Book excerpt: The popularity of football is such that it is almost a global language. From the time that British and German troops stopped fighting during World War I to stage an impromptu game of football in no-man's-land, to the wall-to-wall television coverage during major competitions, football fans have something in common. FIFA Official World Football Records 2010 is an indispensable guide to what Pele called "The Beautiful Game". But this is more than just a records book. Complementing the various lists on an incredible range of topics are numerous biographies of football legends, stories behind records and brief reports of famous matches. Country by country all the important facts and statistics can be found.