Octopus acquires FIFA-licensed photography book

Octopus imprint Hamlyn has acquired an official FIFA-licensed photography book from Michael Donald. As well as having work exhibited all over the world, Donald spent six years tracking down and photographing the 34 living members of an exclusive club - the only people to have scored in a FIFA World Cup Final.

Publishing director Trevor Davies acquired world rights in all languages direct from the agent Rick Mayston at Agent Fox Media.

The book, called Goal!, will feature "intimate portraits" of the World Cup-scoring footballers, each accompanied by an interview with the player that relives the moment and gives "fascinating" insight into the occasion, from the music they played on the bus to the stadium, to the meal they ate afterwards.

The book includes the story of what happened in each World Cup, what happened to the players afterwards, as well as what they do today. There's also a comprehensive statistics section covering all the facts and figures for each World Cup tournament so readers can relive the matches they saw, and discover the details about the ones they didn't.

Trevor Davies said: "We are thrilled to be publishing such a beautiful, fascinating and unique book this autumn. Goal! encapsulates what it’s like to achieve literally the ultimate goal in football. Michael’s stunning images are atmospheric and bring out the character of each player in a mesmerising way. These images, combined with the interviews, which are both surprising and entertaining, make the book the perfect present for any fan as we begin the build up to Russia 2018."

Goal! will be published on 5th October as a £20 hardback.