Fifa World Cup

2010 Fifa World Cup

2010-10-13T19:19:00.001+01:00

The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010. The bidding process for hosting the tournament finals was open only to African nations; in 2004, the international football federation, FIFA, selected South Africa over Egypt and Morocco to become the first African nation to host the finals.

The matches were played in ten stadiums in nine host cities around the country, with the final played at the Soccer City stadium in South Africa's largest city, Johannesburg. Thirty-two teams were selected for participation via a worldwide qualification tournament that began in August 2007. In the first round of the tournament finals, the teams competed in round-robin groups of four teams for points, with the top two teams in each group proceeding. These sixteen teams advanced to the knockout stage, where three rounds of play decided which teams would participate in the final.

In the final, Spain, the European champions, defeated third-time finalists the Netherlands 1–0 after extra time, with Andrés Iniesta's goal in the 116th minute giving Spain their first world title, the first time that a European nation has won the tournament outside its home continent. Host nation South Africa, 2006 world champions Italy and 2006 runners-up France were eliminated in the first round of the tournament. (wikipedia.org)

2006 Fifa World Cup

2010-06-20T12:50:00.001+01:00

The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six populated continents participated in the qualification process which began in September 2003. Thirty-one teams qualified from this process, along with the host nation, Germany, for the finals tournament.

The finals tournament of the 2006 World Cup began on 9 June. The 32 teams were divided into eight groups of four teams each, within which the teams competed in a round-robin tournament to determine which two of those four teams would advance to the sixteen-team knock-out stage, which started on 24 June. In total, 64 games were played.

The tournament was won by Italy, who claimed their fourth World Cup title. They defeated France 5–3 in a penalty shootout in the final, after extra time had finished in a 1–1 draw. Germany defeated Portugal 3–1 to finish third.

Although Germany failed to win the Cup, the tournament was considered a great success for Germany in general. Germany also experienced a sudden increase in patriotic spirit with flag waving, traditionally frowned upon by German society since World War II, whenever the German team played.(wikipedia.org)

2002 Fifa World Cup

2010-05-31T19:05:00.002+01:00

The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the World Cup, held in the Republic of Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. The two countries were chosen as hosts by FIFA in May 1996 and was the first tournament in its history to be hosted by two countries. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia. This World Cup was also the last wherein the Golden Goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0 in the final. Turkey beat Korea Republic 3–2 in the third place match.

For a list of all squads that played in the final tournament, see 2002 FIFA World Cup squads. This was the first World Cup that featured squads of 23 players, an increase from 22 previously. Of the 23 players, 3 must be goalkeepers.

In the final match held in Yokohama, Japan, two goals from Ronaldo secured the World Cup for Brazil as they claimed victory over Germany. Ronaldo scored twice in the second half and, after the game, won the Golden Boot award for the tournament's leading scorer with eight goals. This was the fifth time Brazil had won the World Cup, cementing their status as the most successful national team in the history of the competition. Brazil's captain Cafu, who became the first player to appear in three successive World Cup finals, accepted the trophy on behalf of the team. (wikipedia.org)

1998 Fifa World Cup

2010-05-31T18:52:00.001+01:00

The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as hosts by FIFA on 1 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final. France won their first title, becoming the seventh nation to win a World Cup, and the first host nation to win the tournament since Argentina in 1978.

The format of the competition was different from 1994, as the finals were expanded from 24 to 32 teams. The 32 teams were divided into eight groups of four. The eight group winners and the eight group runners-up would qualify for the knockout stage. Starting in this tournament, all teams had to travel in group stage, and stadiums held matches for multiple groups.

The golden goal rule was also introduced to decide knockout matches which went into extra time. Another change in the rules came into effect at this World Cup, stating that as regulation time was about to expire in any period of play the fourth official would use a handheld electronic display to show how many minutes of stoppage time were to be played. This practice has continued since then, after being well received by media and spectators alike.

For the first time ever, the final featured the host nation and the defending champions. Zinedine Zidane scored two headers from corners in the 27th minute and in first half stoppage time, and Emmanuel Petit added a late goal in second half stoppage time to give France a 3-0 win over Brazil. An estimated one million people took to the Paris streets to celebrate through the night. France became seventh country to have won the world cup, joining Uruguay, Italy, Germany, Brazil, England and Argentina.

The official song for the event was La Copa de la Vida by Ricky Martin, and the official anthem was La Cour des Grands by Youssou N'Dour and Axelle Red. (wikipedia.org)

1994 Fifa World Cup

2010-01-10T17:33:00.000Z

The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in the United States from 17 June to 17 July 1994. The United States was chosen as hosts by FIFA on 4 July 1988. Brazil became the first nation to win four World Cup titles when they beat Italy 3-2 in a penalty shootout after the game ended 0-0 after extra-time, the first final to be decided by penalties.

The average attendance for the tournament was 69,000 while the total attendance was 3.6 million. The 1994 World Cup holds the record for the highest attendance in World Cup history. It was also the highest-attended single sport event in U. S. history.

FIFA's decision to hold the event in the United States over the bids of Morocco and Brazil surprised many due to the common perception that the United States had a relative lack of football (soccer) fans. FIFA hoped that by staging the world's most prestigious football tournament there, it would lead to a growth of interest in the sport - one condition FIFA imposed was the creation of a professional football league; Major League Soccer started play in 1996. Despite these misgivings, in terms of attendance the event was a success.

