Kick off the World Cup with these fun and engaging soccer reads! We have a fantastic collection of soccer books for all ages, highlighting the spirit, history, and cultural impact of the game. Whether you’re a devoted fan or just curious about this year’s event, these books offer a fun and engaging look at soccer’s rich legacy.
Click the tabs below to find books about soccer in each age category.
My First Soccer Book (Super Spinners): A Beginner’s Guide for Little Sports Fans
by Priddy Books
Toddlers can get ready for the 2026 World Cup with this essential first soccer book, with a spinning ball to play with.
Can the team work together to win the final match of the season? Find out in this interactive novelty book! From the basic game rules and players’ positions, to equipment, uniforms, and more, young children can discover everything they need to know about soccer.
Each spread introduces key words and items to find in the busy scenes. The sturdy spinning ball embedded in the chunky cover is sure to delight children as they engage with the story.
With so much to discover, this engaging first soccer book is sure to entertain young children as they learn all about soccer!
The Wolfpack Way
By Abby Wambach; illustrated by Debby Rahmalia
Howl loud and proud with the Wolfpack and U.S. Soccer Olympic Gold Medalist, FIFA World Cup champion, and #1 New York Times-bestselling author Abby Wambach in this inspiring and uplifting picture book perfect for gift giving all year round.
It’s a great big world out there, full of amazing people and adventures. It may be scary at times – and confusing, too – but you will find your way. Because you are a Wolf and you’ve got your Wolfpack!
Wolves make their own path, they love what they love, and they can be whatever they imagine. They believe in each other and in themselves. Because that’s the Wolfpack Way!
With these sparks of inspiration and many more, bestselling author, two-time US Soccer Olympic gold medalist, and FIFA World Cup champion Abby Wambach shares a joyful read-aloud – based on her #1 New York Times bestseller Wolfpack – that will encourage kids to be their true selves, dream big, and work together as a Pack to change the world.
“Inspirational…and uplifting.” —Kirkus
The Mystery of the Stolen World Cup Trophy
by Angela Cervantes
From Pura Belpré Honor recipient Angela Cervantes and perfectly timed for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, The Mystery of the Stolen World Cup Trophy follows 12-year-old sleuth Diez Espada on a high-stakes case as he tracks down the tournament’s stolen trophy in time for the championship match.
★”Scores big on family, detective work, and the love of the game.” —Kirkus, starred review
Read a MacKids Author Spotlight interview with Angela Cervantes here.
Mia and Friends: Mia Hamm and the Soccer Sisterhood that Changed History
by Karlin Gray; illustrated by Micheline Hess
Based on the true story of soccer legend Mia Hamm, Mia and Friends follows a group of young women who made history at the 1999 Women’s World Cup!
“A kicky tribute to the iconic soccer star… Just as the art vividly captures the players’ infectious intensity and athleticism, the larger overall story of how the team lit up a new interest in the sport in the United States, particularly among girls, makes equally compelling reading.” —Kirkus
Pelé: The King of Soccer
by Eddy Simon; illustrated by Vincent Brascaglia
In the graphic novel Pelé: The King of Soccer, Eddy Simon and Vincent Brascaglia beautifully depict Pelé’s rise from the slums of Brazil to the national stage.
★ “Soccer great Pelé’s story has been told far, wide, and well, but Simon and Brascaglia provide the full context—its cultural, economic, political, and physical geography—it deserves.”—Kirkus, starred review
Shaken
by James Preller
Sports injuries are a reality of competitive play, for both male and female athletes. Here is a story that athletes and other readers will relate to as they navigate middle-school and their own identities.
“Rife with strong metaphors and powerfully realistic characters.”—Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (BCCB)
Epic Athletes: Lionel Messi
by Dan Wetzel; illustrations by Jay Reed
Renowned sports journalist Dan Wetzel shoots and scores with Epic Athletes: Lionel Messi, an inspiring young readers biography of a soccer great who rose from an underdog to a champion! Featuring comic-style illustrations by Jay Reed!
Lionel Messi has taken the soccer world by storm. He scored the most goals in a season. He’s racked up championships. There was even a statue built in his honor. Despite the accolades, he’s still hungry for more goals, more championships, more opportunities to shine on the soccer pitch. Messi’s drive to succeed has motivated him ever since he first stepped on his local, worn down field as a kid.
Yet his success didn’t come without bumps in the road. Diagnosed with a career-threatening medical condition at ten, Messi refused to give up on his dream, and went on to amass one of the greatest careers in sports history. Filled with sports action and bold illustrations, this thrilling biography details the rise of a living soccer legend.
Wolfpack (Young Readers Edition)
by Abby Wambach
In this young readers adaptation of her #1 New York Times bestselling book, two-time Olympic gold medalist and FIFA World Cup champion Abby Wambach inspires the next generation to find their voice, unite their pack, and change the world.
From rising young star to co-captain of the 2015 Women’s World Cup Champion team, Abby Wambach’s impressive career has shown her what it truly means to be a champion. Whether you’re leading from the bench or demanding the ball on the field, real success comes when you harness your inner strength, forge your own path, and band together with your team.
Updated with stories that trace her journey from youth soccer to the hall of fame, this young readers adaptation of Abby’s instant bestseller Wolfpack is for the next generation of wolves ready to change the game.
You Don’t Have a Shot
by Racquel Marie
A queer YA romance about rival soccer players from author Racquel Marie, perfect for fans of She Drives Me Crazy.
★ “Via Vale’s witty and acerbic first-person narration and her palpable passion for soccer, Marie delivers a textured sapphic romp that spins an earned enemies–to–lovers romance amid empathetic depictions of one teenager coming to terms with the effects of her treatment of others, as well as her treatment of herself.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review