The diminutive playbook

THE FOOTBALL FANATIC'S ESSENTIAL GUIDE
Complete Edition
Novy Kapadia
Hachette India; 236 pages; Rs 199

We all know Fuleco the Armadillo. He's the official mascot of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. But did we know that mascots were first introduced in England in 1966? World Cup Willie, a lion wearing a Union Flag jersey emblazoned with the words "World Cup", was the mascot for the 1966 World Cup in England.

This is just one of the many footballing facts you will learn in Novy Kapadia's The Football Fanatic's Essential Guide, which offers the low-down on all the 19 editions of the FIFA World Cup. Mr Kapadia also previews the 20th edition of the football extravaganza that kicks off in Brazil on June 12, complete with the usual mass of information - the list of venues, the top goal scorers and so on.

Origins of the beautiful game
The book opens with a vivid description of the origins of the sport, which dates back to 1863 in England. It says that if one looks beyond 1863, one will find "at least half a dozen different games to which the historical development of football can be traced". The author also explains how British sailors and expatriates in the 19th century introduced football to South American nations such as Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay.

The first steps towards "forming an international association" were taken in 1903 when representatives from Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain met - the first meeting of FIFA took place in Paris on May 21, 1904.

FIFA recognised the Olympic football tournament as a "world football championship" since it could not start a world championship. But soon FIFA realised that there was a need for a more professional competition - one that could feature the world's best players. A proposal for a World Cup was approved at the 1928 Amsterdam FIFA session and Uruguay hosted the first World Cup in 1930.

India and the World Cup
Mr Kapadia also offers an interesting account of India's tryst with the World Cup. He calls it "a case of what might have been".

The 1950 World Cup in Brazil was the first World Cup to take place after World War II. India had the glorious chance of qualifying straight for the final rounds since there were "no continental qualifiers" and both Burma (now Myanmar) and the Philippines - who were grouped with India - withdrew. But after the final draw, India withdrew; the All India Football Federation (AIFF) cited "disagreements over team selection, and insufficient practice time" as the official reason. There is also the popular myth that the AIFF declined since most Indian players played barefoot and it was feared that they would be "out of depth" if, according to FIFA rules, they were made to wear boots. But no one has been able to corroborate this so far.

India found itself with Sweden, Italy and Paraguay in Pool III. India could have handled Italy and Paraguay, but Sweden might have proved too fast and strong. Nonetheless, according to Mr Kapadia's analysis of India's group, 1950 would have provided "great exposure for the national team".

Evolution of the World Cup
There were three venues and 13 participating nations in the inaugural 1930 World Cup in Uruguay. Almost eight decades later, in 2014, there will be 32 nations and 12 venues in Brazil. These numbers show that not only has the tournament grown in terms of stature and proportion, FIFA has also managed to sustain the "integrity of the World Cup as an exclusive event". Mr Kapadia also mentions the burgeoning TV audience for the tournament. The 2002 final had a global TV audience of 63 million; the 2006 final had 320 million viewers; and for the 2010 final, this number increased to 700 million.

Extra time facts
Another interesting part in the book is the "Extra Time" section at the end of each chapter. It provides snapshots of every World Cup and the best players.

Take, for instance, the 1954 World Cup in Switzerland, when the great Hungarian and Real Madrid striker Ferenc Puskas is described to have "often struggled to keep his weight down because he overindulged in food".

Yellow and red cards were used for the "first time" in the final rounds of the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, also the only World Cup in which no player was sent off.

The Netherlands' "Total Football" was on display in the 1974 World Cup in Germany. This concept requires that a player who moves out of position is replaced by another teammate, which helps maintain the team's organisational structure.

Goalmouth scramble
Mr Kapadia also touches on the use of the goal-line technology in the tournament in Brazil; he cites the example of Frank Lampard's disallowed goal against Germany in 2010.

Interestingly enough, the author has given a verdict of sorts on the draw in the tournament in Brazil. Mr Kapadia believes that "some groups have too many weak teams, whilst others have too many strong ones" and that "if FIFA had relied on consistent form rather than a mechanical ranking system" to choose the teams, the tournament would have been "more thrilling".

The Football Fanatic's Essential Guide is a useful book if you intend to brush up on your footie knowledge before the "World Cup" season. Important parts have been highlighted to catch the reader's eye. The book, however, is not without errors. For instance, "Colombia" has often been incorrectly spelt as "Columbia". The book is also marred by poor punctuation. To be fair, however, Mr Kapadia, one of India's foremost football experts and sports broadcasters, has summed up the entire history of the FIFA World Cup in 236 pages - and that makes the book a great kick-off to the finals.