From Pura Belpré Honor recipient Angela Cervantes and perfectly timed for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, The Mystery of the Stolen World Cup Trophy follows 12-year-old sleuth Diez Espada on a high-stakes case as he tracks down the tournament’s stolen trophy in time for the championship match. Also available in Spanish!
Diez Espada—named after the jersey number of his soccer-obsessed father’s favorite player, Lionel Messi—would rather be chasing clues than soccer balls. When the World Cup trophy disappears at a glitzy party in Miami, he’s suddenly at the center of the most thrilling match of his life—a race to find the trophy before it’s gone for good.
Teaming up with his crush, Rio, and the world-famous Detective Enzo, Diez dives headfirst into a one-night whirlwind of secret tunnels and a squad of suspicious suspects: a spoiled son of a Miami tycoon, a famous sportscaster, and even Rio’s two prankster younger brothers.
The clock is ticking, the suspects are slippery, and the stadium lights are ready to shine. Will Diez find the trophy in time for the World Cup championship match?
Let’s get the big question out of the way at the beginning: I’m guessing you’re a huge Messi fan? Or is there another player/team you admire?
AC: That’s so funny you ask that. At all my school visits, the second I reveal that I love soccer. Students ask me who’s the GOAT? Messi or Ronaldo. It’s a dangerous question and I try to avoid answering it because it means I’ll lose half of the audience. But I’m happy to reveal the truth with you: For me, Messi is the GOAT. I’ve been a fan of Leo Messi since his days at Barcelona. And I’ve been lucky enough to see him play twice: once in Barcelona at the legendary Camp Nou. The second time his team Inter Miami came to Kansas City to play our home team Sporting KC. He even scored a goal during the game which was a dream to witness. There are many other fútbol players I admire like Marta from the Brazilian national women’s team, Vini Junior from Brazil, but Leo will always be my fave! On and off the pitch, he’s an inspiration.
I loved all the little details through your novel – the lobster costume, the squawking bird, Al Capone’s tunnel, etc. What was the research like for writing this book?
AC: Thanks! I love the talking bird! The green parrot, Soledad, and the lavender poodle, Spice, were so much fun to write. Inspiration for both came from an article I read about an exclusive hotel in Miami and Las Vegas that had a popular mascot that everyone treated like celebrities. I thought that was an over the top and fun detail! Research for this book was one of my favorite parts of writing this book. Miami has such rich history and culture that I wanted the city to feel like a real character, not just a backdrop. I started digging into Al Capone’s connection to Miami. He really did live there, and at the time, Miami’s city officials were not happy about it. Also, my dive into the history of the Jules Rimet trophy, kept feeding the story. Every new discovery opened another secret tunnel.
I had no idea the original world cup trophy had been stolen so many times and a couple never recovered! Was this your inspiration for the book and/or what inspired you?
AC: Yes, the real history of the original FIFA World Cup trophy, known as the Jules Rimet, is what sparked everything. This extremely valuable and coveted trophy was stolen twice! The first theft was in London in 1966. The robbers took it while it was on display and demanded a ransom. Of course, FIFA refused to pay a ransom. With no other choice, the robbers dumped the trophy. Luckily, a sweet dog named Pickles found it wrapped in newspaper on his morning walk. Pickles deserves a hundred books about him! The second (and final) theft was in Rio De Janiero, Brazil in 1983. The trophy had been given to the country of Brazil after their team won the world cup three times—thanks to the legendary Pele.
Sadly, this time there was no ransom note. No Pickles the dog to recover it. The trophy was never found, and no one arrested. To this day no one knows what happened to it. That unsolved mystery was the spark: what if the FIFA trophy went missing during the 2026 World Cup in North America? Once that idea took hold, the book followed.
I loved your Detective Enzo and the International Criminal La Lechuza. How fun was it to write these characters?
AC: Thank you. Detective Enzo and La Lechuza were completely inspired by classic Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes type detectives and villians. And I love the idea that we haven’t seen the last of these two characters. I wanted my young sleuth Diez to feel like he was out of his league and to doubt whether he truly belonged in the game or should stay on the bench. Of course, Diez knows he can’t sit this one out. No chance. Like he says, solving mysteries runs in his blood.
What would you say is the hardest and easiest part about writing a mystery?
AC: For me, the toughest part is managing the clues. I wanted to be sure to plant them carefully enough that a sharp reader could follow the trail, but not so obviously that the ending feels predictable. Personally, I despise a forced or predictable whodunit ending. I really aimed to avoid that by allowing my main character, Diez, to use his smarts to put the pieces together. For me, the easiest part of writing this novel was the momentum. Once the trophy is stolen and Detective Enzo shows up on the scene, the mystery takes off. Enzo’s arrival propels Diez’ desire to help despite every adult, including Detective Enzo, trying to keep him out of it. All this tension moved the story forward naturally. It made the writing exciting and fun.
What are some of your favorite middle grade novels and why do you like them so much?
AC: When I’m doing school visits, I always tell students about three books I absolutely loved! One is Charlotte’s Web by EB White, The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis, and Mary Downing Hahn’s Wait Till Helen Comes. I also had a fair share of mystery books that I loved too. One in particular that I continue to pick up every once in a while, is From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg. I think I love these books so much because the main characters face real stakes and have so much emotional depth.
Now that this book is out in the world, what are some next steps for you?
AC: Now it’s time to shift into promotion mode, which is my least favorite part of this job. But I believe in this book, and I know there are readers out there who need it. It won’t find them if I don’t do my part to get the word out. So, I’ll show up, talk about it, and trust that it lands where it’s supposed to.
Beyond that, I’m finishing Anomalies 53: Dragon Dreams, Book 2 in my fantasy series, which comes out July 2026. I’m also considering a new mystery for Diez and I have ideas brewing for fans of The Cursed Moon. Plenty to keep me busy.
Is there anything else you want to share about The Mystery of the Stolen World Cup Trophy for our audience of teachers, librarians, and middle grade authors?
AC: I’m happy to share that it will also be released simultaneously in Spanish on May 5th
This is a huge deal to me as with most of my middle-grade novels, the Spanish version has come out about a year later, and only if the English book did well enough to justify it. The implicit message of this is that Spanish-speaking readers were secondary. Seeing this change feels meaningful. And especially with this World Cup-inspired novel. As everyone knows, the World Cup tournament is watched by billions of people around the world. And a large chunk of that includes Spanish-speaking countries and communities. So, it seems only fitting it should be released in both languages straight from the first whistle.
It will also be available in an audiobook format too, which is awesome for those who prefer that format.
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