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Sibling Rivalry

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What to expect

Bloomsbury presents Sibling Rivalry: How Mexico and the US Built the Most Contentious, Co-Dependent Feud in World Soccer by Hal Phillips, read by Christopher Ragland.

A captivating examination of the competitive history, drama, and politics behind the storied rivalry between the United States and Mexico--in international soccer and beyond.

Soccer is the most global of pastimes, but no international rivalry carries more cultural and geo-political baggage than the United States vs. Mexico, especially today. With the 2026 World Cup set to be co-hosted by the two nations (along with Canada), it’s time to shine a spotlight on this storied continental grudge match.

In Sibling Rivalry, Hal Phillips investigates the intense, complex associations between the two countries, both on and off the field. He examines the complicated border dynamics, the countries’ economic and cultural realities, and the evolution of what was once a one-sided rivalry into an intensely equal, ever-escalating athletic confrontation. Phillips also draws on the stories of Mexican-American stars who opted to play for the US and those who chose to play for Mexico. Their perspectives breathe life into the story and show the impact of this rivalry on a personal level.

More than a million people and 300,000 goods-bearing vehicles traverse the U.S.-Mexico border every day. The countries and their people are intricately intertwined, whether they want to be or not. That’s what makes this centuries-old family drama, played out in fascinating detail in Sibling Rivalry, so complicated and compelling.

Critics Review

I cannot find the proper words of praise and delight that I felt having read in one fell swoop Hal Phillips’s magisterial work on the U.S.-Mexico rivalry in soccer. This is not only a masterpiece in the cultural sociology of rivalries in sports and beyond, but it also features a nuanced command of all things soccer (and sports) deeply ensconced in the larger histories of Mexico and the United States with sumptuous detours into Britain, the Continent, and Latin America. This is a remarkable book!
Andrei S. Markovits, Karl W. Deutsch Collegiate Professor Emeritus, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Starting with Seamus Malin’s terrific intro, Hal Phillips’s take on the complex U.S.-Mexico soccer rivalry is nuanced, layered, and deeply felt. Top-notch storytelling for anyone interested in understanding what is really going on beneath the surface whenever the U.S. Men line up against El Tri.
Ty Keough, US National Team veteran and Mexican American
This is a story that touches home, taking us to origins that predate the first U.S.-Mexico encounter and outlining a history more complex than participants and supporters can imagine. This book untangles the complexities and explains how, despite a clash of cultures, the U.S. and Mexico appear to be finding common ground. Surprisingly, considering most soccer rivalries are eternal, Phillips reveals this one could be headed in an unexpected direction leading up to the 2026 World Cup, and beyond.
Frank Dell’Apa, longtime Boston Globe soccer columnist
Hal Phillips examines how the rivalry grew from the heartland of Ohio to Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca, and what the rivalry means on both sides of the border. A really interesting book. Phillips also gives us an important history lesson, not just on the USA-Mexico soccer rivalry and the evolution of the sport in both countries, but on the interdependence between neighboring nations.
Paul Kennedy, editor, Soccer America

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