The average attendance of nearly 69,000 shattered a record that had stood since 1950, due to the bigger capacities of the American stadiums compared to those of Europe and Latin America. To this day, the total attendance for the final tournament of nearly 3.6 million remains the highest in World Cup history, despite the expansion of the competition to 32 teams in 1998. Germany, Brazil, Argentina, Belgium, Italy and the USA were seeded for the final draw that took place in Las Vegas, on 19 December 1993.

(wikipedia.org)

1990 Fifa World Cup

2010-01-10T17:25:00.000Z

The 1990 FIFA World Cup, the 14th staging of the World Cup, was held in Italy from 8 June to 8 July. Italy was chosen as the hosts by FIFA on 19 May 1984, making it the second country to host the event twice. The Soviet Union was the rival of Italy's candidacy to host the event. It was won by West Germany, who beat Argentina 1–0 in the final to win the World Cup for the third time.
The 1990 World Cup is widely regarded as one of the poorest World Cups ever. It generated a record low goals-per-game average and then-record of 16 red cards were handed out. Most teams relied heavily on defensive play and hard tackling, as well as aggressive intimidation of the referee. In the knockout stage, many teams would "play it safe" for 120 minutes and try their luck in the penalty shoot-out, rather than risk going forward. Ireland and Argentina were prime examples of this trend of cautious defensive play; the Irish made it to the quarter-finals after scoring just twice in five games and drawing all their matches until their defeat to Italy. Argentina, meanwhile, scored only five times en route to the final. Cameroon were one of the few teams to choose an attacking style. Eventual champions West Germany also concentrated on offense-oriented play, but they too became more defensive as the tournament progressed.
(wikipedia.org)

1986 FIFA World Cup

2010-01-01T06:44:00.000Z

The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June.
Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to host the competition and officially resigned in 1982. Mexico was selected as the new host in May 1983. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format, although unlike the previous edition in 1982, the second round of the tournament was played on a knock-out basis rather than groups. Although the heat and altitude of Mexico would seem to favour Latin American teams, the likes of Belgium, France and West Germany all progressed to the later stages of the competition. But it was eventually won by Argentina (second title after 1978), who beat West Germany 3–2 in the final at Mexico City's Estadio Azteca.
Jose Brown put Argentina one up midway through the first half of the final, and when Jorge Valdano scored a second for the South Americans in the 55th minute, Argentina looked to be strolling to victory. But then West Germany staged a spirited comeback. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge pulled one back in the 74th minute, and six minutes later Rudi Völler hit the equaliser. The momentum now seemed to be with West Germany – but with seven minutes remaining, a brilliant pass from Maradona gave Jorge Burruchaga the chance to score the winner for Argentina. Eight years on from their home triumph, Argentina regained the world title for the second time, and 30 million people in Argentina celebrated in the streets after the final victory. Maradona was the Golden Ball winner as the best player of the tournament, while Gary Lineker of England won the Golden Boot as the leading scorer of the World Cup with six goals.
(wikipedia.org)

1982 FIFA World Cup

2010-01-01T06:40:00.000Z

The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July, 1982. Spain was chosen as hosts by FIFA in July 1966. The tournament was won by Italy, after beating West Germany 3–1 in the final.
Italy equalled Brazil's record of winning the World Cup 3 times. The tournament was marked by a series of great matches and is widely regarded by fans and pundits as the best World Cup since the 1970 tournament, and for the first time the World Cup was expanded to feature 24 teams, 8 more than in the previous tournament 1978.Italy's lead appeared secure, encouraging Italian president Sandro Pertini to wag his finger at the cameras in a playful "not going to catch us now" gesture, overcoming an initial reluctance from the Italian crowd to declare victory early after West Germany's famous comeback in the semi-final. In the 83rd minute, however, Paul Breitner managed to put a small scare back into the Italians by driving home a goal against the otherwise spectacular Dino Zoff but it was never enough and Italy claimed their first World Cup title in 48 years, and their third in total with a 3–1 victory.
(wikipedia.org)

1978 FIFA World Cup

2009-12-29T15:32:00.000Z

England failed to qualify for the second World Cup in succession, losing out to Italy. European champions Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, and the Soviet Union also failed to make it through the qualifying tournament. Newcomers to the finals were Iran and Tunisia, while France, Spain and Hungary were back for the first time since 1966.
Argentina was a candidate to host the 1970 World Cup, but since Mexico City was hosting the 1968 Summer Olympics and had constructed new football stadia, it went to Mexico. This edition was the first appearance of Coca-Cola in the FIFA World Cup as a sponsor.
The 1978 FIFA World Cup, the 11th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Argentina between 1 June and 25 June. Argentina was chosen as hosts by FIFA in July 1966. The 1978 World Cup was won by Argentina who beat the Netherlands 3–1 after extra time in the final. This win was the first World Cup title for Argentina who became the fifth team (after Uruguay, Italy, England, and West Germany), to be both hosts and world champions.
(wikipedia.org)

