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Mental Health and Well-being Interventions in Sport: Research, Theory and Practice (Routledge Psychological Interventions)
by Gavin BreslinNow in its second edition, this book provides a focused, comprehensive overview of up-to-date mental health research, models, and approaches in sport, with expertise from global experts in the field.Mental health remains a widely growing area in the field of sport psychology, which requires expert guidance and care in promoting effective well-being for athletes, coaches and sport officials. Fully updated throughout, Mental Health and Well-being Interventions in Sport is an indispensable guide for researchers, practitioners and students wanting to understand and implement sport-based intervention processes. This important book adopts an evidenced based approach, discussing the context of the intervention, its design and implementation, and its evaluation and legacy. Exploring areas such as injury, rehabilitation, depression, eating disorders, verbal and physical abuse, and athletic burnout, this insightful volume dissects emerging research into straightforward accessible chapters. Offering a cutting-edge overview of the key issues involved in this burgeoning area, as well as example cases of how sport has been used in extreme environments such as prisons as a method to improve mental health, the book will benefit practitioners, policy makers and researchers.Written for newcomers and established practitioners across a variety of sports setting and contexts, the authors highlight the need for "another call to action" to support the mental health and wellbeing of all involved in sport. Presenting current research, theory and practice in the field, the text is an essential read for researchers, practitioners, and coaches to better understand sport-based intervention processes.
Mental Health in Sport and Physical Activity: Selected Writings from the ISSP Academy of Science (ISSP Key Issues in Sport and Exercise Psychology)
by Robert J. Schinke Alessandro QuartiroliBringing together the most prestigious writings on mental health in sport and physical activity from the International Society of Sport Psychology’s flagship journal, International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, this volume provides an essential reference for the field of sport and exercise psychology.Carefully selected for their popularity and impact on the field, the chapters in this volume feature an international range of contributions. Each chapter has been closely updated to ensure its relevance in current research and maintain its position as a piece of state-of-the-art scholarship. Chapters cover a range of topics, including the mental health of high-performance athletes, assessment methods and screening tools, adjustment patterns in the junior to senior transition, the role of perfectionism, body shaming, mindfulness, and exercise addiction. The book concludes with a discussion of key takeaways from the preceding chapters and suggestions for future opportunities. Endorsed by the Society’s Academy of Science, this volume is an authoritative series of writings on mental health in sport and physical activity.Brought together in a single volume for the first time, the book is a must-have for graduate students, scholars, and professions in sport and exercise psychology.
Mental Health in the Athlete: Modern Perspectives and Novel Challenges for the Sports Medicine Provider
by Eugene Hong Ashwin L. RaoThis unique book provides a practical framework for and coverage of a broad range of mental health concerns applicable to the care of athletes, including depression, suicide, mood disorders, substance abuse and risk-taking behaviors. To this end, it presents content relevant to the care of athletes, including doping and the use of performance-enhancing drugs, the mental health impact of concussion, bullying and hazing, the impact of social media and exercise addiction, among other pertinent topics. Current basic and translational research on behavioral health and the relationship of brain to behavior are reviewed, and current treatment approaches, both pharmacological and non-pharmacological (including mindfulness training), are considered. This practical resource targets the stigma of mental in athletes in order to overcome barriers to care by presenting a definitive perspective of current concepts in the mental health care of athletes, provided by experts in the field and targeting sports medicine providers, mental health providers and primary care physicians involved in the direct care of recreational and competitive athletes at all levels.
Mental Toughness in Sport: Developments in Theory and Research (Routledge Research In Sport And Exercise Science Ser.)
by Daniel F. Gucciardi Sandy GordonFirst published in 2011. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.
