If a child can talk for half an hour about their favourite player but struggles to choose a book, football gives you a useful place to start. The next step is finding the kind of reading they enjoy: a life story, an illustrated book, a quiz or a fictional team to follow.
Our pick of the best football books for kids brings together five collections from The Book Crib. Each offers something different, so you can choose for the reader rather than simply picking the biggest set.
Which football book should you choose?
- For sharing an illustrated player story: Little People, BIG DREAMS: Cristiano Ronaldo & Lionel Messi.
- For player facts with illustrations: Football Superstars.
- For readers who want to follow a footballer's journey: Ultimate Football Heroes.
- For quizzes, puzzles and curious questions: Football School.
- For fictional matches, friendships and team life: Girls FC.
Age labels can be a starting point, but reading confidence and interests matter too. A book that works well when read aloud may be a different choice from one a child wants to read independently.
1. Little People, BIG DREAMS: Cristiano Ronaldo & Lionel Messi
A good choice for: sharing illustrated football biographies.
This two-book set introduces Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi through the Little People, BIG DREAMS series. Both books include illustrations and extra biographical material at the back, including a timeline and photographs.
We would choose this collection for a child who enjoys looking at pictures and talking about a story with an adult. It also makes a manageable gift when you want a pair of books about familiar players rather than a large collection.
Try starting with whichever player the child already knows. Pause at a picture that catches their attention and let them ask questions; there is no need to turn the book into a football knowledge test.
View the Ronaldo & Messi two-book set.
2. Football Superstars: 12 Books Collection
A good choice for: children who enjoy illustrated player profiles and facts.
Simon Mugford and Dan Green's Football Superstars collection combines information about well-known footballers with illustrations. This 12-book set includes books on players such as Messi, Kane, Rashford, Haaland, Salah and Saka.
The appeal here is choice. A reader can begin with a favourite player and then decide whose story to explore next. You do not need to present the whole collection as a reading task: put two or three options within reach and let the child pick.
If you are choosing between this set and Ultimate Football Heroes, think about the reading experience your child prefers. Football Superstars is worth considering when illustrated profiles are the attraction; Ultimate Football Heroes is another option for following players' journeys.
Explore the Football Superstars 12-book collection.
3. Ultimate Football Heroes: Series 1, 10 Books Set
A good choice for: readers interested in the story behind a footballer.
Matt and Tom Oldfield's Ultimate Football Heroes books follow players from childhood towards their football careers. The Series 1 collection listed at The Book Crib contains ten books, including Messi, Son, Neymar, Kane, Ronaldo and Haaland.
This is the set we would consider for a child whose questions go beyond the score: how did a player start, what happened along the way, and how did they reach the professional game?
For a gift, check which player books the recipient already owns. Several football collections feature the same names, so comparing the included-title list is more useful than relying on the series number or the picture of the box alone.
See the Ultimate Football Heroes Series 1 set.
4. Football School: The Fantastic Fan-Thology, 10 Books Set
A good choice for: curious children who enjoy facts, quizzes and puzzles.
Alex Bellos and Ben Lyttleton's Football School uses the game to explore subjects including history, geography, biology and maths. This ten-book collection also includes a puzzle book, a quiz book and a joke book alongside books about players, teams and the wider world.
It offers a different route into reading from a collection made entirely of player biographies. A child might choose a quiz one afternoon and a chapter about the world the next.
For shared reading, let the child choose a question to investigate or read a joke to someone else. In a classroom, a puzzle or quiz can provide a starting point for discussion. Keep an eye on how the books will be used, though: an activity book intended for writing in serves a different purpose from a book that will circulate through a library.
Browse the Football School ten-book collection.
5. Girls FC: Six Books Collection
A good choice for: readers who want football fiction and team friendships.
Helena Pielichaty's Girls FC follows a girls' football team and its experiences on and off the pitch. This six-book collection includes Do Goalkeepers Wear Tiaras? and Can Ponies Take Penalties?.
Choose this one when the attraction is a fictional team to get to know, rather than facts about famous professionals. The series brings friendship and rivalry into the football setting, giving readers something to discuss beyond who wins a match.
It is an option for any child interested in team stories. When choosing for a class or reading corner, offer it alongside biographies and factual books so pupils can find the approach that appeals to them.
View the Girls FC six-book collection.
Choosing football books for a reluctant reader
Start with a small invitation: “Would you rather read about a player, try a quiz or follow a team story?” That gives the child a choice they can make without having to decide whether they are “a reader”.
- Look at a page together. Notice the amount of text, illustrations and unfamiliar vocabulary.
- Offer to share the reading. You can take turns or read aloud while they follow along.
- Keep the first session manageable. A few enjoyable pages give you somewhere to begin next time.
- Allow a change of book. Loving football does not mean every football book will be a match.
No collection can guarantee a reading habit. The useful starting point is a book the child wants to open, with enough support to enjoy it.
Buying for a school or as a gift?
For a birthday present, check the child's favourite players and books already on their shelf. For a school, consider a mix of illustrated biographies, player stories, factual books and fiction so the selection offers more than one way in.
A collection of different titles is also different from a class set of identical copies. Check the product's contents before ordering for group reading.
Schools can use our School Orders service, which accepts Purchase Orders and offers eligible orders flexible 30-day credit terms with no minimum spend. For help planning a wider selection, read our guide to building a school library pupils want to read.
Choose the collection that fits the child's interests and preferred way of reading, then check the product page for the current contents, price and availability.
