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Sebastian Abbot

Author of The Away Game

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Main Content

“Gripping … An important book to ponder as the world’s favorite game grows ever more global.”

– Booklist

Sebastian Abbot
2018-01-19T16:44:23+00:00

– Booklist

“Gripping … An important book to ponder as the world’s favorite game grows ever more global.”
https://sebastianabbot.com/testimonials/booklist/
“Abbot’s narrative features vivid profiles, engrossing play-by-play, and a sobering lesson: bad breaks and cold business calculations sometimes trump ability in the making of champions.”

– Publishers Weekly

Sebastian Abbot
2018-01-19T16:44:38+00:00

– Publishers Weekly

“Abbot’s narrative features vivid profiles, engrossing play-by-play, and a sobering lesson: bad breaks and cold business calculations sometimes trump ability in the making of champions.”
https://sebastianabbot.com/testimonials/publishers-weekly/
"Masterfully weaves together the stories of boys from a renowned soccer academy in Doha in an illuminating narrative."

– Sports Illustrated

Sebastian Abbot
2018-02-27T12:46:14+00:00

– Sports Illustrated

"Masterfully weaves together the stories of boys from a renowned soccer academy in Doha in an illuminating narrative."
https://sebastianabbot.com/testimonials/sports-illustrated/
“An exhilarating, at times heartbreaking, and ultimately unforgettable journey that lays bare the true human stakes of the world’s most popular game.”

—Warren St. John, author of Outcasts United

Sebastian Abbot
2017-11-08T18:28:41+00:00

—Warren St. John, author of Outcasts United

“An exhilarating, at times heartbreaking, and ultimately unforgettable journey that lays bare the true human stakes of the world’s most popular game.”
https://sebastianabbot.com/testimonials/warren-st-john/
"An excellent introduction to this shady world."

– Foreign Affairs

Sebastian Abbot
2018-02-27T12:51:40+00:00

– Foreign Affairs

"An excellent introduction to this shady world."
https://sebastianabbot.com/testimonials/foreign-affairs/
“Whether you’re a soccer fan or not, you will find everything you could possibly want―joy, heartbreak, inspiration―between these covers.”

—Jonathan Mahler, author of Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bronx Is Burning

Sebastian Abbot
2017-11-08T18:29:19+00:00

—Jonathan Mahler, author of Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bronx Is Burning

“Whether you’re a soccer fan or not, you will find everything you could possibly want―joy, heartbreak, inspiration―between these covers.”
https://sebastianabbot.com/testimonials/jonathan-mahler/
"[The Away Game] is about soccer, sure. But it's even more about the corruption, greed, and power that fuels the game."

– Men's Journal

Sebastian Abbot
2018-02-27T12:53:21+00:00

– Men's Journal

"[The Away Game] is about soccer, sure. But it's even more about the corruption, greed, and power that fuels the game."
https://sebastianabbot.com/testimonials/mens-journal/
"Engrossing ... A masterful account of the drama and science of scouting [and] a lively evocation of football mania in Africa."

– The Economist

Sebastian Abbot
2018-03-11T00:31:40+00:00

– The Economist

"Engrossing ... A masterful account of the drama and science of scouting [and] a lively evocation of football mania in Africa."
https://sebastianabbot.com/testimonials/the-economist/
“If you are to buy one book in 2018, The Away Game is your best chance to experience the very best, the royalty of football literature ... It’s easily our favorite read of the year.”

– International Soccer Network

Sebastian Abbot
2018-03-16T20:46:55+00:00

– International Soccer Network

“If you are to buy one book in 2018, The Away Game is your best chance to experience the very best, the royalty of football literature ... It’s easily our favorite read of the year.”
https://sebastianabbot.com/testimonials/international-soccer-network/
"What a fantastic story: a soccer-themed mix of Hoop Dreams and The Sports Gene."

—Grant Wahl, author of The Beckham Experiment

Sebastian Abbot
2017-11-14T18:16:20+00:00

—Grant Wahl, author of The Beckham Experiment

"What a fantastic story: a soccer-themed mix of Hoop Dreams and The Sports Gene."
https://sebastianabbot.com/testimonials/grant-wahl/
"Every fan of international soccer must read The Away Game."

– Helon Habila, author of Oil on Water and The Chibok Girls

Sebastian Abbot
2017-11-14T18:17:02+00:00

– Helon Habila, author of Oil on Water and The Chibok Girls

"Every fan of international soccer must read The Away Game."
https://sebastianabbot.com/testimonials/helon-habila/
“A sobering look at the realities of the pursuit of big-time sporting opportunities.”

– Kirkus (starred review)

Sebastian Abbot
2018-01-19T16:44:09+00:00

– Kirkus (starred review)

“A sobering look at the realities of the pursuit of big-time sporting opportunities.”
https://sebastianabbot.com/testimonials/kirkus/
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About the Book

Now in Stores

The gripping story of a group of boys discovered in what may be the largest talent search in sports history

Over the past decade, an audacious program called Football Dreams has held tryouts for millions of 13-year-old boys across Africa looking for soccer’s next superstars. Led by the Spanish scout who helped launch Lionel Messi’s career at Barcelona and funded by the desert kingdom of Qatar, the program has chosen a handful of boys each year to train to become professionals -- a process over a thousand times more selective than getting into Harvard.

THE SEARCH

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