2010 FIFA World Cup: The Top 10 World Cups of All Time

With the World Cup less than a month away, a cloud of anticipation and anxiety already hangs over each of the 32 qualifying nations (even the US!).

Among the other three quarters of the world's population without a direct rooting interest, however, excitement is just as high, as the greatest event in the globe's most popular sport approaches for the 19th time in its 80-year history.

Two months from now, once the victorious nation has been crowned and the hangovers, both real and emotional, have given way to more sober reflection, we will know whether South Africa 2010 will go down in history as one of the greatest tournaments of all time.

2010 certainly has all the ingredients of a classic World Cup: a 32-team field with a knockout stage-heavy format, exciting new venues, and an impassioned local fanbase, a host of talent-laden favorites, and historical rivals primed to make legendary runs.

Ultimately, it will be up to the players on the pitch to assemble a monument from the blocks of granite they've been provided.

Considering the greats that have come before, it will take a truly impressive edifice for South Africa 2010 to join the ranks of the greatest World Cups of all time.

10. Italy 1990

Famous venues, classic rivalry matches, underdog overachievers, and compelling individual performances made the 1990 World Cup memorable.

Runners up in the previous two Cups, a tough road to the final pitted two-time victors West Germany against fellow two-time winners Argentina in a rematch of the 1986 championship game.

Perhaps as a deliberate homage to the host nation, 1990 was the lowest-scoring tournament in World Cup history, with a mind-numbingly dull average of 2.21 goals per game. Thus, it was only fitting that the bitterly contested final, which saw the first two red cards in Cup final history, be decided 1-0 in Germany's favor on an 85th minute penalty.

The road to Rome was paved with low-scoring encounters and penalty shootouts, but with headline names like Klinsmann, Matthaus, Maradona, Lineker and Baggio, and with the inspiring quarterfinal run of 38-year-old Roger Milla and Cameroon, 1990 was a World Cup to remember.

Rivalry quotient: Strong

Any Argentina-Brazil clash is worth watching, but 1990's second round match-up, won 1-0 by Argentina on a Claudio Caniggia goal assisted by Diego Maradona, was made famous by the alleged "holy water" incident. Brazil's Branco accused Argentinian trainers of giving him a water bottle laced with tranquilizers during an injury stoppage, a claim supported in 2005 by Maradona.

A famous West Germany-England semifinal was settled by a penalty kick shootout.

A West Germany-Netherlands second round match saw five cautions and was played 10 v. 10 after the famous Rudi Völler-Frank "Llama" Rijkaard incident.

Signature match: West Germany-England semifinal on July 4 in Torino

At 1-1 after regulation, this one was settled by a 4-3 margin on penalties in West Germany's favor. A crushing loss for a hopeful English side, but just another day at the office for a West German national team that for a decade made its living by beating great teams in penalty shootouts.

Signature athlete: Cameroon's Roger Milla

Salvatore Schillaci may have been the tournament's leading scorer, but leading scorer at the lowest scoring World Cup is sort of like being the skinniest kid at fat camp.

The inspirational story of the 38-year-old Milla and the quarterfinal run of Les Lions Indomptables was the story of the tournament.

9. Germany 2006

The last time Germany hosted in 1974 (as West Germany) the tournament featured the lowest goals per game average of the 16-team tournament-era and a terrible format with two round robin stages and no knockout matches before the final.

Germany 2006 continued the successful 32-team, knockout second, quarterfinal, and semifinal round format that began with France '98. It was not goal-heavy, but it was memorable for more than just the unprecedented number of bookings handed out by the officials.

The Zinedine Zidane headbutt and the Wayne Rooney crotch-stomp were notorious, and no Cup should be remembered primarily for such incidents, but the extremely high level of play in the latter stages of the tournament and the star power of seemingly half the teams that made the trip earn 2006 a place among the greats.

Rivalry quotient: Low

Other than the Italy-France final, there were no classic rivalry clashes.

With match-ups as good as Portugal-Netherlands and Spain-France as early as the second round, and SIX previous title-winners (plus serious contenders Portugal) in the quarterfinals, however, this tournament did not lack for compelling, high-quality action.

Signature match: Italy-France final on July 9 in Berlin

Another 1-1 game after regulation, this time settled 5-3 on penalty kicks in Italy's favor. A tense encounter between two highly skilled, veteran sides that was unfortunately marred by the incident between France's Zidane and Italy's Materazzi.

Signature athlete: France's Zinedine Zidane

One of the greatest midfielders of all time, the brilliant captain willed his team to the final, turning in one of the most dominant World Cup runs in the history of the competition: a key goal against Spain in the second round, a quarterfinal game-winning assist against Brazil, the lone goal on a penalty kick against Portugal in the semifinal, and another converted penalty in the early minutes of the final against Italy.

