Special Features
World Cup 2010
The World Cup is arguably the biggest sporting event in the world, with only the Summer Olympics commanding as much global attention. FIFA, soccer’s governing body, predicts a cumulative TV audience for the tournament of 26.29 billion viewers.
South Africa 2010 marks the first time that the tournament, which was inaugurated in 1930 and is held every four years, has been staged in Africa.
It follows FIFA efforts to take the tournament from soccer’s traditional heartlands in Europe and South America to relatively under-developed markets such as the U.S. (1994) and South Korea and Japan (2002).
FIFA now boasts more than 200 member states, more than the United Nations.
Argentina, Germany, Brazil and current world champions Italy have each won the current trophy, introduced in 1974, twice.
Brazil was allowed to keep the original trophy after winning it for a third time in 1970.
The finals, which will take in 64 matches and run for a month, are the climax of a three-year qualification campaign, which kicked off in August 2007 when New Caledonia beat Tahiti 1-0.
