Football - the most mathematical of sports - is riddled with numbers, patterns and shapes. How to make sense of them? The answer lies in mathematical modelling, an applied science with applications in a host of biological systems. Soccermatics brings the two together in a thrilling, mind-bending synthesis. What's the similarity between an ant colony and Total Football, Dutch style? How is the Barcelona midfield linked geometrically? And how can we relate the mechanics of a Mexican Wave to singing cicadas in an Australian valley?Welcome to the world of modelling, expressed brilliantly by David Sumpter through the prism of football.