From its early beginnings, when the first football was played on the shores of Bilbao and Buenos Aires by British sailors and engineers, through to the influx of South American stars, and similarly inspirational Italians, Dutchman and Scandinavians, this lively and thoughtful history shows how the engagement of foreigners with home-grown Spanish talent overcame political adversity and produced football of sublime skill, passion, and unparalleled entertainment value.

This book takes on a journey through some of the extraordinary characters, games, and moments that have defined Spanish football; from the early days when a few enthusiasts developed their talent kicking a ball around on a piece of industrial waste-ground or beach, to the emergence of rival giants FC Barcelona and Real Madrid - the most powerful and successful football clubs in the world - and a national team that, encompassing all that was most brilliant in the Spanish League, became the World Champions.

The author of a best-selling biography of Diego Maradona, and similarly widely-acclaimed books on FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, Burns digs deep into the roots of the most popular sport, to look at how the football played in Spain became the most admired in the world. Jimmy Burns' books on Spanish and South American football have earned him a reputation internationally as a master of the genre, mixing acute observation, telling anecdote, and colourful profiles and interviews with players, managers and fans in an absorbing historical and social context.