2010 FIFA World Cup News

Description:

The famous Fifa World Cup comes to Africa in 2010 for the first time ever

It is the first time Africa is set to hosting the final of the FIFA World Cup football tournament.

This will take place from 11 June 2010 to 11 July 2010 and contested at 10 different stadiums across South Africa.

Key dates and venues of the event:

11th June 2010:  The Opening Match, Johannesburg

6th July 2010:  Semi Final, Cape Town

7th July 2010:  Semi Final, Durban

11th July 2010:  The Final, Johannesburg

Confirmed Teams for 2010 World Cup

African Qualifying Group
Hosts  -  South Africa

• Ghana
• Ivory Coast

Asian Qualifying Group

• Japan
• Australia
• South Korea
• North Korea

European Qualifying Group

• England
• Netherlands
• Spain
• Serbia
• Italy
• Denmark
• Germany

South American Qualifying Group

• Brazil
• Paraguay
• Chile

North and Central America Qualifying Group

• United States
• Mexico

Ticket Sales

Ticket sales in the third phase will kick off on 5 December 2009.

It is expected that after the final draw on 4 December 2009 there will be a high demand for tickets on 5 December 2009 as the fans will by then know who will be playing whom in the group matches.

The FIFA.com website can be used for applications for tickets to Africa’s first FIFA World Cup. South African residents may as also have the chance to apply for tickets via application forms available in all FNB branches across the country as about one million tickets for all 64 matches and categories will become available in the third sales phase – including a limited number for the opening match and the final. Fans will have to apply within 49 days (until 22 January) for individual match tickets or Team-Specific Series.

To date a total of 674,403 tickets have been sold. Of those tickets, 53.6% (361,582) have been purchased by South African residents. The foreign country that has purchased the most tickets is the United States (84,103 tickets), followed by the UK (48,388), Germany (25,112), Australia (17,876), Canada (11,662), Switzerland (11,045), Japan (10,558) and Brazil (8,006).

There are two types of ticket products available:

1) Individual match tickets for a specific match and

2) Team-Specific Ticket Series to follow the national team of the spectator’s choice.

The prices for group matches range from USD 20 to USD 160 (opening match: USD 70 – USD 450; final: USD 150 – USD 900) or ZAR 140 to ZAR 1,120 (opening match ZAR 490 – ZAR 3,150; final: ZAR 1,050 – ZAR 6,300. Category 4 tickets, the most affordable, have been exclusively set aside for South African residents.

All 32 participating member associations will be allocated 12 per cent of all purchasable tickets in the stadiums where their three group games will be played. These tickets will be available through individual websites operated by the 32 participating member associations.

Arrival of the Cup in South Africa

Fifa's World Cup trophy landed on Tuesday night, 1 December 2009 at Cape Town International Airport from Lesotho, after its world tour, before the 2010 World Cup.

Arrived in true celebrity style on a private jet and a security escort to the V&A Waterfront where dignitaries and journalists awaited its arrival.

It is noticeable that the last South African to have held the trophy was Nelson Mandela when South Africa was chosen in 2004 to host the 2010 tournament.
The trophy is made of solid gold, has a malachite base, weighs 6kg and is 36.5cm high.
Inscribed on its base is the name of every country that has won the World Cup since 1974.

Blatter plea for more refs in 2010

Additional assistant referees could officiate at next year's World Cup finals in South Africa.
As match control is now on the agenda, in future, Fifa would re-consider the organisation of the qualifying competition for future World Cups and could end the current playoff system.