Mental Toughness: The Mindset Behind Sporting Achievement, Second Edition
by Michael SheardMental toughness is one of the most common terms used in sport – by athletes, coaches, spectators and the media. However, it is also one of the least understood terms. This book examines the characteristics and development of mentally tough sport performers, and presents the cutting-edge research in this area. Within these chapters, the author proposes that mental toughness is a personality style and mindset, and presents a compelling case for its inclusion within the positive psychological paradigm. This second edition has been updated to include new material on the characterisation, conceptualisation, measurement, and development of mental toughness. As in the first edition the book includes a historical overview of empirical research, and also describes the conceptual arguments behind this research. Now packed with even more rigorous scientific evidence and bang up-to-date anecdotes from the world of sport, the book presents a fascinating explanation of why some athletes are successful, and how and why they stay on top. Mental Toughness: The Mindset Behind Sporting Achievement will be essential reading for all sport psychology, sport science, sport studies, and coaching students.
Mentale Coaching-Tools für das Personaltraining: mit Audiodateien für Trainer und Klienten
by Martin SutorisDieses Buch ist eine praxisnahe Fortbildung für Personal Trainer, Ernährungsberater, Trainer bzw. Coaches verschiedener Sportarten, Life Coaches, Burnout-Berater und andere trainierende sowie beratende Berufe. Ihnen werden erprobte und bewährte psychologische Methoden an die Hand gegeben, mit denen Sie Ihre Kunden zu mehr Erfolg führen können. Als Personal Trainer oder Berater sind Sie gut in Ihrem Fach und können Know-how vermitteln. Doch wer seine Kunden zu langfristiger Veränderung, nachhaltiger Zielerreichung, mehr Motivation und effektiverer Disziplin führen will, der sollte vor allem die Psyche in diese Arbeit einbinden. Wie das genau geht, erfahren Sie hier von einem erfahrenen Coach. Vorgestellt werden exakt für Personal Trainer und andere Berater abgestimmte Methoden, die einfach zu erlernen, gut anwendbar und schlicht erfolgssteigernd wirken: Mentaltraining, psychologische Beratung, NLP, Lösungsfokussierung, Motivationstechniken, Kommunikationstricks.
Mentale training in de sport: Toepassing en effecten
by Rico SchuijersDe belangen in de topsport zijn in de afgelopen decennia flink toegenomen. Daarmee is ook de mentale druk als prestatiebepalende factor een grotere rol gaan spelen. Zelfvertrouwen blijkt doorslaggevend op het moment dat het er echt om spant. Dit boek leert (top)sporters alles over mentale-trainingsprogramma's en bewijst dat het gebruik ervan zijn vruchten afwerpt.Zelfvertrouwen trainen? Aan de hand van wetenschappelijk onderzoek gedaan met topsporters van wereldniveau bewijst dit boek dat sporters beter presteren wanneer ze hun mentale vaardigheden trainen. Mentale training verbetert de technische uitvoering, waardoor (top)sporters hun hoogst haalbare persoonlijke niveau halen en uiteindelijk vaker zullen winnen.Praktijkoefeningen Mentale training in de sport is zeker niet alleen theoretisch van aard, maar is evenzeer verrijkend waar het gaat om ademhalings-, ontspannings- en energieoefeningen. Hoe verbeter ik mijn zelfvertrouwen? Hoe bereik ik het juiste spanningsniveau in een wedstrijd? Welke processen zijn van invloed op mijn prestatie?Kortom Mentale training in de sport gaat over falende sporters, verdwenen automatismen, persoonlijkheid, het ongrijpbare fenomeen dat topvorm heet, black-outs, overtraining en ga zo maar door. Het geeft praktijkgerichte aanbevelingen, gefundeerd op gedegen wetenschappelijk onderzoek. Interessante informatie voor iedere sportbeoefenaar die zijn sport serieus neemt, alsmede voor iedereen die actief betrokken is bij de sport. Dit boek is de mentale oppepper tot in lengte van dagen.
