It's the most wonderful time of the... four-year cycle. The World Cup is upon us and, frankly, it's almost all we can think about. The good news is that we've crammed plenty of it into our new issue, available from Saturday May 3 in print and in a specially-designed-for-iPad version.
And it's not just the usual magazine - we've also put together a separate 74-page preview supplement. The glossy guide features everything you need to know about all 32 teams, info on all the host cities, tactical analysis, interviews with the likes of David de Gea, Mathieu Debuchy and Marouane Fellaini and an introduction to Brazil from the one and only Ronaldo.
We've spoken to a host of players who'll be making the trip to Brazil in the coming weeks - including five Englishmen looking to make a splash at their first ever World Cup. Believe us when we say they're as excited about it as you are. But it's not just England who go under the FFT microscope...
Never has one team - and one man - felt such a weight of their country's expectations to win the World Cup. FourFourTwo has learnt from stars past, present and future if Neymar & Co. can handle the pressure of a World Cup in their own back yard...
Young, talented and on the attack - England's new breed are ready and waiting to storm the samba nation. Danny Welbeck, Raheem Sterling, Ross Barkley and Jack Wilshere tell FFT why they're not scared of taking on the best.
Welbz and friends may have their eyes firmly on Brazil 2014, but the common theory is that, for England, this tournament is the chance to learn with a view to future success. If that's the case, there could be some big changes ahead, and FFT has drawn up a 22-step masterplan for glory in 2022.
They went, they spent, they loved the attention. The WAGs made a lot of headlines eight years ago, but did England's other halves really cost Sven's charges the 2006 World Cup? FFT hits the Black Forest to find out...
While England failed in 2006, Italy triumphed. That was the Azzurri's fourth world crown, which suggests Italy know their way around a tournament. But what is the Italian blueprint exactly? And if it's been so successful, why are they saying arrivederci to catenaccio, and taking up keep-ball?
To celebrate the impending World Cup, FFT has drawn up a list of the 50 greatest games in the history of the tournament. Football's four-yearly festival has had so many cracking conests that we couldn't fit them all into one issue - so we've split the list in two. This month: the dirtiest game and the biggest shock.
With a thriving domestic league and a national team heading into another World Cup, US 'soccer' has come a long way since since 1994, when the Land of the Free hosted a tournament book-ended by two dodgy penalties. FFT looks back at USA 94 with a little help from members of the current squad, and assesses the legacy left behind.
As management debuts go, that of Ashley Westwood (the former Manchester United trainee and Crewe, Sheffield Wednesday, Northampton and Wrexham defender, not the current Aston Villa midfielder) is different to say the least. Yet the former journeyman is taking India by storm - with a little help from old boss Sir Alex Ferguson...
The new issue also features an extensive One-on-One interview with former Tottenham, Arsenal, Portsmouth and England defender Sol Campbell, Cafu's all-time Brazilian dream team and Performance tips from Giorgio Chiellini and Mario Gotze.
The June 2014 issue of FourFourTwo was brought to you by...
Ronaldo, Jurgen Klinsmann, David Luiz, David de Gea, Sol Campbell, Dani Alves, Raheem Sterling, Danny Welbeck, Rivelino, Mario Gotze, Will Hughes, Danny Ings, Alexi Lalas, Diego Godin, Thiago Silva, Graham Zusi, Giorgio Chiellini, John O'Shea, Paulinho, Mauro Silva, Ashley Westwood, Brian Barwick, Joe Hart, Bernard, Ross Barkley, Michel Vorm, Landon Donovan, Sam Winnall, Gianluca Vialli, Cristian Tello, Jon Goodman, Michael Carrick, Cafu, Marouane Fellaini, Fernando Gago, Roberto Carlos, David Nugent, Matt Besler, Jack Wilshere, Graham Poll, Mathieu Debuchy, Alessandro Diamanti, Kyle Beckerman, Alex McLeish, Diego Forlan, Teo Gutierrez, David Davies, Ignazio Abate, Ross McCormack, Eder, Man v Food's Adam Richman and American Samoa's transgender player.
Available from Saturday May 3 in print and in a specially-designed-for-iPad version.
