The magazine was first published in London in October 1960, by Echo Publications. The first edition featured an image of
Titus Buberník and
Svatopluk Pluskal on the front cover. It was edited by Robert Bolle, with Graham Payne, editor of weekly sister publication
Soccer Star, as features editor; Jack Rollin, who later edited
The Football Yearbook for many years, as home editor; and Eric Batty as overseas editor. Batty, who later edited the magazine, published an annual World XI from 1960 to 1992.
Brian Glanville had written a column for the magazine since April 1963. In 1970,
Soccer Star, which was first published on 20 September 1952 as ''
Raich Carter's Soccer Star
, was incorporated into World Soccer''. Keir Radnedge, who had been associate editor, took over from Philip Rising as editor in the late 1980s and was replaced by deputy editor Gavin Hamilton in January 1998 and became executive editor. Radnedge continues to have a monthly column in the magazine.
TI Media (formerly IPC Magazines, IPC Media and Time Inc. UK) published the magazine until the May 2020 issue with Kelsey Media taking over the following issue after they acquired the title from
Future plc (owner of competing title
FourFourTwo), the corporate successor of TI Media. Hamilton, who had worked for
World Soccer for 26 years, stepped down as editor after publishing the 60th anniversary edition in June 2020. Other regular contributors have included
Paul Gardner, with a focus on football in the United States;
David Conn;
Jonathan Wilson; Mark Gleeson on African football; and
Tim Vickery, Brian Homewood, and Eric Weil on South American football. ==Award winners==