Mentored by the King: Arnold Palmer's Success Lessons for Golf, Business, and Life
by Brad Brewer“Arnold Palmer helped me become a better man, a more devoted husband, loving father, effective coach, and successful business executive.” Most people think of Arnold Palmer as the King of Golf. But for more than a quarter century, Brad Brewer has known and observed Palmer in the roles of employer, business partner, teacher, competitor, father, grandfather, philanthropist, and global celebrity. Above all, Arnold Palmer is Brad’s friend and mentor, a man whose character both on and off the links has taught Brad how to be a winner in life at large as well as at golf. Now Brad passes on the wisdom that he and others have learned from the King of Golf. Mentored by the King shares with you the true stories of other golfers who have competed with Palmer through the years, as well as Brad’s personal accounts of traveling, working, and just hanging out with Arnold. Best of all, though, this book lets you learn from the winning attitude and approach of the Legend, Arnold Palmer, in golf, business, and life. The secrets shared in Mentored by the King include: • some deceptively simple principles that can change your life • the magnetic attraction of excellence • the power of an optimistic outlook • why risking big is the ticket to living even bigger • the life force of victory: persistence • … and plenty more. These quick, easy-to-read chapters let you step inside the mind and life of the King, Arnold Palmer, to glean insights that can boost you own trajectory toward a successful, satisfying life.
Mentoring in Physical Education and Sports Coaching
by Fiona C. ChambersMentoring is a core element of any successful teacher education or coach education programme, with evidence suggesting that teachers and coaches who are mentored early in their careers are more likely to become effective practitioners. Physical education and sports coaching share important pedagogical, practical and cultural terrain, and mentoring has become a vital tool with which to develop confidence, self-reflection and problem-solving abilities in trainee and early career PE teachers and sports coaches. This is the first book to introduce key theory and best practice in mentoring, for mentors and mentees, focusing on the particular challenges and opportunities in physical education and sports coaching. Written by a team of international experts with extensive practical experience of mentoring in PE and coaching, the book clearly explains what mentoring is, how it should work, and how an understanding of socio-cultural factors can form the foundation of good mentoring practice. The book explores practical issues in mentoring in physical education, including pre-service and newly qualified teachers, and in coach education, including mentoring in high performance sport and the role of national governing bodies. Each chapter includes real mentoring stories, practical guidance and definitions of key terms, and a ‘pedagogy toolbox’ brings together the most important themes and techniques for easy reference. This is a hugely useful book for all teacher and coach education degree programmes, for any practising teacher or coach involved in mentoring, and for schools, clubs, sports organisations or NGBs looking to develop mentoring schemes.
Mercurys Missing Mutt: An IPPI Mystery Story
by Christy LenziJonathon Jones and his friends are Interplanetary Private Investigators. Together, they solve every crime under the sun! When a prize show dog is kidnapped from Mercury’s Dog Star Kennel, these young detectives must work together to solve the mystery. Was it the dog’s owner? The trainer? The competition? Follow along and find out!
Meridian Qigong Exercises: Combining Qigong, Yoga, & Acupressure
by Jwing-Ming YangA SIMPLE LYING DOWN ROUTINE FOR EVERYONE Each morning before getting out of bed, Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming practices a series of movements he has combined based on decades of experience. In Meridian Qigong Exercises, Dr. Yang teaches you his special daily exercise routine. Follow along and learn how a unique combination of simple yoga stretches, qigong movements, and acupressure techniques can relieve energy stagnation and rejuvenate your entire body. All the exercises can be performed lying down or sitting, if preferred. Meridian qigong will quickly improve your general health, helping you to heal and preventing injuries. With regular practice you will notice your entire body feels loose and comfortable. You will react to stress with a greater sense of calm, and your circulation will increase. With this book you will • Understand the link between yoga and qigong • Learn basic acupressure with traditional tui na (pushing and grabbing) and dian xue (cavity pressing) techniques • Supplement your qigong practice with yoga stretches • Know which acupoints and meridians to stimulate • Relieve many common ailments, including insomnia “In this book, I have compiled this qigong practice from my more than fifty years of practicing and teaching experience,” Dr. Yang writes. “I sincerely hope that Meridian Qigong Exercises are able to inspire you and make your life healthier.” Dr. Yang is among the world’s most respected instructors of martial arts, tai chi, and qigong. Meridian Qigong Exercises is a profound addition to his incredible body of work.
