Fútbol!

“Lively and fascinating. Nadel shows beautifully how soccer and politics have long been deeply intertwined, serving both to further state agendas and open up space for protest and contestation.”—Laurent Dubois, author of Soccer Empire “In much of Latin America, soccer is more than a game. It is linked to each nation’s identity in similar yet unique ways. Nadel offers a comprehensive look at this process.”—Joseph L. Arbena, coeditor of Sport in Latin America and the Caribbean “Thoughtful and engaging. Examining the history of the game, its powerful myths, and its engrossing reality, Nadel helps scholars, students, and fans to understand Latin Americans’ passion for the world’s sport.”—Gregg Bocketti, Transylvania University “Nadel knows Latin American soccer like a professor, but he loves it like a fan, and his enthusiasm is contagious. He uses sports history to teach larger insights about Latin America. Fútbol! will make you smarter about the sport and about the region, too. It’s a book you want to read.”—John Charles Chasteen, author of Born in Blood and Fire “Here are the football cultures of Latin America in all their macho glory, but here too is the story of women’s football and its challenge to Latino masculinities. Above all, here is an account of football and nationalism, erudite and engaged, that remains rooted in the realities of play.”—David Goldblatt, author of The Ball Is Round

“Well-crafted insights about the many ways football reflects and challenges Latin American societies.”—Kirkus Reviews

“One of the best English-language books on soccer in Latin America.”—Remezcla

“Well-researched, wide-ranging, and engagingly written.”—New Books in Sports

“A must read for any soccer fans who ever wanted to learn more [about] Latin America’s approach to the beautiful game.”—Latino Sports

“An engaging history of Latin America’s most prevalent sport that adds to our understanding of nationalism and imagined communities. . . . The book argues for soccer’s relevance in understanding Latin America and captures the game’s drama, joy, and despair through vignettes of famous players and matches.”—Hispanic American Historical Review