The 2010 FIFA World Cup, also branded as South Africa 2010, was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010. The bidding process for hosting the tournament finals was open only to African nations. In 2004, the international football federation, FIFA, selected South Africa over Egypt and Morocco to become the first African nation to host the finals.
The matches were played in 10 stadiums in nine host cities around the country, with the opening and final played at the Soccer City stadium in South Africa's largest city, Johannesburg. Thirty-two teams were selected for participation via a worldwide qualification tournament that began in August 2007. In the first round of the tournament finals, the teams competed in round-robin groups of four teams for points, with the top two teams in each group proceeding. These 16 teams advanced to the knockout stage, where three rounds of play decided which teams would participate in the final.
In the final, Spain, the European champions, defeated third-time losing finalists the Netherlands 1–0 after extra time to win their first world title. Spain became the eighth nation to win the tournament and the first European nation to win a World Cup hosted outside its home continent: all previous World Cups held outside Europe had been won by South American nations. They are also the first national team since 1978 to win a World Cup after losing a game in the group stage. As a result of their win, Spain represented the World in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup. Host nation South Africa were eliminated in the group stage and both 2006 World Cup finalists Italy and France were also eliminated at the group stage. It was the first time that the hosts had been eliminated in the first stage. New Zealand, with their three draws, were the only undefeated team in the tournament, but they were also eliminated in the group stage.
Venues[]
| Stadiums | Location | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| FNB Stadium (Soccer City) |
Johannesburg | 84,490 |
| Ellis Park Stadium | 55,686 | |
| Cape Town Stadium (Green Point Stadium) |
Cape Town | 64,100 |
| Moses Mabhida Stadium (Durban Stadium) |
Durban | 62,760 |
| Loftus Versfeld Stadium | Pretoria | 42,858 |
| Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium | Port Elizabeth | 42,486 |
| Royal Bafokeng Stadium | Rustenburg | 42,000 |
| Peter Mokaba Stadium | Polokwane | 41,773 |
| Mbombela Stadium | Nelspruit | 40,929 |
| Free State Stadium | Bloemfontein | 40,911 |
Participating teams[]
| Region (confederation) | Team | FIFA ranking |
|---|---|---|
| Asia (AFC) | Australia | 20 |
| Japan | 45 | |
| North Korea | 105 | |
| South Korea | 47 | |
| Africa (CAF) | Algeria | 30 |
| Cameroon | 19 | |
| Ghana | 32 | |
| Ivory Coast | 27 | |
| Nigeria | 21 | |
| South Africa (host country) | 83 | |
| Oceania (OFC) | New Zealand | 78 |
| North America, Central America and Caribbean (CONCACAF) | Honduras | 38 |
| Mexico | 17 | |
| United States | 14 | |
| South America (CONMEBOL) | Argentina | 7 |
| Brazil | 1 | |
| Chile | 18 | |
| Paraguay | 31 | |
| Uruguay | 16 | |
| Europe (UEFA) | Denmark | 36 |
| England | 8 | |
| France | 9 | |
| Germany | 6 | |
| Greece | 13 | |
| Italy | 5 | |
| Netherlands | 4 | |
| Portugal | 3 | |
| Serbia | 15 | |
| Slovakia | 34 | |
| Slovenia | 25 | |
| Spain | 2 | |
| Switzerland | 24 |
List of games[]
Group stage[]
| Date | Venue | Winner | Score | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group A | ||||
| 11 June 2010 | Soccer City, Johannesburg | South Africa | 1–1 (draw) |
Mexico |
| Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town | Uruguay | 0–0 (draw) |