Though his late ejection likely lost his team the match, Zidane's heroics up to that point sealed his performance and the 2006 World Cup as legendary.

8. Chile 1962

In the first decades following the Second World War, the World Cup was still hardly a worldwide competition.

The champions of Asia, Africa, and North America were not guaranteed entry in the tournament and had to face off against European and South American sides for a spot in the World Cup Finals.

Despite the limited 16-team format and the absence of the champions of the globe's two most populous continents, the 1962 World Cup in Chile was an all-time great.

Chile's massive upset of the Soviet Union in the quarterfinal demonstrated the competitive advantage of hosting the tournament. A pair of great semifinal rivalry matches between Brazil and Chile and Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia set up a classic final clash between the beautiful attacking style of Brazil and the buckled-down defensive play of Warsaw Pact members Czechoslovakia.

Brazil, without Pelé for most of the tournament, became the first successful title defenders in the post-War era. No one has repeated the feat since.

But 1962 will forever be remembered for the play of Garrincha, who more than picked up the slack for Pelé, and led his team to victory with his peerless dribbling, piercing runs, and deft shooting touch.

Rivalry quotient: OK

A group stage match between England and Argentina before 1966 counts for nothing.

This tournament's rivalry power came from behind the Iron Curtain, and from a classic Brazil-Chile semifinal.

Eastern bloc powers Yugoslavia and the USSR clashed in the first round.

Czechoslovakia's famous run to the final on the back of in-form goalkeeper Viliam Schrojf was all the more special because it involved beating favored Hungary and Yugoslavia along the way.

Signature match: Brazil-England quarterfinal on June 10 in Viña del Mar

A 3-1 victory Brazil on the strength of Garrincha's famous one-man show and 59th minute "banana" shot. It also featured Tottenham legend Jimmy Greaves moonlighting as a dogcatcher, which is not surprising, since it's probably preferable on-the-whole to playing at White Hart Lane.

Signature athlete: Brazil's Garrincha

Not only did the "Little Wren" tie for the goal-scoring title, but he dominated this competition in a way that will forever put him in the same sentence as Maradona in 1986, Eusebio in 1966, Zidane in 2006, or Pelé four years earlier in 1958.

7. England 1966

"Some people are on the pitch; they think it's all over...it is now!"

One of the great tournaments of all time, capped by one of the most memorable and controversial finals—England fans then and now could hardly envision a more thoroughly English way of winning the World Cup: Wembley Stadium, the hated German rivals, Her Majesty the Queen, Geoff Hurst's controversial hat trick (the ball was definitely NOT over the line!).

This tournament also gave us the origin of the great England-Argentina rivalry, the surprise run of North Korea, another tragic Pelé injury, and the sheer dominance of perhaps the greatest pure striker in World Cup history, Eusébio.

Rivalry quotient: OK

Franz Beckenbauer's goal sealed West Germany's semifinal win over Lev Yashin's USSR, who had beaten their Eastern European rivals Hungary only three days earlier.

West Germany and Argentina, though not strictly rivals, have had some memorable World Cup clashes down through the years, but the biggest rivalry match at England '66 was the bitter Argentina-England quarterfinal, "el robo del siglo" to this day in Argentina.

Questionable officiating throughout the tournament has largely been forgotten, but the inexplicable ejection of Argentina captain Antonio Rattín and the shameful displays and verbal exchanges that followed preserve the notoriety of the England-Argentina match to this day.

Signature match: England-Portugal semifinal on July 26 in London

A 2-1 England victory thanks to a goal in each half from Sir Bobby Charlton and the performance of the tournament from fearless and toothless Manchester United legend Nobby Stiles, who shut down Eusébio for the entire match.

Signature athlete: Portugal's Eusébio

In a dirty match against Brazil, the greatest player in Portuguese history rose above the fray to set up Simöes' goal and added two of his own, cementing Portugal's decisive victory and eliminating the two-time defending champions.

In the quarterfinal his team trailed 3-0 early to surprise performers North Korea, but Eusébio, undaunted, proceeded to score four goals of his own, including an iconic half-volley from inside the penalty box.

Until Portugal's semifinal run-in with charmed hosts England, Eusébio was unstoppable.

6. Korea-Japan 2002

Rocky, The Karate Kid, The Bad News Bears, the American Revolution...everyone loves an underdog story, and the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, co-hosted by two nations for the first time, featured one upset special after another.

