The 2010 World Cup kicks of with three rounds of group matches, as four teams in eight groups contest a series of mini round-robin tournaments. Here are a few of the highlights of the early stages of the tournament:
The opening match of any World Cup is always a massive event and the game between hosts, South Africa, and Mexico will be no exception. The match will be played at Soccer City in front of a sellout crowd, and will introduce foreign audiences to the ear-splitting vuvuzela.
England fans will be looking forward to the team’s first match of the tournament against dark horses, the United States. The USA last beat an England World Cup Team in 1950, and many believe that this team will be England’s biggest rival in Group C.
Australia will be keen to show that their efforts of four years ago in reaching the second round were no fluke. Much will hinge on the Aussies’ opening game against Germany. The Germany World Cup Team hasn’t been in its best form ahead of the World Cup, but will always command respect for its superb technical game.
African flair will come up against European precision when Cameroon plays the Netherlands. The two sides are both packed with exciting players, and this could be the encounter that produces the winner of Group E.
Group G provides an interesting mix with Brazil, North Korea, Ivory Coast and Portugal up against one another in six intriguing match-ups. The highlight of these will pit the might of the Brazil World Cup Team against the silky smooth skills of Portugal, and the matches featuring Ivory Coast are unlikely to be short of excitement either.
Spain's World Cup Team is the favourite to win the 2010 World Cup – the team should top Group H, but second place is wide open. Chile look like they could do the business, but the clockwork Swiss and dynamic Hondurans may have other ideas.