France | |
| 16 June 2010 | Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria | Uruguay | 3–0 | South Africa |
| 17 June 2010 | Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane | Mexico | 2–0 | France |
| 22 June 2010 | Royal Bakofeng Stadium, Rustenburg | Uruguay | 1–0 | Mexico |
| Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein | South Africa | 2–1 | France | |
| Group B | ||||
| 12 June 2010 | Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth | South Korea | 2–0 | Greece |
| Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg | Argentina | 1–0 | Nigeria | |
| 17 June 2010 | Soccer City, Johannesburg | Argentina | 4–1 | South Korea |
| Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein | Greece | 2–1 | Nigeria | |
| 22 June 2010 | Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban | Nigeria | 2–2 (draw) |
South Korea |
| Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane | Argentina | 2–0 | Greece | |
| Group C | ||||
| 12 June 2010 | Royal Bakofeng Stadium, Rustenburg | England | 1–1 (draw) |
United States |
| 13 June 2010 | Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane | Slovenia | 1–0 | Algeria |
| 18 June 2010 | Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg | Slovenia | 2–2 (draw) |
United States |
| Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town | England | 0–0 (draw) |
Algeria | |
| 23 June 2010 | Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth | England | 1–0 | Slovenia |
| Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria | United States | 1–0 | Algeria | |
| Group D | ||||
| 13 June 2010 | Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria | Ghana | 1–0 | Serbia |
| Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban | Germany | 4–0 | Australia | |
| 18 June 2010 | Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth | Serbia | 1–0 | Germany |
| Royal Bakofeng Stadium, Rustenburg | Ghana | 0–0 (draw) |
Australia | |
| 23 June 2010 | Soccer City, Johannesburg | Germany | 1–0 | Ghana |
| Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit | Australia | 2–1 | Serbia | |
| Group E | ||||
| 14 June 2010 | Soccer City, Johannesburg | Netherlands | 2–0 | Denmark |
| Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein | Japan | 1–0 | Cameroon | |
| 19 June 2010 | Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban | Netherlands | 1–0 | Japan |
| Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria | Denmark | 2–1 | Cameroon | |
| 24 June 2010 | Royal Bakofeng Stadium, Rustenburg | Japan | 3–1 | Denmark |
| Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town | Netherlands | 2–1 | Cameroon | |
| Group F | ||||
| 14 June 2010 | Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town | Italy | 1–1 (draw) |
Paraguay |
| 15 June 2010 | Royal Bakofeng Stadium, Rustenburg | New Zealand | 1–1 (draw) |
Slovakia |
| 20 June 2010 | Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein | Paraguay | 2–0 | Slovakia |
| Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit | Italy | 1–1 (draw) |
New Zealand | |
| 24 June 2010 | Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg | Slovakia | 3–2 | Italy |
| Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane | Paraguay | 0–0 (draw) |
New Zealand | |
| Group G | ||||
| 15 June 2010 | Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth | Ivory Coast | 0–0 (draw) |
Portugal |
| Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg | Brazil | 2–1 | North Korea | |
| 20 June 2010 | Soccer City, Johannesburg | Brazil | 2–1 | Ivory Coast |
| 21 June 2010 | Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town | Portugal | 7–0 | North Korea |
