Things are heating up with the 2026 FIFA World Cup and what better way to celebrate that than reading about one of the most prolific football players of all time; Éric Cantona. Our June Book of the Month is Éric Cantona’s 82 Goals by Valentin Deudon, translated from French by Ian Monk, published by Open Borders Press.
Considered as a “goalography” (goal biography), Deudon transports the reader back to the 1990s when Éric Cantona scored 82 goals during his five seasons at Manchester United. It is a close-up portrait of an unparalleled artist, describing the matches in near-perfect detail with how and when each goal was scored, as well as how each one came to pass. If you are unfamiliar with the iconic figure who played alongside Ryan Giggs, Paul Ince, David Beckham, and Mark Hughes, this book provides enough information in order to understand how much this professional football player-turned-actor means to the sport and to the rest of the world.
It would be easy for this book to fall into the trap of losing momentum if it was simply listing Cantona’s goals one by one, yet Deudon recaptures every moment of suspense, loss, victory, and heartbreak—something only a truly talented writer could do—to make the reader feel like they were watching it unfold for the first time. Each goal comes with its own backstory, shedding light into Cantona’s personal history to help paint a picture of the kind of man he is and the team he played for. It helps that Deudon has admired Cantona since his childhood and obsessively records how many spectators watch each goal, admitting later on in the book it’s because he yearns to be right there in the action.
While this book is a celebration of goals, it doesn’t shy away when tragedy strikes and connects the goals through different moments of football history. Cantona’s 2nd goal for Manchester United took place at Hillsborough—a stadium forever remembered by the death of 97 Liverpool fans in a fatal crowd crush in 1989. His 5th goal took place 35 years after the Munich Air Disaster, when the 1958 team of Manchester United were travelling back from Belgrade and the plane crashed, causing 23 fatalities. Both accounts are written with the upmost respect for the victims and place the goals in the background rather than in the spotlight.
The further Deudon gets into Cantona’s career, the more creative the goals’ narratives become and Deudon’s poetic talents shine. For the 42nd goal, Deudon compares Manchester United’s winning streak to the vivid and colourful palette of Pierre Ambrogiani, a French expressionist painter cherished by Cantona and his family. Cantona’s 46th goal is constantly eluding to the infamous kung fu kick at a Crystal Palace supporter which has yet to occur. The 49th goal shifts perspectives and focuses on the many football journalists and historians sitting amongst the spectators who covered Cantona’s sporting endeavours over the years, such as Claude Boli and Fabrice Rousselot. Deudon then shifts genres entirely with the 75th and 76th goals by using his own poem about the football during the match.
Even if you are unaware of Éric Cantona’s prowess, it would be hard to walk away from this book and not admire him for his humanity and the freedom he possesses. It’s easy for people to put their heroes on pedestals, but more admirable when you are able to portray them as themselves. Deudon is able to capture Cantona’s charismatic flair and unapologetic non-conformity through describing his goals for Manchester United along with demonstrating the impact Cantona clearly had on himself.
Éric Cantona’s 82 Goals is published by Open Borders Press
9781919503301 | PB | £12.99 | Out Now
