Every four years, the planet stops dead for an event like no other. The World Cup captures the global imagination in a way that dwarfs every other sporting competition. Glittering Prize tells the full story of its thrilling century-long arc. Volume I looks back at the tournament's first five decades: its embryonic incarnation in 1930; the stunning fall of champions-elect Brazil at the Maracanã in 1950; the equally sensational demise of Hungary's Magic Magyars four years later in Bern; England's glory in 1966; Brazil's joyful conquest of Italy in 1970; the unfulfilled flowering of the Netherlands' Total Football in 1974; and Argentina's tainted triumph against the backdrop of the Dirty War in 1978. Brimming with incredible detail and magnetic characters such as Ferenc Puskás, Garrincha, Gigi Riva, Johan Cruyff and Daniel Passarella, Glittering Prize is a gripping chronicle of the greatest sporting show on earth.

"A refreshing and illuminating look at the greatest of all competitions. Full of fresh insights and detail, awash with new colour."

"Superbly written and rich in detail, this is a joyous trip through the history of the greatest show on earth."

"O'Brien has already written the definitive history of the Euros: this is the companion piece the World Cup needs."

Jonathan O'Brien is assistant chief sub at The Irish Times and author of Euro Summits: The Story of the UEFA European Championship 1960–2021, also published by Pitch. He lives in Dublin.