford, this totally unofficial book gets closer to the real Chicharito than any other source so far.

Two leading sports authorities explore the culture of soccer around the world, considering the sport as a means to better understand a society's past, present, and future. How popular is soccer worldwide? Here's one indicator: 3.2 billion people—nearly half of the planet's population—tuned in to watch the 2010 World Cup on television. Soccer matches attract a gargantuan number of fans from around the globe due to the popularity of the sport itself but also because of the nationalism it inspires and the entertainment spectacle of the big games. Distinguished authors and sports authorities, Charles Parrish and John Nauright, examine how soccer impacts societies worldwide by shaping national identities, providing common ground for diplomatic issues, and forging economic and social development. This one-volume geographic guide studies the places in which soccer has a major impact, examining each region's teams, major tournaments, key players, and international performance. The authors organize the book geographically by region and country, with entries reviewing the history of the sport and cultural impact on the area. Each profile concludes with fascinating game-based statistics, such as winners of major tournaments and top goal scorers. The book covers 20 countries including England, Brazil, Egypt, the United States, Cameroon, and Korea.

Born in Guadalajara, Mexico, Hernandez joined his local club C.D. Guadalajara at the age of nine and signed his first contract at 15. Making his full debut in 2006, he impressed in the Mexican league so much so that he caught the eye of a Manchester United scout in 2009. He signed for United in April of 2010 and scored on his debut in the MLS All-Star Game on July 28.

“This collection of Grant’s work is a great testament to not only what he did when he was here, but what he’s still doing to impact others.”—LeBron James The definitive collection of beloved late journalist Grant Wahl’s work—a masterclass in the art of sportswriting After Grant Wahl died of an aortic aneurysm at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, collapsing in his press seat during a quarterfinal match, tributes to Wahl poured in from around the globe. Wahl was beloved for good reason—he was kind, generous, and unflinching in the face of injustice. He was also one of the best sports journalists of his generation. Spanning four decades of storytelling, World Class collects for the first time the finest writing of Grant Wahl, from op-eds for his college newspaper to twenty-five years of reporting at Sports Illustrated to his deeply personal work for Fútbol with Grant Wahl on Substack. Wahl was the multi-tool modern sportswriter: clear and direct; able to write long, short, or in between; cosmopolitan; socially aware. Arranged thematically, World Class demonstrates how Wahl’s career aligned with the evolution of sportswriting. Included are explorations of soccer subcultures from Buenos Aires and F.C. Barcelona to the dusty sandlots of Nacogdoches, Texas, as well as accounts of trophy lifts that have a first-draft-of-history definitiveness. Some pieces capture prodigies early in their careers, like LeBron James and Landon Donovan; others lift the voices of the women athletes to whom Wahl paid early attention—stars like Abby Wambach and Megan Rapinoe. The book showcases the daring and important positions Wahl took in Qatar in the weeks before he died, supporting migrant workers and LGBTQ+ people. More than a collection of Grant Wahl's best work, World Class is a portrait of a journalist at the height of his powers, always evolving with the times, revealed by the stories he found and the unflinching way he told them.