Mundial, Issue 21

Mundial is a quarterly world football/lifestyle publication. It talks about all the bits of football that you still like. Travel, clothes, haircuts, big, old stadiums and everything else that isn’t a heat-map or pass completion stat.

In this issue:

For the past five years, MUNDIAL has pushed itself with each magazine to produce something better than what went before it. That always means arguments, sleepless nights, and evolution.

With Issue 21, we’ve pushed harder than ever before. We’re looking at this as a coming-of-age, and we’re looking forward to you getting stuck in. For our cover feature we’ve decided to really go off on one:

Football’s always evolving, but the start of a new decade felt like something to really get our teeth into. So, we’ve produced a 46-page piece of work that explores the 186 things that excite, terrify, and baffle us about football today, tomorrow, and maybe never. Eye-watering infographics, enlightening stats, big numbers, insightful interviews, algorithms, illustrations, photos, and words, loads of words…

It’s something we think will make your head nod in agreement, shake in disagreement, and maybe even spin with excitement.

It’s our 2020 vision. And now it’s yours, too.

From the new stadiums to the new kings, from biofeedback PlayStation controllers to apps that’ll change your kickabout forever, from innovative young managers to the next non-league wonders, from international competition carnage around the world to the grassroots revolution happening on your doorstep, from the global academies changing the game to the e-sports revolution… we’ve spoken to experts, scouts, journalists, fans, lecturers, broadcasters—and everyone else in between—to bring you the most rounded view of the game as it is now, and as it’s going to be in the future.

That’s the cover, then, and either side of that you’ll be getting your usual front section oddities, back section photography, and features that include:

An interview with Michelle Akers—the greatest female footballer there ever was, and ever will be—from her horse sanctuary in Powder Springs, Georgia.

Well Offside photographer Mark Leech recalling a childhood playing football with Glenn Hoddle, and a lifetime photographing him.

Mike Gibbons on Zinedine Zidane’s Bordeaux evolution from gifted introvert to modern great.

A trip around Europe with lunatic ultras and photographer Sander Wesdijk.

James Bird going beneath the algorithms and data analysts at Brentford ahead of their move to the new stadium.

It’s been a pleasure making this magazine, and we hope you’re going to enjoy reading it.