1974 FIFA World Cup

2009-12-29T15:26:00.000Z

Ninety-eight countries took part in the qualifying tournament, and as usual there were some high-profile failures on the road to the finals. France was among them, having lost out to USSR in their qualifying group. Spain, England and Hungary also failed to reach the finals. First-time qualifiers included East Germany, Haiti, Australia and Zaire, the first team from sub-Saharan Africa to reach the World Cup finals.
The 1974 FIFA World Cup, the tenth staging of the World Cup, was held in West Germany from 13 June to 7 July. West Germany had been chosen in July 1966 as hosts by FIFA. The tournament marked the first time that the current trophy, the FIFA World Cup Trophy, created by the Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga, was awarded. The previous trophy, the Jules Rimet Trophy, was won for the third time by Brazil in 1970 and awarded permanently to the Brazilians. The host nation won the title beating the Netherlands in the final, 2–1. The victory was the second for West Germany, who had won in 1954.(wikipedia.org)

1970 FIFA World Cup

2009-12-26T14:49:00.000Z

The 1970 FIFA World Cup, the ninth staging of the World Cup, was held in Mexico, from 31 May to 21 June. Mexico was chosen as hosts by FIFA in October 1964. The 1970 tournament was the first World Cup hosted in North America, and the first held outside South America and Europe. In a match-up of two-time World Cup champions, the final was won by Brazil, who beat Italy 4–1. With their third World Cup triumph, Brazil were allowed to keep the Jules Rimet Trophy permanently.

The Brazilian team, featuring the likes of Pelé (who was in his fourth and final World Cup), Carlos Alberto, Clodoaldo, Gérson, Jairzinho, Rivelino, and Tostão, is usually regarded as the greatest attacking World Cup team ever. This tournament saw the return of free-flowing, attacking play after the physical battles of 1962 and 1966, and is still considered by many fans to be the finest World Cup in history.

Brazilian right winger Jairzinho scored at least one goal in each of the six games that Brazil played (in the first game, against Czechoslovakia, he scored two), a feat which has never been repeated. However, the top scorer of the tournament was West Germany's Gerd Müller, with an impressive 10 goals in the competition. Müller incredibly scored hat-tricks in two consecutive games, against Bulgaria and Peru in the group stage.
(wikipedia.org)

1966 Fifa World Cup

2009-12-26T14:45:00.001Z

The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England was chosen as hosts by FIFA in August 1960 to celebrate the centenary of the standardisation of football in England. England won the final, beating West Germany 4–2, giving them their first (and to date, only) World Cup win, and becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.The 1966 World Cup was the subject of bitter disagreement before a ball was ever kicked. Sixteen African nations boycotted the tournament in protest of a 1964 FIFA ruling that required the champion team from the African zone to enter a playoff round against the winners of either the Asian or the Oceania zone in order to win a place at the finals. The Africans felt that winning their zone should have been enough in itself to merit qualification for the finals.

Despite the Africans' absence, there was another new record number of entries for the qualifying tournament, with 70 nations taking part. After all the arguments, FIFA finally ruled that ten teams from Europe would qualify, along with four from South America, one from Asia and one from North and Central America.
The 1966 World Cup had a rather unusual hero off the field, a dog called Pickles. In the build up to the tournament the Jules Rimet trophy was stolen from an exhibition display. A nation wide hunt for the icon ensued. It was later discovered wrapped in some newspaper as the dog sniffed under some bushes in London. The FA commissioned a replica cup in case the original cup was not found in time. This replica is held at the English National Football Museum in Preston, where it is on display.

The format of the 1966 competition remained the same as 1962: 16 qualified teams were divided into four groups of four. The top two teams in each group advanced to the quarter-finals. The draw for the final tournament, taking place on 6 January 1966 at the Royal Garden Hotel in London was the first ever to be televised, with England, West Germany, Brazil and Italy as seeds.
(wikipedia.org)

1962 Fifa World Cup

2009-12-23T16:57:00.000Z

The 1962 FIFA World Cup, the seventh staging of the World Cup, was held in Chile from 30 May to 17 June. Chile was chosen as host by FIFA in June 1956, as the World Cup returned to the continent of South America after 12 years. It was won by Brazil, who retained the championship by beating Czechoslovakia 3–1 in the final.Santiago's Estadio Nacional served as the venue for the final itself, and after 15 minutes, Brazil again found themselves a goal behind in the World Cup final, as a long ball from Adolf Scherer was latched onto by Josef Masopust: 1–0 Czechoslovakia. However, just like the previous final four years earlier, Brazil soon hit back, equalising two minutes later through Amarildo after an error by the hitherto flawless Czechoslovak goalkeeper Schroijf. The Brazilians did not stop there and with goals from Zito and Vavá (another Schrojf error) mid-way through the second half, the Czechoslovaks just couldn't get back into the game. The match ended 3–1 to Brazil, a successful defence of the title for only the second time in the history of the competition in spite of the absence of their star player of 1958, Pelé.
(wikipedia.org)

1958 FIFA World Cup

2009-12-23T16:50:00.000Z

The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from 8 June to 29 June. Sweden was chosen as hosts by FIFA in June 1950. It was won by Brazil, who beat Sweden 5–2 in the final for their first title. The World Cup marked the debut on the world stage of a precocious unknown 17-year-old named Pelé.The final was played in Solna, in the Råsunda Stadium, as 50,000 people watched in amazement as the Brazilians went a goal down after four minutes. The Brazilians were not dismayed, and Vavá equalised shortly afterwards and then put them a goal ahead before half time. In the second half Pelé outshone everyone, notching up two goals, including the first one where he lobbed the ball over Bengt Gustavsson then followed it with a precise volley shot. Zagallo added a goal in between, and Sweden managed a consolation goal. But the game really belonged to Pelé, and the Jules Rimet trophy belonged to Brazil - the World Cup winners.
(wikipedia.org)

1954 FIFA World Cup

2009-12-21T10:54:00.001Z

The 1954 FIFA World Cup, the fifth staging of the World Cup, was held in Switzerland from 16 June to 4 July. As the year saw the 50th anniversary of FIFA, it was appropriate for football's premier competition to be played in the home of its governing body, and Switzerland was chosen as hosts in July 1946. The tournament was won by West Germany, who defeated Hungary 3–2 in the final, giving them their first title.

