Football is one of the few sports in the world that have a rich history as well as a bright future. But do you know the names of those who gave their sweat and blood to make it one of the most followed sports? Encyclopedia of World Football by Tim Hill summarises the game for you like never before.

What makes this Encyclopedia different from the other ones in the market? First of all, it differentiates between the game’s legends and the game’s heroes -- it rightly puts the maestros in a separate chapter than the current generation of players who may have scored more records but are still learning the tricks.

It gives respect to the men who made history unlike the other books, where all are put in one basket with more importance given to current players.

There is a lot that not even the ardent fans of the game know about football; before there was Thomas Müller, there was Gerd Müller who was phenomenal in (West) Germany’s victory in the 1974 World Cup! Then there was Brazil’s Pele who featured in as many as three World Cup winning sides; Frenchman Zidane scored his first league goal when he was just 17 and Romario’s return to the Brazilian side in 2002 was instrumental in the team’s victory as they were neither favourites nor second-favourites before the mega event.

This book is packed with profiles of modern players as well. There are pictures of Ronaldo as well as Cristiano Ronaldo; Wayne Rooney features in the chapter alongside Lionel Messi and so on.

All the players we know and we should know feature in this book; statistics that need to be made known to the newbie fans and information that isn’t available readily is also part of this encyclopedia.

Although the last World Cup doesn’t feature in this guide, there is an overflow of information for fans of both international teams and clubs.

If you want to know which club has won how many titles; when it was founded and what are the colours the players of that club wear, then look no further. This book brings to you the history of major football clubs -- be it Argentinean, Scottish, German, English, Spanish, Dutch or even Belgian.

There are a lot of interesting incidents mentioned in the Great Clubs chapter and it will be a great read for both new and old fans of the game.

The pictures are not only outstanding but also worth multiple-viewing.

And then there is a full guide about the managers - the very men whose acumen makes a vast difference to those playing for a win on the field. They might be off the field during the game but they are never far from action. Did you know that Matt Busby created a team on his own after most of the ‘Busby Babes’ perished in a flying accident? That Vicente Del Bosque helped Real Madrid win the La Liga in his early years as a manager? Sir Alex Ferguson started his managerial career way back in 1974 and Louis van Gaal delivered the UEFA Cup in his first year as Real Madrid’s manager? If you didn’t, then you do now and that’s all because of this Encyclopedia!

There is no mention of the referees who officiate the game, the rules they follow and other things about football. But that doesn’t mean that this book is not to be read. In fact, this book has everything regarding the game, the competitions, the major countries and the great clubs.

The chapter-wise categorisation makes it easy to read and consult for quick reference. What if the book is heavy to hold; think of it as a treasure trove for football fans.