World war in next year's football World Cup South Africa

No spectacle enthralls the world as much as the football World Cup. The quadrennial event will be back next year, to be hosted by South Africa – the first time by an African nation.

Club championships may offer more money and hype, but the World Cup is where history is made and heroes born. No Champions League moment can match the longevity of World Cup memories – one still remembers the audacity of Roberto Baggio weaving through the entire Czech defence to score at Italia’90;
Dennis Bergkamp’s magical two goals for an outmatched Dutch team against powerhouse Brazil at USA ‘94; Ronaldinho’s mischievous free-kick that left England goalkeeper David Seaman looking foolish before the world; Maradona waltzing with the ball at his feet and the England defence at his mercy (Mexico’86). These are classic World Cup moments.

It’s as if the World Cup chooses its heroes. A bald Salvatore Schillaci dazzled before his home crowd at Italia’90 – and people still remember him, although he did little of note for his national team after that. Not even van Basten or Ruud Gullit could have the worldwide impact that Schillaci’s six goals did over that wondrous month – for they could never perform at that stage.

Who might be the stars of this World Cup? One might be tempted to name Lionel Messi, or Cristiano Ronaldo, Franck Ribery, Kaka, Luis Fabiano, Didier Drogba. But the Cup has a habit of throwing up new names – and it could well be from the unlikeliest of teams.

One still remembers Cameroon’s Roger Milla powering past the eccentric Colombian goalkeeper Rene Higuita, and popularizing a new kind of celebration by shaking his hips at the corner flag.
Brazil have won an unprecedented five titles and will go in as favourites for the sixth. Their wealth of talent – Kaka, Fabiano, Lucio, Diego and the rest – helped them ratchet up five successive wins in qualifying from April this year, including a 4-0 thrashing of Uruguay in Montevideo and a 3-1 humbling of arch-rival Argentina in Rosario. Having been grouped with Ivory Coast, North Korea and Portugal, they shouldn’t find it too difficult to top the group, although the match against Portugal could be one of the highlights of the early phase of the Cup.

Meanwhile, Argentina didn’t seem to have much luck with the draw – having to contend with Nigeria, South Korea and Greece. Whether Lionel Messi, Juan Sebastian Veron and Javier Mascherano, under the stewardship of Maradona, can hold their own against the others in the group remains to be seen. For Nigeria, Nwankwo Kanu is still in creative control, while players such as Obafemi Martins and Peter Odemwingie might give Argentina plenty to ponder.