World Class: An Illustrated History of Caribbean Football

When Trinidad & Tobago s footballing Soca Warriors qualified for the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany they created history and broke records. It was their first appearance at the greatest competition on earth, and they were the smallest nation ever to achieve such a feat.

Trinidad s victory is part of a longer history of Caribbean football success. World Class celebrates Caribbean achievement on the domestic and international field. It also reveals how players from the Caribbean and of Caribbean descent have changed the face of football around the world. In Britain, France, the USA and elsewhere, Caribbean footballers have become a central part of the present-day sport as well as its history, often confronting and overcoming racism in the process. From Clyde Best and Cyrille Regis to Dwight Yorke and John Barnes, from Edgar Davids and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink to Lilian Thuram and Thierry Henry, the list is a long and illustrious one.

As Trinidad & Tobago celebrates its footballing heroes, this book celebrates the Caribbean s contribution to the Beautiful Game.