Sometimes it’s hard to be a football fan.

Yet, as the sport increasingly moves away from its roots and feels consumed by greed and cynicism, this issue of World Soccer is filled with things to help restore your faith in the good of the game, including cup upsets and underdogs, a club built by its fans, a few conquering heroes returning to their childhood teams, a handful of rising starlets, and international football at its very best.

It feels like a long time ago now that Ivory Coast’s Max Gradel lifted the AFCON trophy high into the night sky, one day after Qatar had won their own continental title on home soil. These days, dismissing international football and complaining when it dares to interrupt the domestic calendar seems to be common. Yet this year’s Africa Cup of Nations and Asian Cup tournaments demonstrated that it is capable of hitting emotional heights that the club game — or arguably any other sport — just can’t quite reach. The stories conjured up by Ivory Coast, Jordan, South Africa, Palestine, DR Congo, Syria, Cape Verde and many others were sometimes uplifting, sometimes heartbreaking, but always compelling, and few more so than the main character in the AFCON final: Sebastien Haller.

Haller’s story transcends football. Ivory Coast’s match- winner in the final not only survived a cancer diagnosis but also injuries, rejection and downright bad luck to become a national hero in the country of his mother’s birth.

The good news for lovers of the international game is that there is plenty more to come this year. The upcoming March international break will include the Euro 2024 play-offs — a sure-fire guarantee of drama and emotion — and UEFA Nations League play-outs, as well as the CONCACAF Nations League finals and final qualifiers for this summer’s Copa America. In February, CONMEBOL confirmed which two men’s teams will represent South America at this summer’s Olympics, with a number of thrilling young stars emerging in the process.

For all of the above and more, pick up the April 2024 edition of World Soccer. Hopefully it’ll make you’ll feel a little better about the world’s best game.