Book
The Soccer War
First published: 1978
Discover how sport became a field of political conflict. Kapuściński's reportage on the absurd Football War between El Salvador and Honduras.
About the Book
The Soccer War (Wojna futbolowa) is a collection of reportages by Ryszard Kapuściński, published in 1978, summing up his years as the only correspondent of the Polish Press Agency in Africa and Latin America. It is a record of a world in fever — of the revolutions, coups and wars the author witnessed on three continents.
The title comes from the most famous text in the volume: an account of the brief, absurd war between El Salvador and Honduras in 1969, sparked directly by a football match in the World Cup qualifiers. Kapuściński shows how, behind a seemingly trivial, sporting pretext, lay the real causes: poverty, border tensions, migration and the political manipulation of the crowd’s emotions.
Around this story the author weaves scenes from Africa and Latin America — from the Congo, Algeria, Nigeria and Honduras — together with the recurring “plan” of a great book about revolution that he never wrote. As a result, The Soccer War is at once a reportage from the front line, a reflection on the craft of the war correspondent, and a story about how violence is born and erupts. It is one of Kapuściński’s most personal books, full of risk, fever and reporter’s passion.
Themes
- Sport as an extension of political conflict
- Nationalism and national identity
- Bias and propaganda in the media
- Tragedy from a reporter’s perspective
Style
A reportage that reveals the complexity hidden beneath apparently simple conflicts.
Polish Editions
See the list of Polish editions of The Soccer War with ISBN numbers. translationMode: localized
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Wywiady i teksty prasowe o książce „The Soccer War”
Where to go next
Three ways to keep going — read a sample, pick the next book, or meet the author.
Kapuscinski in his own words
Memorable lines on travel, truth and the Other — the shortest way into his way of thinking.
Read the quotes → Read nextThe Emperor
From the reporter's daily grind to the masterpiece: 150 pages on the mechanics of power that stay with you.
About the book → The authorWho was Ryszard Kapuscinski?
From a small town on the Polish border to reporting on twenty-seven revolutions — the life behind the books.
Read the biography →source: kapuscinski.info