When Pelé Broke Our Hearts - Wales and the 1958 World Cup

9781904609292
    Delivery time:June 2026
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'Terrific...a lovely story, well told and, best of all, you don't have to be Welsh to enjoy it"
The Sunday Times

'A brilliant book...a thoroughly good read...I warmly recommend it' Adrian Chiles Radio 5 Live

'A great tale, diligently researched and well told'
GQ Magazine

'Excellent...an intriguing story, compellingly told'
Four Four Two

'If you were to write a surreal football comedy script tinged with pathos, personal tragedy, heroism, politics, adventure and endeavour, you couldn't begin to emulate the story of Wales in 1958...well-crafted...meticulously researched'
Total Football

'A beautifully written and expertly researched book, which gives an insight into Wales' greatest football triumph'
Nicky Wire

CONTENTS

Preface by Nicky Wire
Foreword by John Charles
Author’s Note
Acknowledgements

1. Christmas Comes Early
2. King of the Team-talk
3. The Boys of ’58
4. The World’s Most Valuable Player
5. Welcome to Soltsjöbaden
6. The Contenders
7. Mad Magyars
8. The Mexico Debacle
9. A Red Wall in Solna
10. Glory in the Råsunda
11. Brazil
12. A Superstar in Born
13. Heroes of the Ullevi

Appendix: 1958 World Cup Tournament Statistics
Index

When Pelé Broke Our Hearts is the definitive and bestselling story of Wales's remarkable 1958 World Cup campaign.

Now republished in an updated and expanded third edition, Mario Risoli’s highly acclaimed book includes previously unpublished interviews with players, a new chapter covering the climax of the tournament, and an enlarged Appendix with additional match and team statistics from the 1958 World Cup.

Featuring the Munich air disaster, an extraordinary qualification courtesy of the political turmoil in the Middle East, and hilariously haphazard team preparations, this incredible tale charts Wales’ unlikely march to a quarter-final against Brazil. Without the injured John Charles – the world’s most valuable player who’d been mercilessly targeted by Hungary in the previous game – the team heroically defied the Brazilian attack before their dream ended with 17-year-old Pelé’s first World Cup goal.

Heartbreaking yet uplifting, emotional and entertaining, When Pelé Broke Our Hearts chronicles a truly astonishing story that continues to be loved by fans of ‘the beautiful game’.

Pelé and Cliff Jones - reunited in Cardiff in 2017 - with the first and second editions of Mario Risoli's bestselling book.

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