The USA's Premier soccer resource ...

        NEWS, COACHING, TRAINING,  VIDEO, CAMPS, CLUB, COLLEGE
        TIPS FOR  Players, Parents, and Coaches...
World Cup Schedule - TV

World Cup Soccer 
News & Quick Facts:       ESPN


When is the World Cup?
The 2010 FIFA World Cup for soccer starts June 11, 2010 at Soccer City in South Africa.  The tournament lasts a month.   
 
The World Cup qualifying draw held Friday December 4, 2009.   The 32 teams that qualified for the World Cup will be placed into 8 Groups for the month long tournament.  One seeded team is placed into each of the eight Groups.  Groups are lettered A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H with 4 teams in each. 

Seeded teams based on October FIFA rankings are:  Argentina, Brazil, England, Germany, Italy, Netherlands (Holland), Spain, and host South Africa which will be seeded in Group A.  The opening game of the 2010 FIFA World Cup will feature host South Africa  in Soccer City on June 11.
France was not seeded for the tournament despite winning the World Cup in 1998 and finishing runner-up in 2006.  They qualified for the World Cup by winning a playoff with Ireland on an notorious handball from Thierry Henry which led to the decisive goal.

How the World Cup Draw works: 

  • There are four pots with teams names in them.  Teams are picked from the pots to set up eight groups for the opening round.
  • Pot 1 has the seeded teams plus three others based on geography.  *
  • Pot 2 has the Asian and CONCACAF teams.    ***USA is a CONCACAF team.  USA is Rated in the top 14 in the World FIFA rankings. 
  • Pot 3 has the five other teams from Africa and South America.
  • Pot 4 has  the eight remaining European teams.

*Note:  The geographical division ensures a more global makeup of teams in every group.

World Cup 2010 - First Round Groups            

 Group A  Group B  Group C  Group D
       
 1.  South Africa  1.  Argentina  1.  England  1.  Germany
 2.  Mexico  2.  Nigeria  2.  USA  2.  Australia
 3.  Uruguay  3.  South Korea  3.  Algeria  3.  Serbia
 4.  France  4.  Greece  4.  Slovenia  4.  Ghana

 Group E  Group F  Group G  Group H
       
 1.  Netherlands  1.  Italy  1.  Brazil  1.  Spain
 2.  Denmark (Holland)  2.  Paraguay  2.  North Korea  2.  Switzerland
 3.  Japan  3.  New Zealand  3.  Côte d'Ivoire  3.  Honduras
 4.  Cameroon  4.  Slovakia  4.  Portugal  4.  Chile

History of the World Cup:  

Year Host Nation(s) Final Third Place match
Winner Score Runner-up 3rd Place Score 4th Place
1930
Details
Uruguay
Uruguay
4–2
Argentina

United States
[note 1]
Yugoslavia
1934
Details
Italy
Italy
2–1
(a.e.t.)

Czechoslovakia

Germany
3–2
Austria
1938
Details
France
Italy
4–2
Hungary

Brazil
4–2
Sweden
1950
Details
Brazil
Uruguay
[note 2]
Brazil

Sweden
[note 2]
Spain
1954
Details
Switzerland
West Germany
3–2
Hungary

Austria
3–1
Uruguay
1958
Details
Sweden
Brazil
5–2
Sweden

France
6–3
West Germany
1962
Details
Chile
Brazil
3–1
Czechoslovakia

Chile
1–0
Yugoslavia
1966
Details
England
England
4–2
(a.e.t.)

West Germany

Portugal
2–1
USSR
1970
Details
Mexico
Brazil
4–1
Italy

West Germany
1–0
Uruguay
1974
Details
West Germany
West Germany
2–1
Netherlands

Poland
1–0
Brazil
1978
Details
Argentina
Argentina
3–1
(a.e.t.)

Netherlands

Brazil
2–1
Italy
1982
Details
Spain
Italy
3–1
West Germany

Poland
3–2
France
1986
Details
Mexico
Argentina
3–2
West Germany

France
4–2
(a.e.t.)

Belgium
1990
Details
Italy
West Germany
1–0
Argentina

Italy
2–1
England
1994
Details
United States
Brazil
0–0
(a.e.t.)
(3–2 pens.)

Italy

Sweden
4–0
Bulgaria
1998
Details
France
France
3–0
Brazil

Croatia
2–1
Netherlands
2002
Details
Korea Republic
& Japan

Brazil
2–0
Germany

Turkey
3–2
Korea Republic
2006
Details
Germany
Italy
1–1
(a.e.t.)
(5–3 pens.)

France

Germany
3–1
Portugal
Table Source:  Wikipedia     This site is neither endorsed by nor affiliated with the Fédération Internationale de Football Association.FIFA, FIFA WORLD CUP, WORLD CUP 2010, SOUTH AFRICA 2010 and related marks and logos are the trademarks and service marks of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 

Get the latest Soccer News...THE SOCCER INSTITUTE......
Soccer News ....
         for every kind of soccer FAN.


College, MLS, International, Youth...



 
Soccer Institute - News Headlines      The Soccer Institute
       America's Soccer Resource !


                        
                    
    Today's featured Soccer News

                  
        US Soccer         Major League Soccer    College Soccer