Golazo!: The Beautiful Game from the Aztecs to the World Cup: The Complete History of How Soccer Shaped Latin America

The definitive book about the national identities, heroes, and dramatic stories from Latin American soccer throughout history—in time for the 2014 World Cup.

“Golazo!” means “amazing goal!” And the word  perfectly captures the unique, exuberant, all-encompassing, passionate role that soccer plays in Latin America.

Andreas Campomar offers readers the definitive history of Latin American soccer from the early, deadly Mesoamerican ballgames to the multi-billion dollar international business it is today. Golazo! explores the intersection of soccer, politics, economics, high and low culture, and how passion for a game captured a continent.

Latin American soccer will be in the global spotlight more than ever in the coming years—both the next World Cup (2014) and the Summer Olympics (2016) will be hosted in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, a country for which soccer is not just a passion but a way of life. The triumphs, the heartbreaks, the origins and the future, the political and the personal—Golazo! is the perfect book for new fans and diehard followers around the world.