Can’t wait for the 2022/23 season to kick-off? Perhaps you're already pining for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
If you need your football thirst quenched in the meantime, we have the perfect cure for football fever. Take a look at this list of the 25 best football books in 2022.
The Utilita Football Yearbook 2022-2023
Stats, stats, stats. If your football obsession is all about the numbers, you'll want the latest edition of the Football Yearbook. Get all the analysis you will ever need about the 2021/22 season from the leading series on football statistics and facts. This book will help you prepare for the next season by deepening your understanding of the one just gone.
The Rangers Story: 150 Years of a Remarkable Football Club
The perfect reading material for fans of Glasgow's famous Rangers Football Club. This book celebrates the rich history of one of football's oldest clubs. Delve into the history of a club with a record number of Scottish championships and success in Europe. But also read about darker times in the club's history, like the 1902 and 1971 Ibrox tragedies.
FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022: the Official Guide
The book is the official guide to the upcoming instalment of the biggest sporting event on earth. Between November 21 and December 18, all eyes will be on Qatar as world football gathers for its most prestigious competition. This book contains the perfect guide to Qatar, its World Cup and the 32 nations taking part.
Boleyn Boy: My Autobiography
Learn about the story of local east London boy, Mark Noble, who grew up a West Ham fan and fulfilled his dream of playing for them. Starting in their youth academy during the year 2000, he used his tenacity, aggression and bravery to gain his place in the first team. Read all about this one-club man, West Ham's appearance record holder in the Premier League, who captained his side in European competition in his final season.
City in Europe
Most people know Manchester City for their success in recent years, but they have more stories of success from their past. This includes winning the Cup Winners' Cup in 1970, which made them one of the first English clubs to taste victory in Europe. Discover how they achieved this success and their downfall domestically and ultimately in Europe as well, from avid City fan and respected journalist Simon Curtis.
In the Heat of the Midday Sun: The Indelible Story of the 1986 World Cup
Learn the incredible story of one of the best world cups the world has ever seen. The 1986 World Cup is iconic in the world of football, with Mexico saving the day when Colombia had to back out of hosting duties. Read all about Diego Maradona's finest hours in an Argentina shirt as he led his country to victory in the sport's most prestigious event.
Game Changer: A Rocky of the Rovers Novel
Roy of the Rovers books have always made great football gifts for kids. Game Changer: A Rocky of the Rovers Novel continues that tradition. It follows Rocky Race as she leads the newly formed Melchester Women’s team. Follow the twist and turns that hinder and push the team on their journey through their first full professional season. With shocking incidents and family tragedies along the way, how will they achieve their goals?
Scoring Goals in the Dark
Clare Shine had her first Republic of Ireland international call-up aged 13. By 19, she had played in a UEFA Under-17 European Championship and a FIFA Under-17 World Cup. Discover how she scored the winner in a cup final, won her first senior international cap and became a full-time professional player. But also learn about the low points of her story: how she became addicted to drugs and alcohol, suffered panic attacks and attempted suicide. This is a remarkable tale of perseverance and recovery as Clare brings herself back from the brink.
World At Your Feet football picture book
Want a fun and enjoyable children's football book the whole family can enjoy? World At Your Feet describes some of the most iconic and celebrated goals in World Cup history. Each goal is retold through catchy rhymes and fun illustrations. This is the perfect book to introduce little ones to greats of the past before this year's World Cup.
The Football Stadium Guide
If you are a lover of iconic and historical football stadiums this is the book for you. Take a guided tour through the stadiums that football's biggest clubs call home on the pages of this book. Explore everything from iconic monuments of architecture and football heritage to the sleek, high-tech modern stadia.
How to Win the World Cup: Secrets and Insights from International Football’s Top Managers
Only 20 managers have ever won football's most prestigious prize, the World Cup. This book finds out what it takes to win a tournament and how those successful managers did it. Discover what it feels like to be in that dugout with a country's hopes resting on your shoulders. With research from the 90 years of World Cup history, this book comprehensively documents the tactics and man-management skills needed to win.
The Rodfather
Roddy Collins has spent six decades in the game of football, playing at 16 different clubs and managing 12. He has a lot of experience, which he shares in stores told with his signature craic. Follow him along his journey through football as he makes friends (and some enemies) along the way.
Red on Red: Liverpool, Manchester United and the fiercest rivalry in world football
Learn all about English football's most revered rivalry. The battle of the Reds: Liverpool vs Manchester United. The two most successful clubs in English football history both reside in the North West. It's a rivalry that goes beyond football and into culture and industry. Learn just why this derby means so much to English football.
The Game: A Life in Football from One of TV’s Most Popular Pundits
Publishing on 22 October, the hilarious and entertaining Micah Richards releases his autobiography. It's a book filled with his now familiar personality and humour. Discover Micah's experience in the Premier League as a Manchester City player and how he won the league. Then follow his journey to becoming a pundit alongside the likes of Roy Keane. Get Micah's insights on his journey so far.
Square Peg, Round Ball: Football, TV and Me
Follow Ned Boulting's journey from football supporter to reporter. Discover his hilarious adventures in the footballing world through the 1990s and 2000s. Whether it's treading mud into Steven Gerrard's pristine white carpets, nearly being pushed into oncoming traffic by a menacing Vinnie Jones, or being chased away from Roman Abramovich's house by some scary-looking men on quad bikes, Ned really has been there, done that, and got the Sky Sports jacket to prove it.
The Official History of The FA Cup: 150 Years of Football's Most Famous National Tournament
Football's oldest cup competition has just turned 150. It's an iconic mainstay in the football world, since the inaugural FA Cup was clinched by Wanderers Football Club at Kennington Oval. Explore the history of the cup from its inception to the modern-day, including interviews with Arsène Wenger, the most successful manager in the cup's history.
Net Gains: Inside the Beautiful Game's Analytics Revolution
Always wanted to learn about the workings of the game and the clubs participating in it? Ryan O’Hanlon takes a look at the modern game and how these billion-dollar enterprises operate and function. Learn about how analytics, tactics and metrics have changed the game forever and have led to power shifts in football.
Fields of Wonder: The incredible story of Northern Ireland's journey to the 1982 World Cup
At the end of the 1970s, things were looking rough for the Northern Ireland football team. With the Troubles taking place in the background, the national team was unable to play home games. Interviews with manager Billy Bingham and his players detail how they overcame all that to book their place at the 1982 World Cup.
Johan Cruyff: Always on the Attack
Johan Cruyff is arguably the greatest figure to ever grace the game of football. From his legendary playing career and his success as a manager, he has ingrained himself in the history books as one of the all-time greats. Although not much is known about the man himself, this book will give you an insight into just what he was like. With interviews of his closest friends and family, you'll build a picture of who Johan Cryuff really was.
Inside Qatar: Hidden Stories from One of the Richest Nations on Earth
Less than 100 hundred years ago, Qatar was nothing more than a backwater country reliant on pearl diving for its main source of income. Now it is a country of seemingly endless resources and ambition, and you don't need to look any further than the 2022 World Cup for proof of this. Learn how Qatar was able to change its trajectory so dramatically. But also explore the darkness of accusations of human rights violations that surrounds it.
A Woman's Game: The Rise, Fall, and Rise Again of Women's Football
This book charts the history of the women's game, starting from its beginnings during the Victorian era. Learn about the 53,000 spectators it brought to Goodison Park and its 50-year ban in the UK. Discover the uplifting effect of the ban's end and how it relates to the worldwide fight against women's oppression.
Kicking Back
This is Nedum Onuoha's story, from his beginnings at Manchester City. He writes about his development during his career and how he kept up his education and success outside of football. Discover what it is like to be a black footballer dealing with racist abuse and working in the US during the Black Lives Matter protests. The thoughtful Onuoha poses the question: how has football utterly failed the black community?
My Untold Story
In the decade since his last book, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has played for Paris Saint-Germain (2012-2016), Manchester United (2016-2018), LA Galaxy (2018-2019) and AC Milan (2020-). His new book, coming out on 28 July, tells the latest story of one of football's most iconic modern figures. Discover Zlatan's point of view of his time at these teams, along with his journey with Sweden.
The Beautiful Game and the Ugly Truth: Football's Tragic Link with Dementia
In recent years, the links between football and dementia have become increasingly clear. In 2002, a coroner ruled Jeff Astle's death at the age of 59 was the result of heading footballs. His daughter, Dawn, says football does not believe it can be a killer - but that her father's death certificate proves it can be. Read here about research showing that footballers are three-and-a-half times more likely than the general population to die of a neurodegenerative disease and how in 2020, Sir Bobby Charlton became the fifth member of England's 1966 World Cup-winning side to be diagnosed with dementia.
When Friday Comes: Football revolution in the Middle East and the road to the Qatar World Cup
Discover the footballing revolution in the Middle East from James Montague, who first began covering football in the Middle East two decades ago. Montague describes how the beautiful game is taking over the often volatile region. He also delves into the controversy surrounding the upcoming 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
That concludes our rundown of the best football books 2022 has to offer.
We hope you find a book or two in the list to entertain you in what promises to be a very exciting year in football.