Books on the World Cup fall into two types: some are weighty, detailed and reasonably accurate but inaccessible, for the most hardcore of fans only; others are funny, easy to read and a great introduction but pack little punch and leave plenty of stones unturned. There is nothing in the middle. But why not? What if there were something which both World Cup veterans and novices could pick up and enjoy, with all the info and all the drama, all the stats and all the weirdest incidents? There is now.

This series of books covers both bases: it looks at every single match of every single tournament in more detail than ever before, not missing a single kick; but it also searches out the fascinating, the extraordinary, the memorable, and brings them out of the text, highlighting the pick of the action.

This volume looks at the final two World Cups of the 20th century, 1994 and 1998, from Diana Ross' opening ceremony gaffe to Zinedine Zidane's crowning glory, as the tournament expanded to the 32 teams of today.