This book – the first of its kind – explores the design story behind football, diving into how design has been used to push the game to its technical and emotional limits. From the master planning of the new Tottenham Hotspur stadium and the innovative materials used in today’s boots, to the graphic design of the Juventus team logo and the grassroots initiatives pushing back against the sport’s commercialisation, this book provides a rare insight into the people and processes that have made football what it is today.

More than 200 carefully curated photographs – of FIFA World Cup posters, fan culture from across Europe and South America, and cutting-edge kit and equipment – tell the story of a changing game, from the earliest days of men’s and women’s professional football to today’s era of e-sports and vast TV audiences.

Accompanying a Design Museum exhibition of the same title, this book features informed and sometimes provocative contributions from figures across the world of football and design, from analyst Statman Dave and broadcaster Martin Tyler, to architect Jacques Herzog and VP of design at adidas Sam Handy. The diverse perspectives in this catalogue reveal the extraordinary richness of the game’s design legacy, and cast new light on its future.

Designed by: Shaz Madani
Contributions by: Thomas Turner, Sam Handy, Roxanne Bottomley, Floor Wesseling, Jacqui McAssey, Jacques Herzog, Martin Tyler, Miles Jacobson OBE, Russell Jones, Percy M. Young