Table of Contents

Aguero 9 Balotelli 11 Diego Costa 13 Clint Dempsey 15 Fabregas 17 Falcao 19 Gerrard 20 Hazard 22 Iniesta 24 Lahm 27 Lukaku 28 Messi 30 Modric 33 Muller 35 Neuer 37 Neymar 38 Oscar 41 Ozil 43 Ribery 44 Arjen Robben 47 Cristiano Ronaldo 48 Rooney 50 Sanchez 52 Thiago Silva 55 Sturridge 57 Suarez 59 Yaya Toure 60 Robin Van Persie 62

About the Author

Illugi Jokulsson is a journalist, editor, and author based in Iceland.

Reviews

Praise for the World Soccer Legends series: "In this book about 28 of the greatest stars of this year's World Cup competition, budding fans will find lively anecdotes, short biographies and photographs of some astonishing plays. From Franck Ribery, the "wild beast" of the French national team, whose face was scarred in a car accident when he was 2, to Andres Iniesta, the "quiet magician" who plays for Spain, each player's strengths -- and weaknesses -- are highlighted here. Families watching the games in Brazil onscreen might want to give "Stars of the World Cup" a place on the sofa, so children can read the entries aloud over the roar of the crowds." --Sarah Harrison Smith, The New York Times "These books address a largely unfilled niche: short, highly readable biographies of contemporary soccer stars. The texts are printed over and around voluminous, richly printed photographs and include many pages of scoring statistics and league standings, awards, even a QR code to direct readers to a video of Zlatan's 40-yard bicycle-kick goal in a 2012 match against England. Frequent references to great players of the past--Maradona, Pele, Cruyff, Eusebio--lend the books a welcome historical context... These entries are excellent..." --School Library Journal "The U.S. book--with profiles of coaches from Thomas Cahill to Jurgen Klinsmann and players from Joe Gaetjens to Landon Donovan--serves as a fine source for anyone of any age on American soccer history. (All of the books are also stat resources.) Although meant for young readers, there's nothing childish about the presentation in "Legends Series." The graphics--such as the Gold Cup opponents map in U.S. Men's Team--are colorful yet clear and informative. They're simply beautiful books that tell fascinating stories." --SoccerAmerica Youth Soccer Insider "High quality and high attention to even the smallest of details. Clever use of formatting and photographs hook the reader immediately! I can't wait to get these on the shelves of my library - they are going to just fly right off." --Gayle Byrne, Children's Librarian, Killingworth Library "Readers will be captivated by the stunning photography." --Michael Terborg, Librarian, Prince George's County Public Schools "These books are a terrific soccer resource for kids! They combine the best of world soccer along with history, geography and a glimpse at what it's like growing up as a young soccer player in another country. Soccer is truly a global language and these books help American kids speak it fluently. What a great opportunity for young soccer players to learn about their heroes and the legendary clubs of the world. These books are engaging and fun!" --Lynn Berling-Manuel, American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO)