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.

The World Cup jersey can also be a source of pride. You may not have an intention to be a soccer superstar but you can be inspired by the principles and the spirit of the sport just by wearing the jersey thereby encouraging you to make a difference in what you are doing.

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.

2. Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal. When Manchester United bought him 6 years ago, he was expected to become the leader of the team. He became more than that, outdoing all the legends of the team until then. Cristiano has been severely criticized because he doesn’t seem to play his best games when playing with his national team. Is this about to change? What is certain is that Ronaldo definitely wants to achieve something major with Portugal, so we just need to see what he can do against some serious opponents.

3. Wayne Rooney England: Wayne Rooney broke through internationally when he was just 18 years old and became an indispensable part of the English offense next to major strikers. Rooney is considered the bad guy in the fields, however, he is ready to “kill” any opponent whenever needed. A player to watch and definitely one of the key players in World Cup 2010.

4. Kaka Brazil: Kaka is one of the top stars of the Brazilian Team. He comes from a middle class family in Brazil, which is quite rare for a football player in this country. Kaka belongs to Real Madrid but he never chased money. He is the mastermind of the Brazilian team, one of the best organizers and smart players in the field. He is not as fast as he used to be due to some injuries, but he is a world class player with a lethal counterattack.

5. Xavi Spain: Everybody is saying that Spain is the best team this year. If you read the roster of the team it’s easy to figure out why. Xavi is one of the players every team would like to have. He is a midfielder with great organizational skills, ability to read the game and become a leader when needed. His short passes are considered infallible and he is considered one of the key players in World Cup 2010 for his team.

Who is the player that will manage to lead his country and his team to the final of the World Cup? We will soon find out, but what is most important is that these key players in World Cup 2010 are ready to give their best and create memorable moments for us spectators.

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.

The three most prolific stadiums in this world cup are the Soccer City and Ellis Park in Johannesburg and Loftus Stadium in Pretoria. These three stadiums will host the three rounds of sixteen as well as two quarter finals and the all important final will be played at Soccer City. All hotels where the matches are played have been jam packed as people from all over the world come to South Africa to see this terrific extravaganza live before their eyes. The competition amongst the teams is getting fierce with Euro champions, Spain being the favorites to lift the trophy. The other favorites include six times world champions, Brazil and Argentina. The South American giant, Argentina seem quite strong contenders as the football legend, Diego Maradona has taken over the coach job. For Brazil, they have one of their most prolific players, Dunga as coach.

Hence till July 11th, 2010 everyone is going to have a gala time in South Africa as people support their favorite teams. The sport is flowed in TV in almost all countries of the world and no doubt that it is the world’s most popular sport.

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.

It did not take him long to rise to national and world renown with Manchester United, as well as on the international soccer fields of Europe, through his repeated inclusion on the English world team.

He joined Manchester United after winning the England Schoolboy Inter- national honors award, during the time he played for the England Schoolboys he was spotted by Manchester United head talent scout Joe Armstrong, by which time Charlton at his mothers insistence had already embarked on an engineering apprenticeship. However, so great was his talent, that by the time he was just 17 in 1954 he had already turned professional.

He was a prolific goal scorer with an individualistic style of play, noted for his long runs and precision with a soccer ball. By the age of nineteen he had already played in the FA Cup Final, he was a midfield player with a powerful kick and a natural feel for soccer, a striker with great skill, accuracy and consistency.

He played as a forward for Manchester United from 1956 to 1973. After only two seasons he earned a regular place on the United first team; Charlton played 14 times for United in his first season. During his second season he was lucky to escape with his life, as he was one of only a few to walk away from the Munich air disaster of 1958. He suffered relatively minor injuries and was pulled from the planes wreckage by team-mate Harry Gregg, the crash claimed 23 lives, of which eight were Manchester United players.

In 1965 he helped United win the football league Championship. In 1966 he won a gold medal playing for the victorious English world soccer team and a second Football League title win with United the very next year. In 1968, he captained the Manchester United team that won the European Cup; he scored two goals in the final game, making his team Manchester United, the first English team to ever win the competition.

Until recently he had scored more goals for England and Manchester United than, any other player, his goal scoring records held and remained unchallenged for 35 years after the end of his professional playing career.

Only very recently on the 22nd May 2008, did Bobby Charlton’s record for most games ever played by a single player(258) for the Manchester United football club, fall at the Champions League Final in Moscow to one of Manchester United’s current players Ryan Giggs.

He retired from the England team in 1970; at which point he was England’s most capped player, having played 106 times for his nation’s first team. He left Manchester United in 1973, to become player-manager for Preston North End, taking Man United team member and personal friend Nobby Stiles with him as player-coach, after only one season he discovered he was not suited to management.

He then took on the role of director for Wigan Athletic FC. He spent a little time playing in South Africa; he started several business ventures and opened soccer schools in the UK, Canada, USA, China, and Australia. A few years later in 1984 he joined Manchester United’s board of directors and as of May 2008 still remains one.