Merle's Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog
by Ted KerasoteWhile on a camping trip, Ted Kerasote met a dog—a Labrador mix—who was living on his own in the wild. They became attached to each other, and Kerasote decided to name the dog Merle and bring him home. There, he realized that Merle’s native intelligence would be diminished by living exclusively in the human world. He put a dog door in his house so Merle could live both outside and in. A deeply touching portrait of a remarkable dog and his relationship with the author, Merle’s Door explores the issues that all animals and their human companions face as their lives intertwine, bringing to bear the latest research into animal consciousness and behavior as well as insights into the origins and evolution of the human-dog partnership. Merle showed Kerasote how dogs might live if they were allowed to make more of their own decisions, and Kerasote suggests how these lessons can be applied universally.
Mermaids Don't Run Track (The Adventures of the Bailey School Kids #26)
by Debbie Dadey Marcia Thornton JonesFrom the Book jacket: There are some pretty weird grown-ups living in Bailey City. But could the beautiful singing track coach with long hair really be a magical mermaid? The Bailey School Kids are going to find out! "Liza, you are nuttier than a pecan tree," Eddie said. He made a circling motion with his finger beside his head. "Eddie's right," Howie said. "Even if Coach Waterford is a mermaid, why would she want to control a hairy camp director like Mr. Jenkins?" "I told you," Liza said. "So she can keep her legs forever." "That's crazy!" Eddie said. "Coach Waterford isn't a mermaid and I can prove it tonight!" Other books about the Bailey School Kids are available from Bookshare.
Merry Go Round in Oz
by Eloise Jarvis Mcgraw Lauren Mcgraw WagnerDescription by Reilly and Lee Publishing: When Robin Brown of Cherryburg, Oregon, climbed on a scarlet merry-go-round horse at a carnival, he never dreamed he and his horse would go cantering right off to Oz. Nor could Fess, the pageboy, foresee, when he awoke that morning in the little Munchkin kingdom of Halidom, that before night he would discover a National Disaster and set off on a perilous Quest with Prince Gules, to save the kingdom. As for Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion, how could they guess that their simple trip to order Easter eggs would turn into a search for magic treasure? Yet all these things happened, and all these astonished travelers-plus a Steed, a Flitter- mouse, and a Unicorn-eventually wound up as companions, in the most exciting and curious adventures of their lives. A thrilling new story of wit and courage, danger and fun, lovable and fearsome characters in the wonderful Land of Oz.
Merryland: Two Years in the Life of a Racing Stable
by Josh PonsThird-generation Maryland horseman Josh Pons chronicles the daily adventures, challenges, thrills, and sometimes sadness facing his family's small training stable of Thoroughbred racehorses. Merryland combines the immediacy of the author's evocative diary entries with thoughts on horses, racing, America, families, and life amid the uncertainties and pressures wrought by encroaching development, casino gambling, and political ennui. Join Josh Pons as he introduces readers to the rhythmic cadence of life on a lovely little farm called Merryland in Hydes, Maryland.
Message from the Horse
by Klaus Ferdinand HempflingEvery human enters this life and begins a journey. The path traveled is unique to each individual, and for some, the main streets and popular thoroughfares provide all that’s needed to nourish a life well lived-food, fuel, friendship, family. For others, though, there is a desire-in fact, a need-for something more.In the form of a wandering, lyrical, autobiographical narrative, world-renowned horseman Klaus Ferdinand Hempfling exposes the inner turmoil, the burning questions, the fear, the doubt, and the darkness that pushed him off the roads most traveled in search of answers. In search of meaning. As he reflects on cultures past and his present surroundings, his words linger on visual, sensual, and inspirational clues, bringing his personal experiences alive on the page in emotional detail. His thoughts string together like clicking beads, brilliantly illustrating the passage of time and the interconnectivity of all beings. And ultimately, Hempfling comes to a truth, which for him brings heaven and earth into sharp focus. It is the horses that show him the way.