From the opening whistle of the tournament almost to its finish, Korea-Japan '02 was full of surprises, as teams like Argentina, Portugal, and France failed to advance out of group play, while surprise teams like the USA, Senegal, Turkey, and hosts South Korea advanced to the quarterfinal and beyond.

Some disgruntled Europeans and South Americans complained about Adidas' new ball design, some complained about the Korean drums, the officiating, or the air quality in the Greater Tokyo area.

Whatever the reason, never before has there been such a refreshing atmosphere of unpredictability about the World Cup. It's ironic that in the end the championship was contested by Germany and Brazil, the two most frequent Cup finalists in history.

Rivalry quotient: Strong

The opening match of the tournament set the tone for the upset-fest that would follow when Senegal defeated their former colonial occupiers, reigning champions France, 1-0 in Seoul.

England beat Argentina on Beckham's redemptive PK to earn a key three points and help ensure Argentina's early exit.

USA handled Mexico in impressive fashion in an exciting second round CONCACAF faceoff.

The Americans then played a dominant first half before their elimination by Oliver Kahn in the quarterfinal. This match planted the seeds of a potential rivalry after an obvious non-call on a goal-saving handball by Torsten Frings.

Also, though not strictly a rivalry match, the 2002 final pitted Germany and Brazil against each other, amazingly, for the first time in the history of the tournament.

Signature match: South Korea-Italy in the second round on June 18 in Daejeon

South Korea advanced on a 118th minute golden goal in what was a dirty, poorly officiated game that many Italians still haven't gotten over even after their 2006 title.

Despite the sensational nature of a few dirty highlights, the Koreans probably benefited more from the phenomenal crowd support at the relatively small Daejeon World Cup Stadium than from any kind of crooked officiating...a subject that Italy probably knows a lot more about anyway.

Signature athlete: Germany's Oliver Kahn

Before losing in the final to a high-powered Brazilian team, Oliver Kahn only allowed a single extra-time goal in the entire tournament, a feat which places his 2002 performance among the greatest 'keeping efforts in World Cup history, easily matching Schrojf in '62, Yashin and Banks in '66, Zoff in '82, and Barthez in '98. Kahn is the only goalkeeper to date to have won the golden ball award for the World Cup's best player.

5. Sweden 1958

Do you like goals? Do you like Pelé? Do you like sensible, law-abiding Swedes, one-game playoffs, and coaches named Winterbottom?

If so, then the goal-happy 1958 Världsmästerskapet, featuring the exploits of 17-year-old Edison Arantes do Nascimento, may be for you!

The tournament had its logistical problems: because of the lack of adequate tie-breaking rules, second place in three of the four first round groups was decided by a single match playoff. There was little else to complain of, however.

The 16-team tournament included all four of the United Kingdom's Home Nations for the first and last time, averaged a whopping 3.6 goals per game, and introduced the world to the scientific football of the USSR, the goalkeeping of Lev Yashin, and the literally unstoppable Brazilian duo of Garrincha and Pelé.

Sweden '58 also saw France's Just Fontaine score 13 goals over the course of the competition (though four came in the third-place match)—a single tournament scoring record that stands to this day.

Hosts Sweden scored impressive victories against the USSR and title-holders West Germany en route to the final, but Brazil was more than a match for the Blågult, as they sailed to their first title under the politely disappointed eyes of the home crowd.

Rivalry quotient: Very weak

Cold warriors England and the USSR clashed twice in the first round and France and West Germany played an exciting 6-3 third place match, but without any traditional football rivals squaring off (the rambunctious Home Nations were spread among the four round robin groups), Sweden '58 was practically free of contentious or violent rivalry encounters.

Signature match: France-Brazil semifinal on June 24 in Solna

The Sweden-Brazil final, a 5-2 win for the Brazilians, featured the most famous Pelé goal, as well as a lesser-known but wonderful piece of skill by aging Swedish captain Nils Liedholm. However, it was the semifinal showdown between the tournament's two most exciting teams, the legendary French squad of Fontaine and Raymond Kopa, and the Brazil side of Garrincha, Pelé, and Vava, that best embodied the spirit of the competition.

Signature athlete: Brazil's Pelé

The youngest player in the tournament was not only its brightest star, but was the leading scorer of the champion Brazil squad.

4. Mexico 1986

What is it about the rarified atmosphere of the Estadio Azteca that lends itself to great performances?

In 1970 there was the West Germany-Italy semifinal and the Brazilian Dream Team's wonder final.

1986 became the Diego Maradona show.

Continuing the expanded 24-team field that worked successfully in 1982, but replacing the second group stage with knockout quarter- and semifinal rounds, 1986 inaugurated an exciting new age of World Cups that would produce some of the most memorable overtime thrillers and penalty shootouts in the history of competitive sports.

