The Beautiful Dream

Description

Out of the Toronto suburb of Brampton comes an irresistible story of trials, perseverance, the limelight of international soccer, and—above all—heart.

Despite debuting on Canada’s senior national soccer team 20 years ago, scarce is known of Atiba Hutchinson. We’ve watched him win Canadian Men’s Player of the Year six times; celebrated his club team championships; and mourned his injuries. We’ve lamented the state of Canadian soccer and cursed the lost potential—and years. Yet, we know little about Atiba’s personal life, or how he rose from suburban Brampton to becoming Canada’s most-capped national men’s team player, often described as the country’s greatest athlete you haven’t heard about.

For the first time, Atiba is ready to share the extraordinary story of his ascent to the heights of professional soccer, nationally and internationally, and what he believes makes a true champion. The Beautiful Dream is an intimate account of Atiba’s awe-inspiring career, from his humble beginnings to playing across Europe; the crushing disappointment of failing national team competitions in the 2010s that nearly lead to his resignation from the national program; all the way to his triumphant arrival in Qatar to face off against 31 other nations at the world’s most pre-eminent soccer competition. He has strived to better not only his own game but the landscape of Canadian soccer for over two decades, culminating in Canada’s first trip to the FIFA World Cup since 1986. Yet, as the reflective midfielder shows, this isn’t just his story: The Beautiful Dream is the story of countless Canadians, who strive and scrape for a seemingly unreachable dream—until their fingertips finally graze the surface. It’s a lesson about the unyielding belief required when taking the long road to success. Atiba’s journey mirrors the progression of Canadian soccer, and the story of Canada itself: dreams that may begin as outsized but as we work towards them, our world changes with us. 

Atiba’s journey of hope, belief, and resilience connects the country’s modest soccer past to a bold, exciting future in the game. It’s a story that transcends the pitch, exploring what it means to be a kid who dares to dream of achieving the impossible, and the man who perseveres to get there.  

ATIBA HUTCHINSON, recently retired captain of the Canadian men’s national soccer team, is the most accomplished male soccer player that Canada has ever produced. He has been named the top male Canadian Soccer Player of the Year six times, and represented Canada in more international matches than any other player in history. DAN ROBSON is a senior enterprise writer for The Athletic. He is the author of the national bestseller Quinn: The Life of a Hockey Legend, Bower: A Legendary Life, and Measuring Up: A Memoir of Fathers and Sons. He co-authored Crossroads with Kaleb Dahlgren, The Crazy Game with Clint Malarchuk, Change Up with Buck Martinez, and Killer with Doug Gilmour, all of which were bestsellers.CA