Messages from Frank's Landing: A Story of Salmon, Treaties, and the Indian Way
by Charles WilkinsonIn 1974 Federal Judge George H. Boldt issued one of the most sweeping rulings in the history of the Pacific Northwest, affirming the treaty rights of Northwest tribal fishermen and allocating to them 50 percent of the harvestable catch of salmon and steelhead. Among the Indians testifying in Judge Boldt’s courtroom were Nisqually tribal leader Billy Frank, Jr., and his 95-year-old father, whose six acres along the Nisqually River, known as Frank’s Landing, had been targeted for years by state game wardens in the so-called Fish Wars. <p><p>By the 1960s the Landing had become a focal point for the assertion of tribal treaty rights in the Northwest. It also lay at the moral center of the tribal sovereignty movement nationally. The confrontations at the Landing hit the news and caught the conscience of many. Like the schoolhouse steps at Little Rock or the bridge at Selma, Frank’s Landing came to signify a threshold for change, and Billy Frank, Jr., became a leading architect of consensus, a role he continues today as one of the most colorful and accomplished figures in the modern history of the Pacific Northwest. <p><p>In Messages from Frank’s Landing, Charles Wilkinson explores the broad historical, legal, and social context of Indian fishing rights in the Pacific Northwest, providing a dramatic account of the people and issues involved. He draws on his own decades of experience as a lawyer working with Indian people, and focuses throughout on Billy Frank and the river flowing past Frank’s Landing. In all aspects of Frank’s life as an activist, from legal settlements negotiated over salmon habitats destroyed by hydroelectric plants, to successful negotiations with the U.S. Army for environmental protection of tribal lands, Wilkinson points up the significance of the traditional Indian world view - the powerful and direct legacy of Frank’s father, conveyed through generations of Indian people who have crafted a practical working philosophy and a way of life. <p><p>Drawing on many hours spent talking and laughing with Billy Frank while canoeing the Nisqually watershed, Wilkinson conveys words of respect and responsibility for the earth we inhabit and for the diverse communities the world encompasses. These are the messages from Frank’s Landing. Wilkinson brings welcome clarity to complex legal issues, deepening our insight into a turbulent period in the political and environmental history of the Northwest.
Messenger, Messenger
by Robert Burleigh Barry RootMorning's come around again, and Calvin Curbhopper, the messenger man, is on the go, zipping around from spot to spot, taking shortcuts through parking lots, steering through the midday blare of honking horns, his breath like a smokestack in the frosty air. Wind, snow, rain, sun, can't keep Calvin from making his run. And Robert Burleigh's rhythmic language keeps the groove right alongside him, further enlivened by Barry Root's energetic illustrations.
Messenger: The Legend of Muhammad Ali
by Marc Bernardin“Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” Muhammad Ali, one of the most revered—and controversial—figures of the twentieth century, immortalized those words with the beauty, strength, and originality of his boxing style. Now, his epic story is retold in this gorgeous, striking graphic novel Messenger that showcases exactly why he became celebrated worldwide as “The Greatest.”Muhammad Ali was one of the most photographed—and photogenic—figures in the history of sports. He demanded to be looked at, to be seen, and this epic captures his meteoric rise from Cassius Clay to Olympian and heavyweight champion of the world with stunning illustrations befitting his storied legacy. Bringing readers through major moments of his life—his first meeting with civil rights leader Malcolm X, his interview with sports broadcaster Howard Cosell about his reasons for opposing the Vietnam War, and his titanic bout with then-undefeated heavyweight champion George Foreman, among others—this graphic biography will be a crucial and instantly popular resource on The Greatest.
Messi
by Leonardo FaccioFor soccer enthusiasts and sports fans in general, an in-depth look at the life of the beautiful game's greatest star, Argentine footballer Lionel Messi."Whether you call it soccer, football, fútbol, or the "beautiful game," it is the most popular sport in the world, and Argentine footballer Lionel Messi stands as one of its finest players--not only of his time, but of all time. Admired around the globe for his athleticism, skill, and fierce competitiveness, Messi has, at the age of 24, already shattered records at one of the most storied clubs in the world, FC Barcelona. Now, in this comprehensive biography, Messi fans can learn more about his life and career. Argentine journalist Leonardo Faccio describes how Messi, as a talented youth player in Buenos Aires, left his home for Spain in search of the medical help his family could not afford to treat his rare hormone deficiency. Small of stature, but possessing tremendous natural gifts, Messi developed into a star at Barcelona's famed Masia soccer school. In this book, Faccio has written not only a biography of an enigmatic celebrity, but a meditation on athletic genius, drawing on interviews with Messi himself, as well as with everyone from his family, teammates, childhood friends--even his favorite butcher. In-depth and intimate, soccer fans who enjoy watching Messi come alive on the field will delight as he comes alive on the page.
Messi
by Leonardo FaccioA la història del futbol, només quatre jugadors tenen plaça al primer esgraó: Pelé, Di Stéfano, Cruyff i Maradona. Des de fa quatre anys, largentí Messi truca amb insistència a la porta daquest club restringit i cada setmana les seves exhibicions el confirmen com lamo de la pilota. Una estrella daquestes dimensions es mereix més que lhabitual hagiografia o un pamflet morbós. En la millor tradició del periodisme narratiu, el que neix amb Gay Talese, Tom Wolfe o Norman Mailer, Leonardo Faccio ha dibuixat un perfil fascinant en tres temps del futbolista més famós del món, que amb només vint-i-quatre anys ha batut tots els rècords. Un noi tímid, petit i daparença fràgil, que sha convertit en la joia més valuosa de lespectacle més gran del món. Passin i llegeixin!
Messi
by Leonardo FaccioEn la historia del fútbol sólo cuatro jugadores tienen plaza en el primer escalón: Pelé, Di Stéfano, Cruyff y Maradona. Desde hace cuatro años, el argentino Leo Messi llama con insistencia a la puerta de ese restringido club y sus exhibiciones cada semana le confirman como el amo del balón. Una estrella de esta dimensión merece más que la habitual hagiografía o un panfleto morboso. En la mejor tradición del periodismo narrativo, el que nace con Gay Talese, Tom Wolfe o Norman Mailer, Leonardo Faccio ha dibujado un fascinante perfil en tres tiempos del futbolista más famoso del mundo, que con apenas 24 años ha roto todos los récords. Un chico tímido, pequeño y de apariencia frágil, que se ha convertido en la joya más valiosa del mayor espectáculo del mundo. Pasen y lean.
Messi
by Leonardo FaccioEl perfil definitivo del incomparable Lionel Messi, una de las más brillantes estrellas del fútbol internacional En la historia del fútbol sólo cuatro jugadores tienen plaza en el primer escalón: Pelé, Di Stéfano, Cruyff y Maradona. Desde hace cuatro años, el argentino Lionel Messi llama con insistencia a la puerta de ese restringido club, y sus exhibiciones cada semana le confirman como el amo del balón. Estrella del equipo de Barcelona, ganador del Balón de Oro y nombrado jugador del año por la FIFA, un atleta de esta dimensión merece más que la habitual hagiografía. En la mejor tradición del periodismo narrativo, Leonardo Faccio ha dibujado un fascinante perfil en tres tiempos del futbolista más famoso del mundo, que con apenas 24 años ha roto todos los récords. Todos los detalles --desde su familia y sus amistades hasta su lucha contra el déficit de la hormona del crecimiento que casi le costó su carrera futbolística-- se reúnen aquí para formar la biografía más completa de la estrella argentina escrita hasta la fecha. Un chico tímido, pequeño y de apariencia frágil, que se ha convertido en la joya más valiosa del mayor espectáculo del mundo. Pasen y lean.