| 25 June 2010 | Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban | Portugal | 0–0 (draw) |
Brazil |
| Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit | Ivory Coast | 3–0 | North Korea | |
| Group H | ||||
| 16 June 2010 | Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit | Chile | 1–0 | Honduras |
| Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban | Switzerland | 1–0 | Spain | |
| 21 June 2010 | Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth | Chile | 1–0 | Switzerland |
| Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg | Spain | 2–0 | Honduras | |
| 25 June 2010 | Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria | Spain | 1–0 | Chile |
| Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein | Switzerland | 0–0 (draw) |
Honduras | |
Knockout stage[]
| Date | Venue | Winner | Score | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round of 16 | ||||
| 26 June 2010 | Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth | Uruguay | 2–1 | South Korea |
| Royal Bakofeng Stadium, Rustenburg | Ghana | 2–1 (a.e.t.) |
United States | |
| 27 June 2010 | Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein | Germany | 4–1 | England |
| Soccer City, Johannesburg | Argentina | 3–1 | Mexico | |
| 28 June 2010 | Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban | Netherlands | 2–1 | Slovakia |
| Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg | Brazil | 3–0 | Chile | |
| 29 June 2010 | Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria | Paraguay | 0–0 (a.e.t.) 5–3 (penalties) |
Japan |
| Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town | Spain | 1–0 | Portugal | |
| Quarter-finals | ||||
| 2 July 2010 | Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth | Netherlands | 2–1 | Brazil |
| Soccer City, Johannesburg | Uruguay | 1–1 (a.e.t.) 4–2 (penalties) |
Ghana | |
| 3 July 2010 | Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town | Germany | 4–0 | Argentina |
| Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg | Spain | 1–0 | Paraguay | |
| Semi-finals | ||||
| 6 July 2010 | Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town | Netherlands | 3–2 | Uruguay |
| 7 July 2010 | Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban | Spain | 1–0 | Germany |
| Third place play-off | ||||
| 10 July 2010 | Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth | Germany | 3–2 | Uruguay |
| Final | ||||
| 11 July 2010 | Soccer City, Johannesburg | Spain | 1–0 (a.e.t.) |
Netherlands |
Broadcasters[]
| Country/Territory | Broadcaster(s) |
|---|---|
| Middle East and North Africa | Al Jazeera Sports |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | SuperSport |
| Albania | RTSH |
| Andorra | TF1, France Télévisions |
| Angola | TPA |
| Argentina | TV Pública, Telefe, TyC Sports, DirecTV, Radio Nacional, Radio La Red |
| Armenia | ARMTV, Ararat TV |
| Australia | SBS, ESPN Australia, Optus |
| Austria | ORF |
| Azerbaijan | Lider TV |
| Belarus | BTRC |
| Bangladesh | Bangladesh Teklevision, ESPN Star Sports |
| Belgium | VRT, RTBF, Sporza |
| Benin | ORTB |
| Bhutan | ESPN Star Sports |
| Bolivia | Unitel, Red Uno |
| Botswana | BRTS |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | BHRT |
| Brazil | Rede Globo, Rede Bandeirantes, SporTV, ESPN Brasil, BandSports, Rádio Globo, CBN, Jovem Pan, Rádio Bandeirantes, Super Rádio Tupi, BandNews FM, Rádio Transamérica, Rádio Gaúcha, Rádio Guaíba, Rádio Itatiaia, Rádio Sociedade, Verdinha 810, Rádio Gazeta de Alagoas, Banda B, Rádio Inconfidência, Rádio Record, Rádio Clube de Pernambuco, Rede Eldorado/ESPN, Rádio Clube do Pará, Rádio 730, Rádio Paiquerê, Rádio Brasil Sul, Rádio Jornal |
