Soccernomics

The classic bestseller that changed how the world thinks about football

'Quite magnificent – a sort of Freakanomics of football.' Jonathan Wilson, Guardian

'If you're a football fan, I'll save you some time: read this book' Daily Telegraph

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Football truly is the world’s favourite game, followed in over 200 countries by hundreds of millions of people pouring their hearts and souls into supporting their chosen team every week.

But behind the passion are questions that all true football fans want answered: has football spending spun out of control? How much do managers matter? Is hosting a World Cup a poisoned chalice?

Soccernomics challenges the conventional wisdom to reveal the surprising truths that actually determine success and failure on the pitch. From an acclaimed economist and leading sports journalist, this modern classic uses data and economic principles to explore the myths that dominate the game.

Fully revised and updated ahead of the 2026 World Cup, Soccernomics takes you behind the passion and into the patterns – revealing why your team wins, why it loses, and why the game you love doesn't always work the way you think it does.

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Soccernomics is essential reading for anyone in search of a more strategic, systematic perspective on the game, answering the questions that most consume football fans.

About the author

Simon Kuper is one of the world's leading writers on soccer. The winner of the William Hill Prize for sports book of the year in Britain, Kuper writes a weekly column for the Financial Times. He lives in Paris, France.

Stefan Szymanski is the Stephen J. Galetti Collegiate Professor of Sport Management at the University of Michigan's School of Kinesiology. Tim Harford has called him "one of the world's leading sports economists." He lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan.