Football for some of the people is the second religion. Fast, strategic, full of risk and excitement - these are just a few reasons that draw many of the football fans into the stadium. South Africa is determined to host the best ever football world cup - and Johannesburg, as a key host city, is set to play its part. This international football tournament will be held between the 11th of June and 11th of July 2010. This 19th FIFA World Cup is also unique because it will hosted by an African nation.
Probably not all even the most dedicated fans of this game know the history of the football. The Ancient Greeks and Romans are known to have played many ball games, some of which involved the use of the feet. Later, also the Middle Ages saw a huge rise in popularity of annual Shrovetide football matches throughout Europe, particularly in England. The need for a single body to oversee association football had become apparent by the beginning of the 20th century. It was the time when FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) was established.
The FIFA World Cup is an international football competition contested by the men's national football teams. The list of the participating football teams in FIFA 2010 can be found below:
The FIFA 2010 is played not only for the glory but also for the money. The total prize money on offer for the tournament was confirmed by FIFA as $420 million, a 60 per cent increase on the 2006 tournament. The match ball for the 2010 FIFA World Cup (it is a tradition to make a different ball for each of the World Cup) will be named the "Jabulani", which means "bringing joy to everyone" in isiZulu. Only the future can show which of the team mentioned above will be the lucky one.
© Johannesburg Hostels 