Germany's victory in the match is considered one of the greatest upsets of all time and one of the finest achievements in German sporting history. The German team was made up of amateur players as Germany did not have a professional league at this time, while the Hungarians were de jure amateurs, like in any communist country that time, and playing football as professionals, mainly for Budapesti Honvéd FC and later for major clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona in Spain, and were ranked best in the world. This is the only time a team has won the World Cup with amateur footballers and will likely be the only time ever.
(wikipedia.org)

1950 FIFA World Cup

2009-12-21T10:54:00.000Z

The 1950 FIFA World Cup, held in Brazil from 24 June to 16 July, was the fourth FIFA World Cup, and the first staged in 12 years due to World War II. Brazil was chosen as the host country by FIFA in July 1946. It was also the first tournament that the trophy itself would be referred to as the Jules Rimet Cup, to mark the 25th anniversary of Rimet's presidency of FIFA. It was won by Uruguay, who had won the inaugural competition in 1930, clinching the cup by beating the hosts Brazil 2–1 in the deciding match of the four-team final group (this was the only tournament not decided by a one-match final).

Originally, the tournament format would be that the 16 teams be divided into four first round groups (or "pools" as they were then called) of four teams, with the group winners advancing to a final group stage, playing in round-robin format to determine the winner. However, because only 13 teams competed, this left two first round groups with four teams, another with three teams, and the last group with only two teams. The draw took place in Rio de Janeiro, on 22 May 1950.[2] In fact, the entire tournament was arranged in such a way that the four first round groups had no geographical basis. Hence, several teams were obliged to cover large distances to complete their program, although Brazil was allowed to play two of its three group matches in Rio de Janeiro while its other game was in (comparatively) nearby São Paulo.

The average attendance of nearly 61,000 per game, aided greatly by eight matches (including five featuring hosts Brazil) held in the newly-built Maracanã, set a record that would not be broken until 1994. Not counting the Maracanã matches, the average attendance was a still-impressive 37,500. However, the only venues that saw crowds comparable to or greater than those in recent World Cups were the Maracanã and São Paulo. Other venues saw considerably smaller crowds.
(wikipedia.org)

1938 FIFA World Cup

2009-12-21T10:53:00.000Z

The 1938 FIFA World Cup was the third staging of the World Cup, and was held in France from 4 June to 19 June. France was chosen as hosts by FIFA in August 1936. Italy retained the championship, beating Hungary 4–2 in the final.

The tournament was again held in a knockout format, similar to 1934. This was the last tournament where there was not a group stage. Due to World War II, the World Cup would not be held for another 12 years, until 1950. As a result, Italy were the reigning World Cup holders for a record 16 years, from 1934 to 1950. The Italian Vice-President of FIFA, Dr. Ottorino Barassi, hid the trophy in a shoe-box under his bed throughout the Second World War and thus saved it from falling into the hands of occupying troops. (wikipedia.org)

1934 FIFA World Cup

2009-12-20T10:34:00.000Z

The 1934 FIFA World Cup, or the World's Cup as it was known then, was the second football World Cup staged, and hosted by Italy from 27 May to 10 June. Italy was chosen as hosts by FIFA at the Stockholm congress of October 1932. It was the first World Cup for which teams would have to qualify in order to take part. 32 nations entered the competition, and after qualification, 16 teams participated in the finals tournament. Italy became the second World Cup champions, beating Czechoslovakia in the final, 2–1.

After a lengthy decision-making process in which FIFA's executive committee met eight times, Italy was chosen as the host nation at a meeting in Stockholm on 9 October 1932. The decision was taken by the executive committee without a ballot of members. The Italian bid was chosen in preference to one from Sweden; the Italian government assigned a budget of 3.5 million lire to the tournament. 32 countries applied to enter the tournament, so qualifying matches were required to thin the field to 16. Even so, there were several notable absentees. Reigning World Cup holders Uruguay declined to participate, in protest at the refusal of several European countries to travel to South America for the previous World Cup, which Uruguay hosted in 1930. As a result, the 1934 World Cup is the only one in which the reigning champions did not participate. The Home Nations, in a period of self-imposed exile from FIFA, also refused to participate. Football Association committee member Charles Sutcliffe's view was typical of British attitudes: "the national associations of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland have quite enough to do in their own International Championship which seems to me a far better World Championship than the one to be staged in Rome".