Messi (edición actualizada): Messi y el mundial de su vida
by Leonardo FaccioUn perfil fascinante, en tres tiempos, del futbolista más famoso del mundo. Por Leonardo Faccio. Lionel Messi ha roto todos los récords del fútbol y se ha instalado en el panteón reservado a las grandes estrellas: Pelé, Di Stéfano, Cruyff y Maradona. Desde que irrumpiera con estruendo en el planeta fútbol en 2007, el argentino Leo Messi se ha convertido en el amo del balón. Una estrella de tamaña dimensión merece más que la habitual hagiografía o un panfleto morboso. En la mejor tradición del periodismo narrativo, el que nace con Gay Talese, Tom Wolfe o Norman Mailer, Leonardo Faccio ha dibujado un fascinante perfil en tres tiempos del futbolista más famoso del mundo que ya ha roto todos los récords. Un chico tímido, pequeño y de apariencia frágil, que se ha convertido en la joya más valiosa del mayor espectáculo del mundo. Pasen y lean. Reseñas: «Con Messi en marcha, la cancha no es un campo de batalla, sino una geografía de unidades de emoción.» Manuel Rivas «Alguna vez contaré a mis nietos que yo entrené a Leo.» Pep Guardiola«Messi sigue jugando para conseguir la bicicleta.» Juan Villoro «Estoy en la historia. Yo contraté a Messi.» Carles Reixach «Es una caricia más que me hizo la Argentina.»Joan Manuel Serrat
Messi vs. Ronaldo: One Rivalry, Two GOATs, and the Era That Remade the World's Game
by Joshua Robinson Jonathan CleggEssential World Cup Reading | Featured in The New York Times' 'What to Read During the World Cup'Wall Street Journal reporters Joshua Robinson and Jonathan Clegg offer a deeply reported account of the intertwined sagas and legacies of two of the greatest soccer players of all time—Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo—examining how their rivalry has grown from a personal competition to a multi-billion-dollar industry, paralleling the stunning rise, overwhelming excesses, and uncertain future of modern international soccer.For over fifteen years, almost any conversation about international soccer has always come back to two players—Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo—undoubtedly the greatest of their generation but with styles, attitudes, and fanbases that couldn’t be more different. For millions of people around the world “Messi or Ronaldo?” isn’t simply a barroom argument, or an affirmation of fandom, so much as a statement of philosophy, of values, of what global soccer is today and of what it will be tomorrow.Now Wall Street Journal reporters and co-authors of The Club, Joshua Robinson and Jonathan Clegg, unite the stories of Messi and Ronaldo into a single modern epic of global sports, detailing how one rivalry changed both the game and the business of international soccer—forever. Based on dozens of firsthand accounts and years of original reporting, Messi vs. Ronaldo weaves together the stakes, color, and characters at the heart of each man’s story, going inside the locker rooms and boardrooms where their legends were forged and revealing off-field drama as gripping as anything that happened on it. From their contrasting origin stories to their divergent career arcs and their conflicting reputations, these players have built their successes on opposite paths, yet each, in his own way, offers a riveting tale of triumph and excess. Taken together, their story embodies the astronomical growth of international soccer, how social media has revolutionized the power of sports celebrity, and how the desire to capitalize on the billions of dollars these players represent electrified some of the most storied clubs in Europe—Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Manchester United among them—and cost them almost everything.With the 2022 World Cup almost certain to be the last for both of these figures, Messi vs. Ronaldo offers a deeply researched look at their legacy and grapples with the impact that their talents have had on the game for better and for worse. Much more than a retelling of the dual accomplishments of these great players, this is truly a biography of a rivalry, one that has become a crucial lens for understanding the past, present, and future of global soccer.