Many of 1982's most interesting participants were back: Zico's Brazil, Platini's France, and a reloaded, but even more formidable West German side. Also back was Argentina's young Maradona, this time assuming the captain's mantle from encephalitis-stricken Daniel Passarella.

As the tournament progressed, Maradona took over: After contributing to the winning goal, he struck the bar, gift-wrapped a couple of near misses for teammates, and had a goal called offside in Argentina's second round bout with long-time rivals Uruguay.

In the quarterfinal, Maradona scored the most infamous and the most sublime goals in World Cup history five minutes apart against bitter rivals England.

In the semifinal, he ran amok among the Belgian defense, scoring twice to lead his team to the final.

In Argentina's 3-2 win over West Germany, Maradona's leading pass to Hector Enrique enabled Jorge Valdano's 55th minute goal, and his long pass assisted Jorge Burruchaga's 83rd minute winner.

Hate him or love him, Maradona was one of the greats, and he made Mexico '86 into his playground.

Rivalry quotient: Strong

Michel Platini's France manhandled rivals and title-holders Italy in the second round before falling once again to their bête noire of the decade, West Germany.

Argentina-Uruguay has always been a chippy tie, and the 1986 match, which saw seven caution cards, was no exception.

The Argentina-England quarterfinal not only surpassed all the other rivalry matches of the 1986 tournament, but it carries the dubious distinction of heading the list of notorious clashes between la Albiceleste and the Three Lions.

In their first competitive match since the 1966 quarterfinal that got it all started, and against the background of the 1982 Falklands Conflict, Argentina and England played a memorable match that saw rioting in the stands before the first whistle even blew.

Signature match: Argentina-England quarterfinal on June 22 in Mexico City (what else?)

Argentina won, 2-1, thanks to the infamous "Hand of God" goal and the celebrated "goal of the century," which was as magnificent as the Hand of God was dirty.

Signature athlete: Argentina's Diego Maradona

The golden ball winner captained his side, scored two of the greatest goals in the history of the World Cup against England and Belgium, and led his team to their second historic title in eight years.

3. Spain 1982

Only twice in the first eight World Cups that followed World War II did former champions Italy advance beyond the first round: In 1970 they were crushed in the final by the greatest team in World Cup history, and in 1978 they lost to Brazil again in the third-place game.

In the Spain 1982 edition of the tournament, however, Italy got their groove back.

For the first time, the field was expanded to 24 teams. Not only had favorite contenders West Germany, France, Brazil, and Argentina made the trip, but they were joined by a host of surprise performers like Belgium, Northern Ireland, and Austria, to say nothing of the strong Polish squad that had been performing impressively on the international level since Górski’s Eagles' gold medal at the '72 Munich Olympics.

Italy did not begin the tournament in promising form, finishing second in their first round group and only managing three draws and two goals against Cameroon, Peru, and Poland.

In a second-round group with defending champions Argentina and a powerhouse Brazil team led by Socrates, Falcão, and Zico, things looked grim for Italy.

Once they flexed their defensive muscle, with Juventus' Claudio Gentile and Gaetano Scirea shutting down Diego Maradona's Argentina, however, the Azzurri flipped a switch and never looked back.

Six days later, on July 5, one of the greatest clashes of competing football philosophies played out in the old Estadio Sarriá in Barcelona, as Italy upset Brazil on the strength of previously goalless Paolo Rossi's opportunistic hat-trick.

Catapulted into a semifinal rematch with Poland, Rossi, now on a roll, scored twice to eliminate the Poles, sealing Italy's place in the final against West Germany.

The 3-1 final, in which Rossi opened the scoring in the 57th minute, was anticlimactic given the legendary West Germany-France penalty shootout in the previous round and Italy's surprise trouncing of Brazil six days earlier.

Style points were never part of Italy's winning formula, however, and Spain '82 was only the beginning of Italy's resurrected World Cup form. Over the next six Cups, Italy managed to parlay their signature counterattacking, defense-first style into a third place finish at home in 1990, second place in USA '94, and a European record fourth championship at Germany '06.

Rivalry quotient: Fair

England and West Germany played to a goalless draw in the second round.

Title-holders Argentina proved no match for Brazil's brilliant runs and one-touch passing, mercifully falling 3-1 in a match that could easily have seen four or five Brazilian goals.

In the era of the Gdansk shipyard strikes and the Solidarity movement, the caution card-heavy 0-0 second round stalemate between the Soviet Union and Poland seemed apropos.

