Magnum football

There are few things that unify people across the world better than the game of football. More than just kicking a ball about, football stirs passions beyond rational thought, affecting the mood of nations or even the fortunes of governments. Since before the formation of the famous Magnum agency in the 1940s, various members have photographed the world of football, documenting the players, the supporters and the game, from barefeet on African mud or a Brazilian beach to kicking cans in British backstreets. This collection shows how deep the roots of football run, how wide they are spread and how football culture crosses every boundary of nationality, race and religion. This portfolio of images combines the beauty of the game itself and the aesthetic quality associated with the photographers of the world's leading photographic agency. It provides a celebration of football in its widest sense as well as a fascinating social insight into many parts of the world over a period of more than half a century.

'You don't have to be a fan of the game to enjoy the wonderful images that have been put together by the world's leading photographers of our time... and absolute gem.' (Time Out)

'A breathtaking collection of images that best describe what soccer represents on a planet so diverse yet unified by a simple game.'
(Soccer Magazine)

Magnum, the world's foremost photographic agency, was established in 1947 by Robert Capa, Henri Cartier-Bresson, George Rodger, and David 'Chim' Seymour. Reflecting their independent natures as people and photographers they created the co-operative organization to break free of the constraints of working on assignments for magazines, and to allow them the artistic freedom to concentrate on the projects that interested them most. The agency has been home to many of the world's leading photographers ever since, and the idiosyncratic mix of reporter and artist that characterized its founders, continues to define Magnum to this day, emphasizing not only what is seen but also the way one sees it.