Are you a fan of soccer? Are you looking for any new children’s books. Below we have gathered a list of new picture books, chapter books and juvenile nonfiction all about soccer. As of this writing, all of these books are owned by the Davenport Public Library. Descriptions are provided by the publishers.

Picture Books

Christian’s Soccer Superpowers by Christian Pulisic and Mike Bender, illustrated by Marta Kissi

U.S. Men’s Soccer’s Captain America, Christian Pulisic, tells a story of focus, determination, and most of all, confidence–all the soccer superpowers you need! Just in time for the 2026 World Cup!

Christian loves to play soccer. The whoosh of the wind, the bounce of the ball, the ripple of the net—he can hardly wait to join a team! But when the kids on the field all seem bigger and stronger than he is, Christian is suddenly afraid. What if he’s not good enough to play? Will his greatest dream turn out to be his worst nightmare? Or will he find a way to win the day by using the most important soccer superpower of them all?

US Men’s National Soccer Team star Christian Pulisic delivers a fast-footed and fun story about believing in yourself and making your dreams come true. – Philomel Books

Frank and Bert : the one where Bert plays soccer by Chris Naylor-Ballesteros

Join best friends Frank and Bert in their fourth adventure, packed with soccer, friendship, and heart.

Meet Frank and Bert. Frank LOVES soccer and he’s teaching Bert everything he knows. Bert has the great big kick down pat, but after that, everything goes a little bit wrong . . . and when Barbara the soccer whizz arrives, Frank drops everything to play with her—including Bert! Poor Bert. But when Frank finds himself in real trouble, can a true friend save him and win the day? – Nosy Crow

Tiny T. Rex tries soccer by Jonathan Stutzman ; illustrated by Jay Fleck.

Tiny’s biggest fans will love the removable sheet of colorful stickers featuring Tiny, Pointy, and friends included right inside the book!

Tiny T. Rex is ready to try lots of new things. First up is his favorite sport—soccer! He has his shin protectors, socks, cleats, special headband, and jersey (even though it’s a little too big). He is ready! But it turns out that soccer is very tricky. With the help of his teammates and lots of practice, Tiny learns to juggle, dribble, pass, shoot, and . . . score! – Chronicle Books

The world game : soccer circles the globe / words by John Coy ; pictures by Phung Nguyen Quang.

Thwaack! Whummpp! Klangg!

From a park in the United States to a pitch in India, from the seaside in Nigeria to a stadium in Uruguay, there’s one game that brings the world together. Whether you call it football, soccer, or any other name, it’s the most popular sport on the planet.

Follow a fast-paced soccer game around the globe, moving to a new location with each turn of the page. The game includes early morning in Chicago, USA; a nighttime matchup in Shenzhen, China; an early evening game in Kochi, India; and a midafternoon match in Lagos, Nigeria. Journey through time zones and around the globe as kids everywhere use their feet to dribble, shoot, and score all the way through to the final goooooooooal!

Author John Coy and illustrator Phùng Nguyên Quang collaborated across an ocean (and multiple time zones!) to create this action-packed celebration of the power of sport to unite people worldwide! – Carolrhoda Books

Chapter Books

The academy by T.Z. Layton

Born and raised in a small town, twelve-year-old Leo K. Doyle has never seen the ocean or stepped foot on a plane. But Leo is a star soccer player with big dreams in life.

Rock star, Olympic gold, dragon-slaying dreams.

While Leo longs to make the pros one day, he has no idea how to achieve this goal—until a professional scout pays a chance visit to one of Leo’s games and extends an invitation to try out for the London Dragons youth squad, known as the Academy.

Leo is stunned. The London Dragons isn’t just any old soccer team. It’s a world-famous English Premier League team. Soon Leo is off to a whole new country, embarking on the greatest adventure of his life. The downside? Only eleven players can make the team.

Eleven out of two hundred of the very best twelve-year-old players on the planet.

Along with the grueling competition, Leo must also face a bully intent on torpedoing his summer, a roomie who doesn’t know how to have fun, a terrifying camp director, and, most of all, Leo’s own lack of formal training and the fear he’ll never succeed.

By the end of the summer, Leo will become a much better player and forever changed by his experience. But will he be good enough to make the Academy? – Sourcebooks Young Readers

Dory Fantasmagory: Center of the universe written and illustrated by Abby Hanlon.

Dory is on her first soccer team with her best friends, Rosabelle and George. She’s ready to score a billion goals, but Rosabelle is having a meltdown over wearing cleats, and George is mysteriously acting like a baby. So, Dory attempts to befriend a new teammate, Valentina. But making a new friend isn’t so easy, especially when Valentina kicks the ball perfectly every time, steals all the attention, and has a way of making a billion sound kinda small. Determined to outshine Valentina as the star of the team, Dory seeks help from her reliable imagination to flip the score.

Complete with pencil-drawn pictures bursting with charm and character, this hilarious series about a lovably energetic little sister and her antics is sure to keep the whole family laughing. – Dial Books

Corner Kick! By Andrew Maraniss, illustrated by Aishwarya Tandon.

