IN JUST over a fortnight, the news cycle of a world which has been besieged by a contentious pandemic as well as long-standing socio-economic maladies, will switch tack to be fixated onto “The Game of Billions” (football or soccer) when hosts, Qatar duel with Ecuador on November 20, to kick-off the 22nd edition of the FIFA World Cup.
The briefest in the tournament’s 92-year old existence, the sporting spectacle will culminate in the final game at the 80 000-capacity Lusail Stadium on December 18, 2022.
A first venture into the Arabic world, the event will be contested at eight venues across five host cities, with 32 teams competing for world football’s coveted Holy Grail.
To celebrate the once-in-every-four-years occurrence, a paperback by seasoned author, Keir Radnedge titled, FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022: The Official Guide, has been released ahead of the commencement of festivities.
The tome covers every aspect of the tournament, from the host cities to full profiles of all 32 qualified teams, along with features on the star players due to light up the competition and magic moments from FIFA World Cups past.
Packed full of facts and statistics, and beautifully illustrated with a superb collection of photographs, FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022: The Official Guide is suitable for fans of all ages and is the perfect accompaniment to the year’s biggest football event.
About the author
Keir Radnedge is a best-selling author who has been covering football worldwide – encapsulating 14 World Cups as well as many Olympic Games and European Championships – for more than 50 years, and writing more than 30 books.
He previously edited a tournament newspaper at the FIFA World Cups of 1982, 1986 and 1990 and has scripted World Cup history and other football films.
Published by the Welbeck Publishing Group and produced under a licence by FIFA, the read is distributed in South Africa by Jonathan Ball Publishers and retails for around R290.