1930 FIFA World Cup

2009-12-20T10:23:00.000Z

The 1930 FIFA World Cup was the inaugural edition of the world championship for international association football teams – the FIFA World Cup. It was played in Uruguay from 13 July to 30 July. Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) selected Uruguay as host nation as the country would be celebrating the centenary of its independence, and the Uruguay national football team had successfully retained their football title at the 1928 Summer Olympics. All matches were played in the Uruguayan capital, Montevideo, the majority at the Estadio Centenario, which was built for the tournament.

Thirteen teams, nine from the Americas and four from Europe, entered the tournament. Few European teams chose to participate due to the duration and cost of travel. The teams were divided into four groups, with the winner of each group progressing to the semi-finals. The first two World Cup matches took place simultaneously, and were won by France and the USA, who defeated Mexico 4–1 and Belgium 3–0, respectively. Lucien Laurent of France scored the first goal in World Cup history.

Argentina, Uruguay, the USA and Yugoslavia each won their respective groups to qualify for the semi-finals. In the final, hosts and pre-tournament favourites Uruguay defeated Argentina 4–2 in front of a crowd of 93,000 people, and became the first nation to win a World Cup.

Fifa World Cup Host

2009-12-20T10:13:00.000Z

Early World Cups were given to countries at meetings of FIFA's congress. The choice of location gave rise to controversies, a consequence of the three-week boat journey between South America and Europe, the two centres of strength in football. The decision to hold the first World Cup in Uruguay, for example, led to only four European nations competing. The next two World Cups were both held in Europe. The decision to hold the second of these, the 1938 FIFA World Cup, in France was controversial, as the American countries had been led to understand that the World Cup would rotate between the two continents. Both Argentina and Uruguay thus boycotted the tournament.

Since the 1958 FIFA World Cup, to avoid future boycotts or controversy, FIFA began a pattern of alternating the hosts between the Americas and Europe, which continued until the 1998 FIFA World Cup. The 2002 FIFA World Cup, hosted jointly by South Korea and Japan, was the first one held in Asia, and the only tournament with multiple hosts. In 2010, South Africa will become the first African nation to host the World Cup. The 2014 FIFA World Cup will be hosted by Brazil, the first held in South America since 1978, and will be the first occasion where consecutive World Cups are held outside Europe.
The host country is now chosen in a vote by FIFA's Executive Committee. This is done under a single transferable vote system. The national football association of a country desiring to host the event receives a "Hosting Agreement" from FIFA, which explains the steps and requirements that are expected from a strong bid. The bidding association also receives a form, the submission of which represents the official confirmation of the candidacy. After this, a FIFA designated group of inspectors visit the country to identify that the country meets the requirements needed to host the event and a report on the country is produced. The decision on who will host the World Cup is usually made six or seven years in advance of the tournament. However, there have been occasions where the hosts of multiple future tournaments were announced at the same time, as will be the case for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

For the 2010 and 2014 World Cups, the final tournament is rotated between confederations, allowing only countries from the chosen confederation (Africa in 2010, South America in 2014) to bid to host the tournament. The rotation policy was introduced after the controversy surrounding Germany's victory over South Africa in the vote to host the 2006 tournament. However, the policy of continental rotation will not continue beyond 2014, so any country, except those belonging to confederations that hosted the two preceding tournaments, can apply as hosts for World Cups starting from 2018. This is partly to avoid a similar scenario to the bidding process for the 2014 tournament, where Brazil was the only official bidder.

USA

2009-12-18T15:27:00.003Z

With typical efficiency, the United States reached the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ by qualifying in first place in the final six-team Hexagonal phase of North, Central America and Caribbean Zone qualifying. Under the careful guidance of coach Bob Bradley, a well-drilled Stars and Stripes' blend of proven internationals and up-and-coming stars never looked in danger of missing out, and will be keen to build on their second-place finish at the FIFA Confederations Cup South Africa 2009.

The road to South Africa
After putting nine goals without reply past minnows Barbados in Stage 2, the USA found themselves drawn with Trinidad and Tobago, Guatemala and Cuba in Group 1 of Round 3. Bradley's charges held firm to win five of their six encounters in the penultimate group stage, their only defeat a 2-1 reverse in Port of Spain against the Soca Warriors with progress to the Hexagonal already in the bag.

The United States kicked off the decisive final phase in the best fashion possible by beating arch-rivals Mexico 2-0, a result they followed up with a 2-2 draw in El Salvador. A comfortable 3-0 victory over T&T was backed up by a 3-1 reverse in Costa Rica, one of only two defeats in the final section. The other came by a score of 2-1 in Mexico's fortress-like Estadio Azteca, though the Stars and Stripes kept their nerve to stay on track and clinch their South Africa 2010 ticket with a 3-2 win in another of CONCACAF's toughest grounds: the Estadio Olimpico in the Honduran city of San Pedro Sula.

The star players
In recent years, the name Landon Donovan has been synonymous with the US national team. The Los Angeles Galaxy attacker has often saved his very best performances for a USA shirt, and there is little doubt that Donovan will once again be one of his team's leading men at South Africa 2010. Providing an impressive supporting cast are the likes of Oguchi Onyewu, Michael Bradley, Jozy Altidore, Tim Howard and Clint Dempsey, all of whom are plying their trade on European soil.

The coach
Bradley was originally appointed national coach on a caretaker basis, though a run of ten games unbeaten quickly convinced the powers that be that he deserved the role on a permanent basis. And anyone who doubted his credentials would have been silenced by events at the FIFA Confederations Cup 2009, where the USA ousted favourites Spain in the semi-finals before going down to a narrow 3-2 final defeat to Brazil.

