Welcome to World Innovators Cup

World Innovators Cup: History's Greatest Minds Take the Field

Imagine a world where the greatest minds in history get the stadium-sized roar they deserve.

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World Innovators Cup

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About the Author

Michael Brian Lee

Michael discovered the World Cup while living in Prague in 1994, and found himself compelled to root for Hristo Stoichkov’s Bulgaria squad, who finished fourth. He has been a fan of the competition every four years since, and has developed a love for Argentina, long before they finally vindicated this choice with their win in 2022.

He is the world’s only certified Master of Creativity and Innovation Coaching and is also trained in six other coaching disciplines, as well as a Master NLP Practitioner, a Certified Coach Trainer, and an Adaptability Quotient (AQai) Professional.

He is a #1 best-selling author and has taken the TEDx stage twice. He writes a column on creativity for the Mail and Guardian of South Africa and has written for Forbes. He features on Radio 702 as well as other media outlets. Michael is also an International Advisory Board Member of World Creativity and Innovation and an Exco member of the Creative Community of Practice of the BIC Foundation.

He has spoken at numerous creativity conferences and universities, the Global Speakers Summit, and the annual conventions of the Professional Speaker’s Association of Southern Africa and India.

His TV productions have won 5 South African Film and TV Awards (SAFTAs) and was a Founding Editor of the renowned international literary magazine Trafika. He was recently named a top 50 thought leader in Creativity by Thinkers360.

Discover

About the Book

Imagine a world where the greatest minds in history get the stadium-sized roar they deserve.

In this visually dynamic book, history’s most original thinkers are taken out of the dusty pages of textbooks and onto the pitch, re-imagined as World Cup footballers competing in a high-stakes “beautiful game of ideas.”

This immersive gateway into history and creativity is brought to life with stunning, photo-realistic imagery and dynamic caricature-style cards showing the greats in action: Tesla and Edison jostle for electric position; daVinci outmaneuvers Hedy Lamarr with the ultimate tactical mind; Franklin invents lightning-fast strategy, rushing past Ada Lovelace; Fela Kuti disrupts the system while Kaldi keeps the energy soaring with his coffee.

World Innovator’s Cup is a fresh, joyful way to feel the power of ideas, a celebration of curiosity, daring, and connection, the perfect conversation piece for your coffee table. It’s also a great gift for the creative professional, the intellectual sports fan, educators and parents, and fans of innovation history.

The whistle has blown. The game has begun. It’s time to cheer for the real superstars.

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What Readers
Say

The whistle has blown. The game has begun. It’s time to cheer for the real superstars.

Michael has already distinguished himself in the world of creativity as an inquisitive spirit who seeks possibilities beyond the traditional. This book falls within that category.

Fun, funny, inventive, and a unique way to share creativity creatively.

Steve Jobs said that creativity is just connecting things. This book is a clever connection of ‘the beautiful game’ and the world of innovation - an easy and fun read for anyone who cares about football and enjoys thinking about the great innovations of the world.

Sport and innovation have plenty in common, although most of us choose not to see it. In this leftfield look at innovators as footballers, Michael Lee has managed to pull off a perspective switcheroo that will leave your head spinning, and full of useful questions.

World Innovators Cup is a playful, sharp mashup that turns real biographies into a global football tournament then dares you to spot the “easter eggs” where each innovator’s life becomes their on-field signature move. It’s not a coaching manual; it’s a creativity engine that makes strategy feel physical, memorable, and fun. Read it like a sticker album: jump to your favorite minds, follow the match stories, and you’ll come away believing imagination matters as much as oxygen.

A book so audaciously original that it redefines educational entertainment… The most fun you'll ever have learning about the people who shaped our world.

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