Pick a book. Grow a Reader!

This series is part of Scholastic’s early chapter book line, Branches, aimed at newly independent readers. With easy-to-read text, high-interest content, fast-paced plots, and illustrations on every page, these books will boost reading confidence and stamina. Branches books help readers grow!

It’s time for the Raintree Forest World Cup! Jasper’s class is taking part in a World Cup tournament with other third grade classes in the neighborhood. But Jasper is not as excited as everyone else to learn all about soccer, especially since the new student Sofia seems like a soccer know-it-all! Will Jasper be any good at playing soccer? And will his team be victorious in the Raintree Forest World Cup?

Engaging black-and-white artwork appears on every page, and game-time scenes are told through fully-illustrated, graphic novel-style panels. Nonfiction sidebars are also scattered throughout, introducing young readers to sports legends and other fun facts. Kids will learn all about soccer as they read this book, and they won’t be able to put it down because of its action-packed, relatable story! – Scholastic Inc.

Goalkeeper by Edward Bloor

In this page-turning follow-up to the modern-day classic Tangerine, an underdog kid from a troubled home navigates a tumultuous summer while finding friendship and confidence on the soccer field.

Paul Fisher is eager to leave his rich-kid private school and get back to Tangerine Middle, where he’d found acceptance as the goalkeeper of the War Eagles, the toughest soccer team in the county. First, though, he must survive the summer at home, where lightning strikes spark underground fires that never go out and a tropical storm provides cover for criminals—including his own brother.

Then a new crisis unfolds, and Paul must testify against one of the War Eagles in a criminal case. Suddenly, the lessons about Truth vs. Loyalty and Justice vs. Mercy that Sister Catherine taught at Saint Anthony’s Prep don’t seem so theoretical anymore. In fact, they might be just what Paul needs to figure out how to fight an unjust legal system and stay true to himself and his teammates. – Clarion Books

Juvenile Nonfiction

Cristiano Ronaldo by Ma Isabel Sanchez Vegara

Discover the incredible story of Cristiano Ronaldo, an inspirational athlete, global megastar and one of the world’s greatest footballers.

Born on the island of Madeira in Portugal, Cristiano grew up playing football from a very young age. With determination and self-belief, he pursued his dream of becoming a professional player, overcoming setbacks and challenges – including surgery for a heart condition called tachycardia – along the way. From his first matches in local clubs to international stardom, his journey shows the power of hard work, resilience and courage.

This inspiring book introduces children to Ronaldo’s record-breaking career, including three consecutive Premier League titles with Manchester United, victories in the Champions League and Club World Cup, and his record transfer to Real Madrid in 2009.

Ronaldo’s remarkable, record-breaking career is a story of hard work and determination, one that is sure to resonate with young sports fans, inspiring them to dream big and believe that anything is possible. Ronaldo is also known for his charity work, using his fame to raise awareness and help good causes.  Young readers will learn how he followed his passion, never gave up and became a role model for millions around the world, both on and off the pitch.

This inspirational book also features dynamic illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the athlete’s life. – Frances Lincoln Children’s Books

FIFA World Cup: The Greatest Matches of All Time by Thomas Streissguth

The FIFA World Cup is a global sporting event, drawing more than a billion soccer fans for live and televised matches. In the course of this quadrennial tournament, a few matches have gained fame for their amazing individual play, improbable comeback victories, and surprising wins by underdog teams. These standout World Cup matches have helped to popularize the sport and bring in new fans and players in nations all over the world. – Referencepoint Press

Lionel Messi : big goals : a biography by Erica Wainer ; illustrated by Claudia Marianno.

An all-star, hat trick picture book biography about how Lionel “Leo” Messi went from the smallest kid on the pitch to one of the world’s greatest World Cup players from Argentina.

Right now, on any soccer field, in any town—small or large, rural or suburban—you will see a kid wearing the iconic #10 jersey.

A household name who has sold out stadiums across the world, Leo Messi, is thought of as the best soccer player of all time. But how did he get here? Born into a soccer family, Leo lived and breathed soccer, but he was always the smallest kid on the pitch. Could Leo in his biggest little-kid dreams have imagined what life had in store for him?

Inspiring and heartfelt, Leo’s story is the perfect collectible for every soccer-loving kid wearing the #10 jersey—and a reminder that you can be small and still do big things. – HarperPop

The Soccer Goat: Messi v. Ronaldo by Mall Oldfield and Seth Burkett

This series from best-selling author Matt Oldfield and Seth Burkett, a former professional soccer player, tackles the question that every soccer fan wants answered: Who is the GOAT?

Each book pits two of the best players in the world head-to-head in a battle for the crown, kicking off with the superstar clash of Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo. Action-packed and full of detailed facts, trivia, stats, and funny illustrations, this collectible new series is perfect for longtime soccer fans and those new to the sport. – Candlewick