Overview

From the trenches of World War I to the empty stadiums of COVID-19, When the World Stopped: Football in Times of Crisis tells the extraordinary true story of how the world's most universal game has endured humanity's darkest hours. Across wars, pandemics, revolutions, and disasters, football has reflected both the fragility and the resilience of the societies that play it. This sweeping global history traces how the sport survived total war, political oppression, terrorism, and disease-how it was silenced, repurposed, and reborn again and again. From fascist Italy and Cold War Moscow to apartheid South Africa, Sarajevo under siege, and pandemic-era Wembley, the game has carried the hopes of millions even when the rest of the world fell apart. Richly researched and deeply human, this book explores football not as a spectacle, but as a mirror of courage, solidarity, and recovery. It captures how ordinary players, fans, and communities found meaning and connection in moments of chaos, proving that even when the world stops, the game-and the spirit behind it-never truly does.

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9781923625921

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