John Doyle’s The World is a Ball is a soccer masterpiece. It captures the true spirit of “the beautiful game,” from the Eastern European city of Bratislava to the football frenzy known as Buenos Aires (and everything in between). It is a reminder of our love for the game and what makes our sport universal. The fans, the stadium, the players, and most importantly the atmosphere create the world’s most popular game and Doyle recreates each with brilliant mastery. The author tackles the worldwide phenomenon known