Golazo!: The Beautiful Game from the Aztecs to the World Cup: The Complete History of How Soccer Shaped Latin America [Paperback]

The definitive book about the national identities, heroes, and dramatic stories from Latin American soccer throughout history, perfect for World Cup reading.

“Golazo!” means “amazing goal!” And the word  perfectly captures the unique, exuberant, all-encompassing, passionate role that soccer plays in Latin America.

Andreas Campomar offers readers the definitive history of Latin American soccer from the early, deadly Mesoamerican ballgames to the multi-billion dollar international business it is today. Golazo! explores the intersection of soccer, politics, economics, high and low culture, and how passion for a game captured a continent.

The triumphs, the heartbreaks, the origins and the future, the political and the personal—Golazo! is the perfect book for new fans and diehard followers around the world.

Praise for Golazo!

[A] sweeping exploration of soccer intersecting with politics, history, economics and culture in forging a continent’s passion. -- Steven Goff, The Washington Post

The most comprehensive history of soccer in the part of the world in which it may well mean the most... A thorough, engaging history of the development of futbol and its place in Latin American society... Campomar effectively brings out the color and passion for the game, its evocative langauge, its artistic power and its sometimes-martial ugliness... He accomplishes his task with verve... Fine, scintillating history. -- Kirkus

Perfection, pride, politics and punch-ups. The South American way of football has never been more readable. -- John Crace, ESPN and The GuardianAndreas Campomar was educated at Cambridge University, where he studied Modern History. l#I