The Soccer 100

(Hardback)

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FollowingThe Football 100andThe Basketball 100, the experts and award-winning journalists atThe Athleticpresent their definitive ranking of the greatest male soccer players to ever grace the pitch.

The Athleticis back, returning with 100 compelling profiles of soccers most celebrated characters, from Dixie Dean, whose 1928 record for the most goals scored in an English top-flight season remains unbroken, to Kylian Mbapp and Lionel Messi, whose stellar performances in the 2022 World Cup final drew almost 1.5 billion television viewers.

Each feature brings to life a player who has left his own mark on the game, whether he is known for a distinct trademark flash of skillsuch as Johan Cruyffs celebrated turnor renowned for reinventing tactics or even entire positions. Some, like Pel, Ferenc Pusks, Lev Yashin, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Diego Maradona, have become national icons. Others have carried club teams to silverware, conjured goals that have gone down in folklore, or found ways to stifle the sports most prolific forwards through their defensive excellence. Plenty suffered for their art along the way, yet their brilliance still illuminated matches on the most glittering of stages.

With a team of writers covering the sport worldwide,The Athleticleaves no stone unturned charting the players who have decorated the games most memorable moments. Through their stories, they reveal a global legacy and a sport that has divided the world through friendly rivalries while uniting it in overwhelming passion.

The Soccer 100is a celebration of the beautiful game and its storied history, as told through its 100 greatest players.

Author Bio

Michael Cox is the author of The Mixer. A football writer for the Guardian and ESPN, he is also the co-founder of the Zonal Marking website. He lives in south London and is a season-ticket holder at seventh-tier Kingstonian FC. Zonal Marking is his second book.