The2010 FIFA World Cup will be the 19thFIFA World Cup, the premier internationalfootballtournament. It is scheduled to take place between 11 June and 11 July 2010 inSouth Africa. The 2010 FIFA World Cup will be the culmination of a qualification process that began in August 2007 and involved 204 of the 208FIFA national teams. As such, it matches the2008 Summer Olympics as the sports event with the most competing nations.
This will be the first time that the tournament has been hosted by an African nation, after South Africa defeatedMorocco andEgypt in an all-African bidding process. This decision left theOceania Football Confederation as the only confederation yet to host the FIFA World Cup.Italyare the defending champions, after winning the2006 FIFA World Cup inGermany. The draw for the finals took place on 4 December 2009 inCape Town.I appeal to all the players and coaches to observe this fair play. In 2010 we want to prove that football is more than just kicking a ball but has social and cultural value...So we ask the players 'please observe fair play' so they will be an example to the rest of the world
This is the first World Cup that does not include any teams that are qualifying for the first time, although two of the qualifiers (Slovakia andSerbia) have previously appeared only as parts of former competing nations. Slovakia was previously part ofCzechoslovakia, and Serbia has competed as part ofYugoslavia andSerbia and Montenegro. In both cases FIFA considers these teams to have retained the earlier nations' records.
Controversy surrounded final qualification matches played betweenFrance and the Republic of Ireland,Costa Rica andUruguay andEgypt and Algeria in November 2009.I appeal to all the players and coaches to observe this fair play. In 2010 we want to prove that football is more than just kicking a ball but has social and cultural value...So we ask the players 'please observe fair play' so they will be an example to the rest of the world.