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‘Godwin’ Is Almost the First Great Soccer Novel

A masters of contemporary fiction evokes the beautiful game but deserves a yellow card for kowtowing to political dogma.

AP/Marta Lavandier
Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi kicks the ball during a Major League Soccer match, September 14, 2024, at Fort Lauderdale. AP/Marta Lavandier
SEAMUS FLORY
SEAMUS FLORY

‘Godwin’
By Joseph O’Neill
Pantheon, 288 pages

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SEAMUS FLORY
SEAMUS FLORY

Mr. Flory is a freelance writer from Virginia. His work has appeared in Harvard Magazine and CounterPunch.

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