A World Cup Reading List: For the Love of Football

Did you know? The brand-new, state-of-the-art library at 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum contains more than 5,000 books and scientific research journals.

Find these books in person at the Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum Library, in our IN-Q shop or at a library near you.

1. FIFA Museum Collection: 1000 years of Football
Author(s): Harry Langton, Michael Amman

This book boasts dozens of photos of football paraphernalia and memorabilia from the FIFA Museum collection. The entire text is written out in the book in all original four official FIFA languages – English, Spanish, French and German.
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2. Dreams and Goals: The World Cup & World Football 1990–2010
Author: Alistair Berg

Released ahead of South Africa 2010, the 19th FIFA World Cup, this book is a twenty-year visual celebration of what makes football the globally adored sport it is today. Spanning multiple countries and football subcultures, the book also documents every World Cup from 1990 until 2006.
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3. The Official History of the FIFA World Cup
Author: FIFA World Football Museum

With a foreword from FIFA President Gianni Infantino, this revised edition of the history of the World Cup includes every tournament since its inauguration in 1930 up to Russia 2018. This book features photography, statistics and interviews with players at all intervals of the tournament process.
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4. FIFA 2022: Qatar, The Legacy
Author: M. Mohamed Essa

Published ahead of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, this book provides a holistic overview of the Qatar-based edition of the tournament. Notes on infrastructure, the media and the climate all contribute to informing fans and football enthusiasts attending the Qatar World Cup of what to expect and how to take a piece of the peninsula home with them.
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5. Kilian Mbappe‬ (Arabic Edition)
Author: France Football

Published by Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) in Qatar, this biography tells the story of one of France’s brightest shining football stars, Kilian Mbappe. Boasting images and exclusive interviews collected by France football journalists, this book is a must-buy for fans of ‘Donatello’.
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6. Journeys on a Football Carpet
Author: Mathias Krug

Another HBKU publication, this book, authored by Qatar-born journalist Mathias Krug, sets the record straight on Qatar’s decades-long relationship with football. Krug lays out the evolution of the sport in Qatar, including its successful bid to host the World Cup.
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7. Football in the Middle East: State, Society and the Beautiful Game
Editor: Abdullah Al-Arian

An in-depth study of football in the region, this book examines the significance of the sport to Middle Eastern society. After over a decade in the spotlight, and with football’s biggest tournament on Qatari ground, Al-Arian investigates how the sport is a significant cultural force in the Middle East.
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Zine El Abidine Hamdi Cherif is the Senior Library Coordinator at the 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum.