the Summer World Played Football: Complete Story of Great 2026 Tournament

For thirty-nine unforgettable days, forty-eight nations transformed Canada, Mexico and the United States into the centre of the football world. The Summer the World Played Football tells the complete story of the great 2026 tournament-from the anticipation surrounding its unprecedented expansion and the arrival of the competing nations to the drama of the group stage, the new Round of 32 and the unforgettable journey towards the final. Relive the hosts' campaigns, the emergence of fearless debutants, historic national breakthroughs, painful eliminations and the performances of football's greatest established and rising stars. Follow every group, every knockout round and every decisive turning point as celebrated champions confronted ambitious outsiders and entire countries discovered how quickly one match could change their history. Combining vivid narrative with complete results, standings, statistics, awards and tournament records, this book captures the scale, emotion and significance of a summer unlike any before it. It was the largest international football tournament ever staged. It brought together generations, cultures and supporters from across the globe. For one extraordinary summer, the world played football. This independently written book is an unofficial historical account and is not authorised, endorsed or sponsored by any football governing body, national association, team, player or tournament organiser. Every effort has been made to present the information accurately at the time of publication.