Previous FIFA World Cups

• The United States have taken part at nine FIFA World Cups, with Mexico the only CONCACAF team involved in more editions of the showpiece event.
• The Stars and Stripes' best finals performance came at Uruguay 1930, when they exited at the semi-final stage.
• South Africa 2010 will be the United States' sixth consecutive finals appearance. At Germany 2006 they bid farewell to the tournament at the first hurdle.

Records
• The United States' 2-0 victory over Spain at South Africa 2009 prevented La Roja extending their 35-game unbeaten run, a record they hold jointly with Brazil.
• The USA had enjoyed a 58-match unbeaten home streak against CONCACAF opponents until July 2009, when arch-rivals Mexico thrashed them 5-0 in the final of the Gold Cup.
• Altidore, currently on loan at English Premier League outfit Hull City from Villarreal, was the Stars and Stripes' six-goal top scorer in qualifying.

What they said
"We're very proud to have finished at the top of the final Hexagonal. It was a great effort and required a great deal of determination on our team's part. Every time we took the field we spoke about proving to the world what we were capable of and I think we did just that." Bob Bradley, USA coach, after his side claimed top spot in North, Central America and Caribbean Zone qualifying.

(fifa.com)

Uruguay

2009-12-18T15:21:00.004Z

Few nations have the footballing history of Uruguay. Nestling on the northern bank on the River Plate, the country has a population of a little over three million yet boasts an impressive collection of world, Olympic and continental titles and a record that compares favourably with the world’s best. The glory years of Uruguayan football are but a fading memory, however, with La Celeste having made just two appearances at the last five FIFA World Cup™ finals.

The man charged with the task of improving that record and raising their profile once more is Oscar Tabarez, who is now in his second stint as national coach, having taken the Uruguayans through to the last 16 at Italy 1990. El Maestro, as he is known in his homeland, certainly has the resources to do achieve those objectives. Sprinkled with players from Europe’s major leagues, his young side are determined to impress in South Africa, and in Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez they have the star quality to advance beyond the group phase and into the knockout rounds for the first time in two decades.

The road to South Africa
Just as they did in 2001 and 2005, Uruguay finished fifth in the ten-team qualifying group, which meant yet another play-off. But unlike four years ago, when they were eliminated by Australia, the Uruguayans were this time pitted against Costa Rica, the fourth-placed team in the CONCACAF Zone. The South Americans gained the upper hand in the first leg in San Jose, winning 1-0 through a goal from captain Diego Lugano. Four days later they completed the job in Montevideo, with Sebastian Abreu, one of the few survivors from Korea/Japan 2002, scoring in a 1-1 draw.

In the group phase Los Charrúas scored 28 goals in all, the third-highest tally behind Brazil and Chile, and collected 24 points. Those figures were almost good enough for an automatic qualification slot. A top-four place would have been theirs had they beaten neighbours Argentina at home on the final matchday. As it turned out, their rivals from the other side of the River Plate snatched a 1-0 win to condemn them to their now customary fate.

The star players
The Uruguay side features a mix of youthful players and household names and is led by the authoritative figure of Diego Lugano. The latest in a long line of temperamental, strong-willed Uruguayan skippers, the blond centre-half likes to combine his defensive duties with often-profitable forays into the opposing penalty box.

Up front La Celeste can count on a fearsome strike partnership formed by Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez. The Atletico Madrid striker is another veteran of Korea/Japan 2002 and has put together an impressive CV during his time in Europe. His sidekick Suarez is busy making a name for himself with Ajax Amsterdam, taking over the captaincy after barely two years with the Dutch giants. Together the duo scored 12 goals in the qualifiers.

The coach
The 62-year-old Oscar Washington Tabarez is preparing for his second appearance at the FIFA World Cup finals with Uruguay. Tabarez was the man in the hotseat when Los Charrúas were knocked in the Round of 16 at Italy 1990 by the host nation. Now, 20 years on, El Maestro is set to return to the big stage with a youthful and resilient side.

Reliable, hard-working and a man of few words, Tabarez began coaching with local club Bella Vista and the U-20 national team. During his lengthy career he has worked at some of the biggest clubs in world football, among them Penarol, Boca Juniors and AC Milan. He was reappointed Uruguay boss in 2006, taking over from Jorge Fossati following La Celeste’s penalty-shootout loss to Australia in the Germany 2006 play-off.

Previous FIFA World Cups
. Uruguay will be appearing in the FIFA World Cup for the 11th time at South Africa 2010.
. Uruguay hosted the inaugural FIFA World Cup finals in 1930 and went on to win the tournament after defeating Argentina 4-2 in the Final.
. The last time that the men in sky blue advanced beyond the last 16 of the FIFA World Cup finals was at Mexico 1970, when they finished fourth.

What they said
“We had to work hard to qualify, especially in the games in Montevideo. Luckily for us, though, the World Cup’s taking place far away from home! I know we have to improve a lot if we are to perform well in South Africa but we do have a lot of strong points and we hope to be able to show them.” Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez

(fifa.com)

Switzerland

2009-12-18T15:17:00.004Z

Switzerland will be appearing at the FIFA World Cup™ finals for the ninth time when next summer's tournament gets underway in South Africa, where coach Ottmar Hitzfeld and his men are aiming for more than just a supporting role.

