Legends of the Football World Cup

In every corner of the earth, in every race, language or color, a soccer enthusiast wears a world cup soccer jerseys’. Tons of sports merchandise stores right now offer these attractive and appealing football jerseys.

Everybody wants to be part of the world’s most popular sport. The excitement that soccer brings to the millions of its followers is simply irresistible. The major European Soccer leagues have become part of the continent’s culture. The African football tournaments have also established a lasting legacy and have produced superstars of the game. The World Cup, the most anticipated and most prestigious soccer event has broken records, conquered barriers, and baptized legends of the game. Being the most sought-after soccer league in the world, the Word Cup has transformed into a huge business enterprise but still maintains its honor. The ever increasing demand for soccer merchandise has established the World Cup soccer jerseys’ as the top item of the game.

The football jersey can be a source of motivation and inspiration to the game’s enthusiasts. Seeing yourself wearing a replica jersey of the planet’s greatest sport event makes you more determined to achieve your dream of hitting it big time. Although one’s goal of playing for a World Cup soccer team may be an extremely difficult ambition to achieve, such a challenge should not hinder the aspiring player to work for his dream.

Who are the key players in World Cup 2010? Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi? Kaka or Wayne Rooney? Are they able to influence and define the fate of their teams?

Let’s see a list of the top players in this World Cup and how they can affect their teams.

1. Lionel Messi Argentina: Messi is something like the Messiah of Argentina. He is considered the best pound for pound player right now and one of the key players in World Cup 2010. He is just 22 and he has won pretty much everything in his career with his clubs. The only thing he hasn’t won yet is a World Cup trophy with Argentina. Is this his year? Maradona named Messi his successor in the Argentinean Team.

The soccer world cup in South Africa is turning out to be an interesting extravaganza as the fairly good times are playing well this time and causing some major upsets. We just have to see who will reach the round of 16 when the world cup will become even more interesting. For the first time, an African nation is holding the event. South Africa has done a fantastic job with the stadiums where it has revamped the existing stadiums and also built new stadiums.

There have been complete turnarounds in the hospitality and the transport industry to ensure that the world cup goes as smoothly as possible. South Africa has also hosted other major international events such as 1997 Rugby Tournament and the 2003 Cricket World Cup and with the Soccer World Cup, the African nation has added one more feather to its cap. Also there are several African nations qualified for the FIFA Finals such as Ghana, Cameroon, Ivory coast, Nigeria and off course, South Africa itself and these teams have the potential to win the cup. Remember that it is the World Cup finals and no team can take another team lightly.

The nature of the Soccer World Cup is such that any team can win on its day and ruin the other team’s chances. We have seen it many times in the past where sometimes the favorites have not even made it to the last sixteen, leave alone win the cup. The opening function was excellent with Shakira singing the official world cup song called Waka Waka. Though most of the matches will be played in the popular stadiums of Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban, the host nation wanted the other regions in the country to benefit as well. Hence South Africa built ten new stadiums at other places so that everyone would benefit.

Acclaimed as one of the world’s greatest soccer players ever and my personal soccer hero and certainly one of England’s finest players ever.

Bobby Charlton came from humble beginnings. The son of a Northumberland miner, Bobby came from a background of football, three of his uncles played for Leeds United and his mother’s cousin, was the famous Jackie Milburn super striker for Newcastle United.

But Bobby maintains that his mother was the biggest influence on his football career, it was, she who first recognized his talent but was adamant that he should also learn a trade.

Planning a trip to Rio de Janeiro for the FIFA World Cup? No doubt, you will be spending most of your time at Maracana Stadium, one of the biggest stadiums in the world where many of football legends have shown tricks and skills of the game. But there is much more to this Brazilian city than this sporting extravaganza. Rio, with its fascinatingly varied landscapes and appealing cultural heritage, is a paradise for tourists. So don’t miss the opportunity to explore some of city’s wondrous attractions and make the most of your money spent on flight tickets and other travel expenses! Here are top six things you can do in Rio while not watching a football match!

Climb up the Statue of Christ the Redeemer:
This iconic statue stands majestically at the peak of the Corcovado Mountain in Rio de Janeiro. Climbing up the sculpture by the vertical cog train will truly be an enthralling experience, worth sharing back home. Spectacular views from the top make excursion more rewarding!

Relax on the white sand of Copacabana:
A beach-bummer’s dream comes true, Copacabana is one of the most vibrant beaches in Brazil and a must visit place for all those who spend on flights and holiday deals for Rio. Take a stroll along the white beach, sip delectable cocktails at sea-view bars, enjoy surfing or take a dip in the sea – you’ll surely have whale of time at this fabulous hang-out place.

Maradona, as a coach in World Cup 2010. Many people never believed they would actually see that happen, but Argentina’s new coach is here to show everyone that he still has the hand of God, and is able to straighten his team during the World Cup, despite the negative forecasts and the instability of some of his players.

Maradona is certainly the greatest legend of Argentina, who has got into a mess in 2008 when he decided to accept the challenge of dealing with the frustration and excitement of the country fans. Argentina has been longing for a title in the World Cup ever since Maradona led them to victory in Mexico 1986.

Maradona as a coach managed to beat Germany in March at a friendly match in Munich, but that was not enough to disguise the fact that Argentina entering the World Cup 2010 rather aimlessly. The team can definitely count on its status that derives from the two titles in previous World Cups and its series of good soccer players. But the team has not been playing well lately and Maradona as a coach in the World Cup 2010 has even more to prove.

In the world of sports, no legend is more interesting than the history behind the World Cup of soccer. This vessel of victory has been around for almost a hundred years and it has an intriguing past. The World Cup of soccer has lasted through generations of soccer fans and will continue to be a symbol of the utmost challenge and triumph in sportsmanship for generations to come. Here’s a little of the history behind the World Cup of soccer and how it got its various names.

Starting in 1930, the World Cup of Soccer was known as the “Jules Rimet Trophy” so-named for the man who was the first president of the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). It was a beautiful one of a kind trophy designed by the French Sculptor, Abel Lafleur, who gave it a gold-plated sterling silver finish on a lapis lazuli (blue natural stone) base. The design included a representation of the ancient Greek goddess of victory “Nike”, thus it was originally named “Victory”. Over time, the award was engraved with the names of the nine winners of the World Cup championship soccer games. In 1946, the trophy was re-named “Jules Rimet Trophy”, but had also been called the “Coupe du Monde”.

But that’s not where the history of the World Cup ends. During World War II, for fear of it being stolen by German Nazi troops that had occupied the region where it was stored, the then Italian-born president of FIFA, Dr. Barassi, hid “Victory” under his bed in a shoebox for several years. Despite his heroic efforts to preserve the trophy, in 1966, the trophy disappeared while on display in England in a public exhibition at Westminster Central Hall. It was found seven days later, buried under a tree in a suburban garden in South Norwood, a good distance away, dug up by a little dog named “Pickles”. To this day, no one knows why it was stolen or who was the culprit behind the heist.