Soccer begins with almost nothing. Four shoes can mark two goals; a rolled-up sock can be the ball; the patch of ground can be grass, sand, concrete, or a platform hammered together above the sea. That is why its best children’s books so often start before anyone reaches a proper field. They are about the child who brings a little sister because there is nobody else to mind her, the team that clears cows before kickoff, the refugee who made his own ball from banana leaves, and the twelve-year-old suddenly standing among two hundred players who were all the best kid back home.
Drawing from Bookroo’s collection of 292 soccer books, our editors chose thirteen that cover the game from a first muddy season to a professional academy: lively read-alouds, true stories from Brazil, Thailand, Haiti, and Tanzania, World Cup history, a middle grade novel in verse, and a YA story for the player whose ambitions have outgrown the local pitch. Start with the shortlist, then use the shelves below—board books for learning ball and goal, picture books for the first years on a team, and chapter books for readers old enough to understand that the hardest opponent is not always wearing the other uniform.
A girl calls a whole Caribbean village onto the field just as the rain clouds arrive.
Soccer makes Sierra happier than anything, except when nobody she loves can get off work to watch.
A Thai village built on stilts has a team, a ball, and nowhere at all to put a field.
A Brazilian boy dreams of lifting his family with soccer, while the best unused player carries his schoolbooks.
A boy in a Tanzanian refugee camp has a ball made from banana leaves and a bully waiting on the other team.
A girl walks away before she can lose and discovers that her siblings will not let a bad winner back into the game.
A boy kicking a rag ball in Brazil grows into the player who makes the whole world watch.
A team of very small beginners reports on its whole first season, one muddy rhyme at a time.
A soccer-loving twelve-year-old who hates books finds himself trapped between a bully, a family fracture, and a librarian who raps.
A would-be seventh-grade captain moves across the country and finds a talented team that has forgotten how to be one.
Women played international soccer in the nineteenth century and waited until 1991 for an official World Cup.
One scout turns a small-town star into one of two hundred children competing for eleven academy places.
In Rosario, a teenage striker hides an entire soccer career from the family determined to choose her future.
Balls, goals, shin guards, and one baby-sized Pelé biography for the smallest supporters and future sideline wanderers. Ages 0–3.
Discover the journey of soccer legend Pelé from Brazil to global fame.
Discover soccer's excitement with a playful announcer in this engaging board book.
Animals compete in a lively soccer match. Who will score the winning goal?
Discover soccer's basics with vibrant images and simple words.
Discover sports through playful rhymes and vibrant art.
A lost ball leads to a playful park mystery. Can it be found?
Discover soccer basics with a book that feels like a real ball.
First seasons, pickup games, famous players, and true stories about children who found a way to play when there was no field and hardly a ball. Ages 3–8.
Discover soccer legends from A to Z in this vibrant ABC book.
A boy from Argentina overcomes challenges to become a soccer legend.
A boy with a rag ball dreams of World Cup glory.
The cubs must teach Mama the true spirit of soccer amidst a thrilling game.
A soccer team trapped in a flooded cave faces a race against time for survival.
A young boy faces fears and bullies to chase his soccer dream.
Discover a soccer star's journey from playground dreams to global activism.
A boy's pirate adventure reveals unexpected truths about life at sea.
A soccer game between two teams of dinosaurs.
A boy's soccer dreams clash with apartheid's barriers in South Africa.
Can young soccer players outsmart bullies to keep their prized ball?
A boy finds hope through soccer after a disaster.
Tryouts, travel teams, World Cups, rivalries, and the seasons when family, friendship, and school become more complicated than the game—for independent readers ages 6–12.
A boy must trade up from a keychain to reclaim his grandfather's stolen instrument.
A young girl navigates the challenges of second grade, friendships, and family while pursuing her passion for soccer
A cousin bridges language gaps through soccer.
A young soccer star must unite a struggling team to win the U15 Cup of Nations.
A girl fights for an all-girls soccer team amidst family changes.
A boy's life is upended by war, leading to a perilous escape and a new beginning.
A Brazilian footballer rises to glory, joining Barcelona's legendary attack.
A young soccer player faces fierce competition and personal challenges to fulfill her dream of joining the national team.
Discover soccer's secrets through fun lessons in math, science, and more.
A soccer-loving boy faces home challenges, a bully, and first love, discovering the power of words.
Middle schooler Nate must save his soccer team from rivals.
Can Weir balance soccer dreams and family antics without falling flat?