Charlton began to go bald at the beginning of the 1960s and for a long while refused to admit the fact, he grew the hair on one side of his head long and then combed it across the balding area in order to diminish the display of bald scalp. Famed for this hair do, that would often flop around when he was running and that he would have repeatedly recapture and push back over his head as he ran. This hair style even today is still referred to as “the Bobby Charlton Comb-Over”

He was made “Sir” Bobby Charlton in 1994, for his “services as an ambassador for English football” he was the first soccer player to receive the honor in over 30 years. He was inducted to the English Football Hall of Fame in 2002.

For the whole length of his professional career, he was not once sent off the soccer pitch. Twenty years after his last professional appearance as a player for United, “Sir Bobby” is still remembered and revered as a supreme sportsman and gentleman footballer.

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.

Hike to the Pico da Tijuca:
A must-do activity for nature-lovers and adventure freaks, hiking to Rio’s highest peak takes one through captivating vistas of nature. From the top, views of Guanabara Bay will be a mesmeric treat for eyes and senses, well worth the cost of flight tickets for the destination. Bird-watching and camping are some other exciting activities you can enjoy.

Walk down the Memory Lane at Santa Teresa Neighbourhood:
If history is your thing, come explore this unique side of Rio. The ancient, cobbled streets don an intriguing look. Glorious mansions and a bohemian vibe will surely leave you thrilled and gloating over the decision of blocking seats on flights landing in Rio.

Shop at the Ipanema Hippie Fair:
Since 1968, this vibrant fair has been a big hit with shopaholics in Rio. From the authentic Brazilian arts and crafts to trendy clothes and jewellery; it offers everything to satiate the appetite of even the most discerning shopaholic. So come indulge in the gratifying retail therapy at the Ipanema Hippie Fair and get the maximum bang for the money invested on flights and holiday deals.

Dance your night away at Lapa Neighbourhood:
Bustling with samba and choro bars, the area is a night hunter’s dream comes true. Merrymaking here is limitless and stretches from sophisticated nightclubs to adulterous bars. Don’t forget to sip on Caipirinha, a signature Brazilian cocktail and sample some local cuisines.

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.

Argentina managed to qualify for the World Cup at the last minute, which added to the fear and the anxiety accompanying the team and its fate. The team has been moody and erratic since then and never reached its peak performance so far. Maradona is trying to bring the identity of the team to surface all this time. But we should not forget that Maradona himself has been quite similar throughout his career and his life.

At the age of 49, Maradona probably faces his greatest challenge as a coach in World Cup 2010. There has never been so much at stake in the Cups that he played as a player, and it is known that this type of tournaments has a fifty-fifty chance of destroying the legend of the coach or increasing his glory even further.

Maradona has said that he hopes that his men will decide to play like their predecessors, with the philosophy of the team led by other coaches in earlier years. But so far, there has been no sign of either; the attitude and the desire is still there but the team has not managed to click so far. What is most important is that Argentina has some great players indeed; Lionel Messi is already considered the star of the World Cup 2010, because of his amazing games the last few years with Barcelona.

Wearing the blue and white shirt himself Maradona managed to perform many miracles, but now as a coach in World Cup 2010 he has to find the remedy for a team that doesn’t lack talent, but also doesn’t have what it takes to go as high as the Title. Or it seems like that so far.

Maradona as a coach in the World cup 2010 has a lot to prove, and it seems that he is ready to do so. Among the pending tasks, he will have to devise a way of supporting his key players such as Lionel Messi with a structure that will make the most out of them. He will also need to find a few alternatives to the veteran players such as Veron, and refine his choices from a rich roster that will manage to perform as well as it gets.

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.

In 1970, the trophy was won a third time by Brazil’s soccer team and was stored in the nation’s capital, Rio De Janeiro. However, once again it was subject to a theft in 1973 when it came up missing and was never again to be seen by anyone, including soccer fans. Rumor has it; the trophy was melted down for its precious metals. However, we will never know for sure how Victory met her untimely escape from the world of sports.

That is not the end of the World Cup’s venture to the hallowed halls of soccer fame. In 1974, a new World Cup trophy was created to replace the former and was presented to the captain of the winning West Germany team, Franz Beckenbauer. The design of the newer trophy was picked from over fifty designs that were submitted to the FIFA by experts from the seven continents. The winning design is a solid 18 carat gold swirling statue with a double-row malachite base. It was designed by Italian sculptor, Silvio Gazzaniga, who has gone on to design several other famous sports world trophies for soccer and baseball.

Today, the World Cup is known simply as the FIFA World Cup Trophy, but soccer fans sometimes still refer to it as “Victory” in honor of the previous trophy. Only five countries have won it so far, the most recent being Italy, but there are enough spaces for the winning teams names to be engraved onto its base until the year 2038.