The former Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich boss took the national helm after Switzerland's disappointing showing at UEFA EURO 2008, and has now led them to their second FIFA World Cup finals in a row. The Swiss made it to the Round of 16 at the 2006 event in Germany, where they were unluckily eliminated on penalties by Ukraine.

The Swiss boast a healthy blend of youth and experience, combining talented younger players such as Eren Derdiyok, Tranquillo Barnetta and keeper Diego Benaglio with seasoned campaigners like Alexander Frei and Blaise N'Kufo. The current team is hoping at least to emulate the achievements of their forebears who made the last eight in 1934, 1938 and 1954.

The road to South Africa
Hitzfeld and his team made a distinctly inauspicious start on the road to the 2010 finals. After conceding in the final minute to draw away to Israel, a disastrous 2-1 defeat to minnows Luxembourg in Zurich brought shame and embarrassment on the team.

However, the cringeworthy defeat ultimately acted as a wake-up call, and the Swiss duly reeled off five wins on the spin, against Latvia (2-1), Greece (2-1 and 2-0) and Moldova (2-0 and 2-0). They only dropped points again in a 2-2 draw away to the Latvians.

A comfortable 3-0 revenge victory in Luxembourg and a goalless draw with Israel in front of a delirious Basel crowd sealed top spot in European Group 2 and a confirmed place in South Africa for Frei and company.

The star players
Alexander Frei is the undisputed chief on and off the field of play. The Basel striker, who is his country's all-time record goalscorer, was Hitzfeld's natural choice as national team captain. He finished the qualifying campaign on five goals.

That total was equalled by Blaise N'Kufo of Twente Enschede. The striker, who was born in Kinshasa (DR Congo), was first called up by the Swiss in 2000 and has struck up a productive attacking partnership with Frei.

The coach
Ottmar Hitzfeld is one of Europe's most highly regarded and most successful senior coaches. He is one of only two men to guide two different clubs to UEFA Champions League glory (Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich).

He became Switzerland head coach on 1 July 2008, and after a bumpy settling-in period, led his team to a direct qualifying berth for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The former Germany amateur international, who appeared at the 1972 Olympic Games, is no stranger to Switzerland after spending spells with Basel (1971-75), Lugano (1978-80) and Lucerne (1980-83) in his playing days.

Previous FIFA World Cups
- In South Africa, Switzerland will be appearing at the FIFA World Cup for the ninth time.

- The Swiss reached the quarter-finals in 1934, 1938 and 1954. They were knocked out in the Round of 16 at the 2006 finals in Germany.

The words
"If my father had known I'd be this successful as Switzerland coach - not as Bayern Munich or Borussia Dortmund coach - he'd have been overjoyed. It's the place we call home, you see." Ottmar Hitzfeld, Switzerland coach

(fifa.com)

Spain

2009-12-18T15:11:00.002Z

On a scale of one to ten, Spain's performance in qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ can only be given top marks. On top of wins in each of their ten games, La Roja were the European Zone's second top scorers with 28 goals while conceding a miserly five at the other end. Maturity, resilience and the ability to overcome adversity were all in evidence during their campaign, and few national teams in world football are blessed with squads of such depth and sheer talent. The Iberians have not rested on the laurels of their UEFA EURO 2008 victory, consistently bringing in new faces without renouncing their commitment to attractive short-passing football.

The road to South Africa
The title of European champions inevitably meant that Spain's opponents redoubled their efforts to claim what would be a notable scalp. Their narrow 1-0 win against Bosnia-Herzegovina - courtesy of a solitary strike from David Villa - was typical of the kind of gritty resistance they have had to overcome since Austria/Switzerland. And though Armenia and Estonia were dispatched relatively comfortably, an away clash in Belgium and a double-header against EURO 2008 semi-finalists Turkey forced the Spaniards to dig deep for nine valuable points.

Following a 2-1 win in Brussels, when they fought back to clinch victory via an 88th-minute Villa strike, came a 1-0 success over Turkey in Madrid, the goal coming from Gerard Pique. The return in Istanbul marked another 2-1 comeback triumph courtesy of goals from Xabi Alonso and then Liverpool team-mate Albert Riera. Belgium were subsequently dispatched 5-0 in La Coruna and a ticket to South Africa 2010 was assured with two rounds to spare after a comfortable 3-0 home win over Estonia. Far from taking their foot off the pedal, La Selección capped a flawless campaign with victory in Armenia and a 5-2 away thrashing of closest challengers Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The star players
The team's success has been based on quality and balance throughout the side. In captain Iker Casillas Spain have one of the world's finest keepers, a man who can be relied upon to bring his superhuman reflexes to the rescue when most needed. Midfield string-puller Xavi Hernandez's inch-perfect passing and vision is vital to the Spaniards' fluid style, while at the sharp end of the attack there can be few if any better finishers than David Villa and Fernando 'El Niño' Torres.

The coach
Vicente del Bosque took over where Luis Aragones left off after the EURO 2008 triumph, keeping the same footballing philosophy and core of players which dazzled the continent that summer. The experienced supremo has also hit the heights at club level with Real Madrid, winning two UEFA Champions Leagues (2000, 2002), two La Ligas (2001, 2003), a Spanish Super Cup (2001) a UEFA European Super Cup (2002) and the Toyota Intercontinental Cup (2002).