| Bulgaria | BNT |
| Burkina Faso | TNB |
| Burundi | RTNB |
| Cameroon | CRTV |
| Cambodia | CTN |
| Canada | CBC Television, Bold, SRC, Sportsnet, Telelatino, Rogers |
| Cape Verde | RTVCV |
| Central African Republic | RTC |
| Chad | RTNT |
| Chile | TVN, DirecTV |
| China | CCTV-5, CCTV-1, CCTV-7, CCTV HD |
| Colombia | Caracol Televisión, RCN Televisión, DirecTV |
| Congo | TNC |
| Costa Rica | Teletica, Repretel |
| Croatia | HRT |
| Cyprus | CyBC |
| Czech Republic | ČT |
| Denmark | DR, TV 2, Canal 9 |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | RTNC |
| Ecuador | Gamavisión, TC Televisión, DirecTV |
| El Salvador | TCS |
| Equatorial Guinea | RDEG |
| Eritrea | EBC |
| Estonia | ERR |
| Ethiopia | ETS |
| Fiji | Mai TV |
| Finland | Yle |
| France | TF1, France Télévisions, Canal+, RMC, Radio Alfa |
| Gabon | RTG |
| Gambia | GRTS |
| Ghana | GTV |
| Georgia | GPB |
| Germany | ARD, ZDF, RTL, Sky Deutschland |
| Greece | ERT |
| Guatemala | Televisiete, Canal 3 |
| Guinea | RTG |
| Guinea-Bissau | RTVGB |
| Honduras | Televicentro, Vica TV |
| Hong Kong | ATV, TVB, Cable TV Hong Kong |
| Hungary | MTV, Index.hu |
| Iceland | RÚV, Stöð 2 Sport |
| India | Doordarshan, ESPN Star Sports, All India Radio |
| Indonesia | RCTI, Global TV, Telkomsel |
| Iran | IRIB |
| Ireland | RTÉ |
| Israel | Channel 1, Channel 33, Channel 2 (Reshet), Sport 5, Kol Yisrael |
| Italy | RAI, Sky Sport, RTL 102.5 |
| Ivory Coast | RTI |
| Japan | NHK, Nippon TV/NNN/NNS, TBS/JNN, Fuji TV/FNN/FNS, TV Asahi/ANN, TV Tokyo/TXN, SKY PerfecTV! |
| Kenya | KBC |
| Kosovo | RTK |
| Latvia | LTV |
| Lesotho | LBC |
| Liberia | LBS |
| Lithuania | LRT, LNK |
| Luxembourg | RTL Télé Lëtzebuerg |
| Macau | TDM |
| Macedonia | MRT |
| Madagascar | RTNM |
| Malawi | MBC |
| Malaysia | RTM, Astro, Maxis |
| Maldives | Television Maldives, MediaNet |
| Mali | ORTM |
| Malta | PBS, Melita Sports |
| Mauritius | MBC |
| Mexico | TV Azteca, Televisa, TVC Deportes, Televisa Deportes Network, Sky México, Televisa Radio |
| Moldova | TRM |
| Monaco | TF1, France Télévisions |
| Montenegro | RTCG |
| Mozambique | TDM, Soico |
| Namibia | NBC |
| Nepal | NTV, ESPN Star Sports |
| Netherlands | NOS |
| New Zealand | TVNZ, Sky |
| Nicaragua | Televicentro |
| Niger | Télé Sahel |
| Nigeria | NTA |
| North Korea | KCTV |
| Norway | TV2, Viasat |
| Pakistan | PTV, Ten Sports |
| Panama | RPC, TVMax, Cableonda Sports |
| Paraguay | SNT |
| Peru | ATV, DirecTV |
| Philippines | ABS-CBN, Studio 23, Balls |
| Poland | TVP |
| Portugal | RTP, SIC, SportTV, Vodafone, TMN |
| Romania | TVR |
| Russia | Channel One Russia, VGTRK |
| Rwanda | Télévision Rwandaise |
| San Marino | RAI |
| Senegal | RTS |
| Serbia | RTS |
| Seychelles | SBC |
| Sierra Leone | SLBS |
| Singapore | MediaCorp, StarHub TV, Mio TV |
| Slovakia | STV |
| Slovenia | RTVSLO, Mobitel |
| South Africa | SABC, SuperSport |
| South Korea | SBS, SBS Sports |
| Spain | Telecinco, Cuatro, Canal+, Cadena SER |
| Sri Lanka | SLRC, ESPN Star Sports |
| Swaziland | STVA |
| Sweden | SVT, TV4, SR |
| Switzerland Liechtenstein |
SRG SSR idée suisse |
| Taiwan | Era Television, ELTA TV |
| Tanzania | TBC |
| Thailand | Channel 3, Channel 7, Modernine TV, NBT11 |
| Togo | TVT |
| Turkey | TRT |
| Uganda | UBC |
| Ukraine | Pershyi Natsionalnyi, ICTV |
| United Kingdom | BBC, ITV, STV, UTV, British Eurosport, ESPN UK, talkSPORT |
| United States | ABC, ESPN, Univision, Telefutura, Galavisión, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Radio, Fútbol de Primera |
| Uzbekistan | NTRC |
| Venezuela | Meridiano Televisión, Venevisión, DirecTV |
| Vietnam | VTV, HTV |
| Zambia | ZNBC |
| Zimbabwe | ZBC |