2010 FIFA World Cup - South Africa
Held every four years, the FIFA World Cup is the world’s biggest single-sport event. A total of 32 national teams from around the world will compete in the month-long tournament.
Nine South African cities will host 64 games (48 in the group stage, 16 in the knockout stage) in 10 stadiums.
The capital of Johannesburg has two stadiums, including Soccer City (capacity 94,700) which will host eight matches, including the opening game between South Africa and Mexico on June 11 and the World Cup final on July 11.
How the tournament works
The group stage is the first of two rounds in the tournament. Each team is placed in one of eight groups (designated A through H) of four and will play three games, one against each of the other members of its group.
Total points determine final group rankings, with three points for a win and one point for each team in a draw. The first tie-breaker is goal difference in all group matches. The top two teams in each group will advance to the second round of the tournament; the bottom two in each group are eliminated.
The knockout stage of single-game elimination matches begins on June 26 with the first two of eight “round of 16” matchups which pit each group winner against another group’s runner-up. The winner moves on through the draw to the quarter-final; losers are eliminated.
Semi-final winners meet in the World Cup final; semi-final losers compete in a match for third place on July 10.
World cup champions [1930-2006]
Brazil, which will host the 2014 World Cup, has won a record five titles.
Defending champion Italy won its fourth World Cup in 2006.
Germany (3), Argentina (2) and Uruguay (2) have also won multiple titles.
England (1966) and France (1998) won World Cups on home soil, a feat accomplished six times by the host nation in 18 tournaments overall.
Group A
South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France*
Key match:
Mexico-Uruguay
[June 22, Rustenburg]
Group B
Argentina*, Nigeria, South Korea, Greece
Key match:
Argentina-Nigeria
[June 12,Johannesburg]
Group C
England*, USA,
Algeria, Slovenia
Key match:
England-USA
[June 12, Rustenburg]
Group D
Germany*, Australia, Serbia, Ghana
Key match:
Ghana-Australia
[June 19, Rustenburg]
Group E
Netherlands*, Japan,
Denmark, Cameroon
Key match:
Cameroon-Netherlands
[June 24, Cape Town]
Group F
Italy*, Paraguay,
New Zealand, Slovakia
Key match:
Italy-Paraguay
[June 14, Cape Town]
Group G
Brazil*, North Korea,
Côte d’Ivoire, Portugal
Key match:
Portugal-Brazil
[June 25, Durban]
Group H
Spain*, Switzerland, Honduras, Chile
Key match:
Chile-Honduras
[June 16, Nelspruit]
* Vista’s pick to finish first in group
2010 FIFA World Cup - South Africa
Held every four years, the FIFA World Cup is the world’s biggest single-sport event. A total of 32 national teams from around the world will compete in the month-long tournament.
Nine South African cities will host 64 games (48 in the group stage, 16 in the knockout stage) in 10 stadiums.
The capital of Johannesburg has two stadiums, including Soccer City (capacity 94,700) which will host eight matches, including the opening game between South Africa and Mexico on June 11 and the World Cup final on July 11.
How the tournament works
The group stage is the first of two rounds in the tournament. Each team is placed in one of eight groups (designated A through H) of four and will play three games, one against each of the other members of its group.
Total points determine final group rankings, with three points for a win and one point for each team in a draw. The first tie-breaker is goal difference in all group matches. The top two teams in each group will advance to the second round of the tournament; the bottom two in each group are eliminated.
The knockout stage of single-game elimination matches begins on June 26 with the first two of eight “round of 16” matchups which pit each group winner against another group’s runner-up. The winner moves on through the draw to the quarter-final; losers are eliminated.
Semi-final winners meet in the World Cup final; semi-final losers compete in a match for third place on July 10.
World cup champions [1930-2006]
Brazil, which will host the 2014 World Cup, has won a record five titles.
