In 2026, the FIFA World Cup will become the largest tournament in soccer history: 48 national teams, 104 matches, 16 host cities, and three host nations — the United States, Mexico, and Canada. For millions of American fans, this will be the perfect moment to understand the world’s most popular sport at its highest emotional level.

The World Cup Explained is a clear, engaging, and accessible guide for readers who want to understand soccer, the World Cup, and the global passion behind the game.

Written especially for American sports fans and curious newcomers, this book explains the rules, rhythms, traditions, rivalries, legendary players, national teams, fan cultures, stadiums, and unforgettable moments that make the World Cup unlike any other sporting event on Earth.

Inside, readers will discover:

How soccer works, from the clock and offside rule to penalties, extra time, substitutions, tactics, and tournament formats.

Why low-scoring matches can still create extraordinary drama.

How the 2026 World Cup will work, including its expanded 48-team format and North American host cities.

The greatest World Cup moments, from Pel� and Maradona to Messi, Mbapp�, Brazil, Argentina, France, Germany, England, and beyond.

The stories behind soccer’s most influential nations, leagues, stadiums, rivalries, and fan cultures.

How to watch, follow, attend, and fully experience the 2026 World Cup.

This is not a technical coaching manual or a statistics encyclopedia. It is a cultural and practical guide to understanding the sport that moves billions of people.

Whether you are a lifelong soccer fan, a casual viewer, a parent of a young player, a traveler planning to attend matches, or an American sports fan preparing for the 2026 tournament, this book will help you see the World Cup not just as a competition, but as a global event filled with history, emotion, identity, and unforgettable drama.

The world is coming to North America in 2026. This book helps you understand what everyone will be watching.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

Store Description

We first started out as ?The Paperback Exchange,? a chain of physical bookstores where we would part exchange your beloved books for new stories to transport you to faraway places. However, as shopping started to evolve to online shops and marketplaces, we bid our stores goodbye to become ?PBShop.? This transition has only allowed us to blossom as we now ship thousands of titles to book lovers across the globe. We pride ourselves in being a community of local book lovers which allows our passion and devotion to shine in everything we do. In 2020 we not only celebrated our 20th birthday but our 1st birthday as being completely employee owned after becoming an E.O.T in September 2019. We are proud to be different and embrace standing apart on a book mountain by working from a virtual inventory which allows us to provide thousands of books that may be difficult to get for your bookshelf or your studies. Working with a number of different suppliers allows us to explore other avenues such as puzzles, sheet music and even stationery so we really do have something for everyone. Life is about being versatile in all realms of existence. If this is your first visit or you are a returning customer, we would like to welcome you to the PBShop family, for there is no friend as loyal as a book. We are a company who put our customers at the centre of everything we do as we understand the importance of reading because once you learn to read, you will forever be free. There are a whole lot of things in this world of ours that we are yet to explore, which is why we will forever inspire curious minds.

Visit Seller's Storefront

Seller's business information

Pbshop.co.uk Ltd
Unit 22 Horcott Industrial Estate, Horcott Road, Fairford, GL7 4BX, United Kingdom

Sale & Shipping Terms

Terms of Sale

Returns Policy
We ask all customers to contact us for authorisation should they wish to return their order. Orders returned without authorisation may not be credited.
If you wish to return, please contact us within 14 days of receiving your order to obtain authorisation.

Returns requested beyond this time will not be authorised.

Our team will provide full instructions on how to return your order and once received our returns department will process your refund.
Please note the cost to return any...

More Information

Shipping Terms

Books are shipped from UK warehouse. Delivery thereafter is between 4 and 14 business days dependant upon your location - please do contact us with any queries you may have.

Shipping rates within U.S.A.

Shipping rates within U.S.A.
Order quantity	7 to 14 business days	7 to 14 business days
First item	US$ 0.00	US$ 0.00

Delivery times are set by sellers and vary by carrier and location. Orders passing through Customs may face delays and buyers are responsible for any associated duties or fees. Sellers may contact you regarding additional charges to cover any increased costs to ship your items.