With time narrowing down, soon the eyes of the world will be set on South Africa as 32 teams fight for the FIFA World Cup, as well as global bragging rights for the next four years.
The World Cup is not merely a soccer tournament, however.
It is a global spectacle that unites fans of all nations to cheer for their country, turning the players in the tournaments into national icons.
And if those players triumph in their quest for the Cup, they will become heroes or even legends in their country.
Countries bloom with the colors of their nations, as fans wear whatever they can to show their patriotism as the tournament draws closer.
Sometimes, the streets are drowned with colors of the flag.
Certain countries even largely cease work on game days, just so their people can get to a television to cheer for their team.
The 2010 World Cup will kick off on June 11 at 7 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time, when host country South Africa plays against Mexico in Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg.
Four years ago, the world saw the tournament hosted by Germany, where the home team was one of the favorites to win but fell in the semi-finals to Italy. Italy eventually won the Cup against France in Berlin’s Olympic Stadium.
This left the Italian team celebrating in the middle of the field as confetti rained down, with captain Fabio Cannavaro clutching the world’s most prestigious trophy in his hands, not only for his team, but also for his country.
The game was one to remember for not only being a nailbiter that went down to penalty kicks, but for one of the most shocking moments in sports history as well.
French attacking midfielder Zinedine Zidane headbutted Italian defender Marco Materazzi in the chest, which escalated when Materazzi insulted Zidane. The action sent off Zidane on a red card during extra time, and it proved costly, as France was left without its captain for the remainder of the defeat.
From Germany to South Africa, this World Cup will mark the first time that the tournament is being played in Africa.
It was only eight years ago in 2002, that the World Cup was held in the continent of Asia for the first time, with Japan and South Korea taking the honor of co-hosting the cup.
The World Cup dates back to 1930, when the first tournament was held in Uruguay, where only 13 teams participated, and the tournament was won by the host country.
Since then, the World Cup has been held every four years, except for the 1942 and 1946 editions of the tournament, which were not held due to World War II.
A total of 18 World Cup tournaments have been played, with the only team to participate in every one of them being Brazil.
Brazil’s history at the World Cup has been a glorious one that exemplifies the country’s pride in the sport.
In addition to participating in every World Cup held, the country holds the record for most championships, five, and holds many other World Cup records.
Brazil was also the first to win three championships and thus awarded the Jules Rimet Trophy for being the first team to accomplish such a task.
While Brazil has always been known for its strong offense as well as legendary goalscorers such as Ronaldo, Romario and Pelé, this year Brazil’s greatest strength is its defense.
With Internazionale’s duo of goalkeeper Julio Cesar, defender Lucio, and Roma’s defender Juan playing in the back field, its defense has proven to be tough during the qualifiers, as it allowed only 11 goals in 18 games.
Spain is another team to watch out for.
After winning the UEFA EURO 2008, the Spaniards rose to No. 1 in the FIFA ranking for 17 out of the 22 months since then.
In addition, the team swept through qualification without losing one game.
Spain’s offense is led by David Villa and Fernando Torres, two forwards who know how to get the ball to the back of the net.
With Brazil and Spain being some of the favorites to win the World Cup, one team that cannot be excluded is the defending champion Italy.
One of the key returning players to the Italian team is goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.
In 2006, he only allowed only two goals in the entire tournament.
But one question remains: Is Italy the same team it was in 2006?
The road to the World Cup has not been easy for many teams, players and coaches, as many saw their dreams shatter.
More than 200 teams fought for a spot to get into the World Cup, with qualifications beginning as early as August 2007.
To get to the World Cup, teams need to put their best 11 on the field during qualification or it could cost them.
Being on the same team, players must work as a team while still competing with their teammates for the chance to be in the final 23-man roster that travels to the World Cup.
While playing a qualifying match, a team must play as perfectly as it can, because one mistake can be costly. The closer a team gets to qualifying, the tougher it is.
Ireland, for instance, probably had one of the hardest defeats to France during a two-leg playoff for a spot to the World Cup.
In the second game, Ireland was able to net the goal to tie the series and send it into extra time.
During extra time, however, French striker Theirry Henry prevented a ball from going out of bounds by using his hand.
He crossed the ball to William Gallas, who headed the ball into the goal, which eventually gave France the win and spot in the World Cup.
Right after the goal, the Irish team ran up to the referee to signal him about the handball, which he did not see.
After the game, Henry admitted that he used his hand to handle the ball.
Ireland filed a complaint to FIFA, asking to replay the match and then asking to be allowed to the Cup as the 33rd team, but it was denied both times.
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