{"product_id":"messi-the-must-read-biography-of-the-world-cup-champion-9781399619134","title":"Messi: The Must-Read Biography of the World Cup Champion","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e'I have seen the player who will inherit my place in Argentine football and his name is Messi' Diego Maradona\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eFULLY UPDATED TO INCLUDE THE 2022 WORLD CUP TRIUMPH \u0026amp; MESSI'S TRANSFER TO INTER MIAMI\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e As Lionel Messi raised the World Cup triumphantly into the air, the world watched on in awe. Messi's final peak conquered; his final dream achieved. It was the fairy tale ending to a glittering career. Yet despite delivering Argentina their third World Cup, Messi's time at Paris Saint-Germain came to a dramatic conclusion, and Miami awaited the Argentinian legend. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eGuillem Balagué has had unprecedented access to Messi's inner circle including the player himself: his coaches, team-mates and family. From tracing the origins of Messi's precocious talent in Rosario, Argentina, to chronicling his peerless seventeen-season career at Barcelona, and his tumultuous Parisian adventure, Guillem takes us behind-the-scenes of Messi's World Cup triumph and his long-desired move to the MLS. This is an epic, authoritative and compelling account of an enigmatic footballing genius. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e'I can tell my grandkids one day that I coached Lionel Messi' Pep Guardiola\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eGuillem Balagué is an award-winning football author, journalist and presenter who works regularly for BBC Radio 5 Live, LaLiga TV and the American network CBS. In his previous role at Sky Sports, he was a key fixture of their Spanish football coverage for over twenty years, known for his regular appearances on Sky Sports News, \u003cbr\u003e'Revista de LaLiga', his punditry work and being the go-to man for anything relating to the Spanish transfer market. He has his own YouTube channel, 1.2m+ followers on social media, his own podcast (Pure Football) and gives Master Classes in journalism at UCFB University in Wembley (London) and the Etihad stadium in Manchester. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eHe wrote the bestselling \u003ci\u003eA Season on the Brink\u003c\/i\u003e, an insider's account of Liverpool's 2004-05 Champions' League winning campaign. In November 2012, he published the first international biography of Pep Guardiola, based on conversations with him, shortlisted for Football Book of the Year, as were his following four books. The following year, he published \u003ci\u003eMessi: The Definitive Biography\u003c\/i\u003e, the first complete biography of the Argentinian star. As well as two ebooks (diaries of the 2012 European Championships and the 2014 World Cup), he published the \u003ci\u003eOfficial History of FC Barcelona\u003c\/i\u003e in the autumn of 2014. In November 2015, he wrote \u003ci\u003eCristiano Ronaldo: the Biography\u003c\/i\u003e which won the Football Book of the Year Award at the British Sports Book Awards and the Best Football Book of 2016 in Poland. His latest books \u003ci\u003eBrave New World - Inside Pochettino's Spurs\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eMaradona \u003c\/i\u003ewere \u003ci\u003eSunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestsellers in the UK. He is also chairman of non-league Biggleswade FC. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFollow Guillem at: \u003cbr\u003e- www.guillembalague.com\u003cbr\u003e- www.facebook.com\/guillembalague \u003cbr\u003e- www.instagram.com\/guillembalague\u003cbr\u003e- www.twitter.com\/GuillemBalague\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Seven Dials","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50609831739666,"sku":"9781399619134","price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_1ee8d9a3-1294-4022-81c6-0f25f8352b4d.jpg?v=1732331540","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/messi-the-must-read-biography-of-the-world-cup-champion-9781399619134","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}