Del Bosque continued Aragones' faith in the one-touch style that has traditionally characterised Spain's play and which relies upon midfielders of the highest quality. As a recult, the Spaniards have won every game but one since the former Los Blancos boss took charge, the exception being a semi-final reverse against USA at the FIFA Confederations Cup 2009.

Previous FIFA World Cups
- Spain have taken part in the finals of 12 FIFA World Cups and have not missed a single edition since failing to reach Germany 1974.
- La Roja's best performance at the global showpiece was a fourth-placed finish at Brazil 1950.
- At senior international level, Spain have two major titles to their name: the 1964 and 2008 European Championships.

Records
- Spain recorded ten wins from ten South Africa 2010 qualifiers.
- La Selección were the European Zone's second-highest scorers, firing 28 goals to end the campaign just six strikes short of the Fabio Capello's England.

The words
"We've got good players and a well-oiled team, but there are some very strong sides out there. Our aim is to challenge for the next World Cup but we know how difficult it is. We're not the favourites but we are among the hopefuls." Vicente del Bosque, Spain coach.

(fifa.com)

South Africa

2009-12-17T15:15:00.001Z

There is an air of cautious optimism in South Africa as the Rainbow Nation prepares to write what is undoubtedly the most significant chapter of its short football history. A mammoth task lies ahead.

Recent years have brought ample disappointments, but Bafana Bafana have also shown, albeit in patches, that - given motivation and purpose - they can be a potent threat. And there can be no greater motivation than representing their country in a FIFA World Cup™ on home soil.

In 1996, four years after their readmission to international football, South Africa shot to prominence and stunned the African continent by claiming their maiden CAF Africa Cup of Nations trophy against Tunisia at Soccer City in Johannesburg. How ironic that, 16 years later, South Africa will return to the venue where they achieved this first major success, aiming to rewrite the script on an even bigger stage.

Their gallant performance at the FIFA Confederations Cup last June, when they lost narrowly to Brazil in the semi-finals and to Spain in the third place play-off, should certainly serve as a chilling reminder to their detractors that this team, when stretched to its potential, cannot be underestimated. That tournament witnessed several impressive performances strung together by the hosts, and ultimately it was only their inability to convert cleverly-tailored moves into goals that led to their demise.

The road to South Africa
South Africa, by virtue of their role as hosts, gained automatic qualification.

The star players
Talented midfield maestro Steven Pienaar is South Africa's prize assert. In the absence of the country's most successful striker, Benni McCarthy, who remains out of favour, Pienaar brings much-needed innovation and imagination to the side.

Since his arrival at Everton, Pienaar has reinvented himself and matured as an all-round player. While he continues to polarise opinion in his native country, no-one in South Africa disputes the confidence he exudes on the field and his ability to inject inspiration into the team's play. His performances during the FIFA Confederations Cup were yet another reminder that he will be key to any South African success in 2010.

Yet arguably just as vital to the Bafana Bafana cause are two players who have laboured tirelessly and effectively with little recognition: wingbacks Siboniso Gaxa and the enterprising Tsepho Masilela.

The coach
Now in his second stint as a South Africa coach, Carlos Alberto Parreira's return was greeted with mixed feelings in South Africa, although the Brazilian's many supporters are adamant that he is the man to lead this side to the ‘Promised Land' in 2010. Parreira certainly has the pedigree, having led his native country to the beautiful game's ultimate prize at the 1994 FIFA World Cup USA. The extensively-travelled coach also brings a wealth of experience, which should prove vital in revitalising a South African side struggling with some significant pre-tournament problems. However, Parreira will be hoping to avoid the difficulties he endured during an inauspicious first spell as head coach, which witnessed him fail to lead South Africa beyond the first round at the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations.

Previous FIFA World Cups
South Africa have failed to make it beyond the group stages in either of their two previous FIFA World Cup appearances. Clearly, this is a situation they will be desperate to remedy. Their first appearance was in France 1998, six years after they had been readmitted to the global football family. Despite a 3-0 drubbing to France in their opening game, they went on to put a decent show against Denmark and Saudi Arabia, drawing against both. Korea/Japan 2002 was expected to be an opportunity for Bafana Bafana to step up to the next level but, ultimately, they flattered to deceive, crashing out after the group stage despite beating Slovenia 1-0 for their first-ever FIFA World Cup win.

Record
* This is South Africa's third appearance at the FIFA World Cup. Their first participation was at France 1998 and they also qualified for Korea/Japan 2002.

* Benni McCarthy scored the country's first goal at the FIFA World Cup in a 1-1 draw against Denmark on 18 June 1998.

* South Africa's incumbent captain, Aaron Mokoena remains the country's most capped player.

* South Africa hosted and won the CAF Africa Cup of Nations in 1996 at their first attempt, beating Tunisia 2-0 in Johannesburg's Soccer City. They went on to finish as runners-up at the following edition in 1998, losing to Egypt 2-0 in the final.

What they said
"We are all aware that it is a huge honour to play in a World Cup on home soil; not many players have had such a privilege. We are also aware of the task that lies ahead. For us, the World Cup is our priority, it's our biggest goal. We need to represent our country with pride," Aaron Mokoena, South Africa captain.

(fifa.com)