The (Fußball-Weltmeisterschaft) FIFA World Cup takes place every four years, two years after and before the (Fußball-Europameisterschaft) UEFA European Championship.
The World Cup competition is a (vierjährlich) quadrennial event that first took place in Uruguay in 1930. It is sponsored by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) – the world’s football association. The last World Cup was held in Germany in 2006, where Italy became the world cup holder. South Africa is the host of this year’s World Cup.
The 32 countries qualified for the World Cup first play in groups (A-H). The teams are awarded 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and no point for a loss. The best two teams of each group advance to the Round of 16. The best eight of them move on to the quarter final, of which the top four teams get a place in the semi final. The winner of the World Cup 2010 is the team that wins the World Cup final on Sunday, 11 July in Johannesburg.
Winners of the FIFA World Cup
- 1930 Uruguay
- 1934 Italy
- 1938 Italy
- 1950 Uruguay
- 1954 West Germany
- 1958 Brazil
- 1962 Brazil
- 1966 England
- 1970 Brazil
- 1974 West Germany
- 1978 Argentina
- 1982 Italy
- 1986 Argentina
- 1990 West Germany
- 1994 Brazil
- 1998 France
- 2002 Brazil
- 2006 Italy
- 2010 Spain
Teams / Nations
| The countries playing in the FIFA World Cup 2010 are: | ||||
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| Group A: |
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| Group B: |
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| Group C: |
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| Group D: |
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| Group E: |
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| Group F: |
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| Group G: |
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| Group H: |
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Matches
Final and match for third place
| Date | Match | Stadium | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final | ||||
| 10 July | Netherlands  |
0 : 1 |  Spain |
Johannesburg |
| Match for third place | ||||
| 9 July | Uruguay  |
2 : 3 |  Germany |
Port Elizabeth |
Semi-finals
| Date | Match | Stadium | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 July | Uruguay |
2 : 3 | Netherlands |
Kapstadt |
| 7 July | Germany |
0 : 1 | Spain |
Durban |
Quarter-finals
| Date | Match | Stadium | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 July | Netherlands |
2 : 1 |  Brazil |
Port Elizabeth |
| " | Uruguay |
1 : 1 (4:2) |  Ghana |
Johannesburg (Soccer City) |
| 3 July | Argentina  |
0 : 4 | Germany |
Kapstadt |
| " | Paraguay  |
0 : 1 | Spain |
Johannesburg (Ellis Park) |
Round of 16
| Date | Match | Stadium | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 June | Uruguay | 2 : 1 |  Korea Republic |
Port Elizabeth |
| " | USA  |
1 : 2 | Ghana |
Rustenburg |
| 27 June | Germany |
4 : 1 |  England |
Bloemfontein |
| " | Argentina |
3 : 1 |  Mexico |
Johannesburg |
| 28 June | Netherlands |
2 : 1 |  Slovakia |
Durban |
| " | Brazil |
3 : 0 |  Chile |
Johannesburg |
| 29 June | Paraguay |
0 : 0 (5:3) |  Japan |
Pretoria |
| " | Spain |
1 : 0 |  Portugal |
Kapstadt |
Qualifying Rounds
| Date | Group A | Venue | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 June | South Africa  | 1 : 1 | Mexico |
Johannesburg |
| " | Uruguay | 0 : 0 |  France |
Cape Town |
| 16 June | South Africa |
0 : 3 | Uruguay |
Pretoria |
| 17 June | France |
0 : 2 | Mexico |
Polokwane |
| 22 June | Mexico |
0 : 1 | Uruguay |
Rustenburg |
| " | France |
1 : 2 | South Africa |
Bloemfontein |
| Date | Group B | Venue | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 June | Argentina | 1 : 0 |  Nigeria |
Johannesburg |
| " | Korea Republic | 2 : 0 |  Greece |
Port Elizabeth |
| 17 June | Greece |
2 : 1 | Nigeria |
Bloemfontein |
| " | Argentina |
4 : 1 | Korea Republic |
Johannesburg |
| 22 June | Nigera |
2 : 2 | Korea Republic |
Durban |
| " | Greece |
0 : 2 | Argentina |
Polokwane |
| Date | Group C | Venue | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 June | England | 1 : 1 | United States |
Rustenburg |
| 13 June | Algeria  | 0 : 1 |  Slovenia |
Polokwane |
| 18 June | Slovenia |
2 : 2 | USA |
Johannesburg |
| " | England |
0 : 0 | Algeria |
Cape Town |
| 23 June | Slovenia |
0 : 1 | England |
Port Elizabeth |
| " | USA |
1 : 0 | Algeria |
Pretoria |
| Date | Group D | Venue | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 June | Serbia  |
0 : 1 | Ghana |
Pretoria |
| " | Germany |
4 : 0 |  Australia |
Durban |
| 18 June | Germany |
0 : 1 |  Serbia |
Port Elizabeth |
| 19 June | Ghana |
1 : 1 | Australia |
Rustenburg |
| 23 June | Ghana |
0 : 1 | Germany |
Johannesburg |
| " | Australia |
2 : 1 | Serbia |
Nelspruit |
| Date | Group E - | Venue | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 June | Netherlands |
2 : 0 |  Denmark |
Johannesburg |
| " | Japan |
1 : 0 |  Cameroon |
Bloemfontein |
| 19 June | Netherlands |
1 : 0 | Japan |
Durban |
| " | Cameroon |
1 : 2 | Denmark |
Pretoria |
| 24 June | Denmark |
1 : 3 | Japan |
Rustenburg |
| " | Cameroon |
1 : 2 | Netherlands |
Cape Town |
| Date | Group F | Venue | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 June | Italy  |
1 : 1 | Paraguay |
Cape Town |
| 15 June | New Zealand  |
1 : 1 | Slovakia |
Rustenburg |
| 20 June | Slovakia |
0 : 2 | Paraguay |
Bloemfontein |
| " | Italy |
1 : 1 | New Zealand |
Nelspruit |
| 24 June | Slovakia |
3 : 2 | Italy |
Johannesburg |
| " | Paraguay |
0 : 0 | New Zealand |
Polokwane |
| Date | Group G | Venue | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 June | Ivory Coast  |
0 : 0 | Portugal |
Port Elizabeth |
| " | Brazil |
2 : 1 |  Korea DPR |
Johannesburg |
| 20 June | Brazil |
3 : 1 | Ivory Coast |
Johannesburg |
| 21 June | Portugal |
7 : 0 | Korea DPR |
Cape Town |
| 25 June | Portugal |
0 : 0 | Brazil |
Durban |
| " | Korea DPR |
0 : 3 | Ivory Coast |
Nelspruit |
| Date | Group H | Venue | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 June | Honduras  |
0 : 1 | Chile |
Nelspruit |
| " | Spain |
0 : 1 |  Switzerland |
Durban |
| 21 June | Chile |
1 : 0 | Switzerland |
Port Elizabeth |
| " | Spain |
2 : 0 | Honduras |
Johannesburg |
| 25 June | Chile |
1 : 2 | Spain |
Pretoria |
| " | Switzerland |
0 : 0 | Honduras |
Bloemfontein |