West Germany and France played a classic 3-3 semifinal that ended in a tear-filled penalty shootout win for the Germans. Four years later, West Germany would beat France in the semifinal once again...poor Michel Platini.

Signature match: Italy-Brazil second-round meeting on July 5 in Barcelona

Italy won in the upset of the tournament, 3-2, taking advantage of Brazil's defensive errors to take the lead three times, the last time for good.

Brazil only needed a point to advance, forcing Italy to play for the win. Despite this situation, both teams played to their strengths, with Italy sitting back and playing their modified catenaccio defense, the Zona Mista, while Brazil put on a show, controlling the run of play and constantly threatening the 40-year-old Italian 'keeper and captain, Dino Zoff.

Twice Paolo Rossi took advantage of Brazilian errors only to have Brazil respond with a classic combination from Zico and Socrates in the 12th minute and a brilliant left-footed strike from Falcão in the 68th.

A poor corner kick clearance by the Brazilians, however, and Rossi put Italy on top with less than twenty minutes to play. Another goal, unbelievably called offside in the closing minutes, would have put a definitive stamp on the win, but as it was, Zoff had to come to the rescue with a flypaper stop on a rocket header from Brazilian defender Oscar.

Signature athlete: Paolo Rossi

One of the least dominant strikers to win golden boot and golden ball honors at the World Cup, Rossi didn't create his own opportunities as much as he expertly capitalized on opposing defenses' errors.

The six goals he scored in Italy's final three matches were not the prettiest ones of the tournament, but they reflected the determination and football intelligence of the victorious Azzurri.

2. Mexico 1970

Pelé, Jairzinho, Rivelino, Rivelino's killer 'stache, Gerson, Carlos Alberto, Tostão...who needs to play defense with a lineup like that?

Brazil didn't. In fact, en route to their third championship in four World Cups, Brazil allowed more goals than any subsequent champions, but they didn't care. They arrived in Mexico confident that they could outscore all-comers, and they were right.

The current maxim throughout professional and international sports may be that "defense wins championships," but at Mexico '70, Brazil infused the entire tournament with an attack-first spirit of free-flowing, creative football that would never again be played with such success at the international level.

The Brazilian muse was so strong, even normally stolid West Germany and Italy got in on the action, playing a 4-3 overtime thriller that many consider "the Game of the Century."

Pelé's last tournament, the last great attack-minded Brazil squad, the last time the old Jules Rimet World Cup trophy was awarded: 1970 was the end of the classic "Joga Bonito" era, but unlike most dynasties, Pelé's Brazil went out with a spectacular bang.

Rivalry quotient: Weak

Knockout stage matches between Brazil and Uruguay and England and West Germany, notwithstanding, this tournament was not big on traditional rivalries.

Signature match: Italy-West Germany semifinal on June 17 in Mexico City

Italy took a 4-3 victory in overtime after leading 1-0 going into the final minute of regular time.

After the Germans leveled to send the match to extra time, a frenzy of fast-paced, anything-you-can-do-I-can-do-better football ensued, providing five goals in less than a 20 minute period.

Brazil's legendary run may have been the story of the tournament, but "the Game of Century" was probably the best match of Mexico '70.

Signature athlete: Brazil's Pelé

If this tournament had been a passing of the guard from one generation of Brazilian football gods to the next, it may have been fitting to select Jairzinho, the tournament's second leading scorer, who accomplished the impressive feat of scoring in each of Brazil's six matches

As previously stated, however, this World Cup represented the end of an era, and Pelé was the reluctant hero with nothing to prove, returning to the main stage of international football despite promising never to play in another World Cup after the physical brutality he suffered in both 1962 and 1966.

Pelé returned out of love for the game, led a new team to victory, and—though 12 years removed from his first World Cup appearance—put on a display that confirmed his status as "the King of Football," the greatest player in World Cup history.

1. France 1998

Frank de Boer speelt de bal, heel goed naar Dennis Bergkamp.
Dennis Bergkamp. Dennis Bergkamp neemt de bal aan! Dennis Bergkamp! DENNIS BERGKAMP! DENNIS BERGKAMP! DENNIS BERGKAMP! DENNIS BERGKAMP!
Ooooooooooooohhhh!!! Frank de Boer speelt de bal naar Dennis Bergkamp, die neemt de bal feilloos aan en die schiet de bal er in! We spelen nog officieel 20 seconden, Dennis Bergkamp!*

By the time France '98 was over, there wasn't an announcer on the planet who had a stockpile of cliches, superlatives, and exuberant catch-phrases left to describe the spectacle.

With a 32-team field, four first time qualifiers and a first time winner in France, the 1998 tournament had a freshness and an inclusive quality from the start that promised to make it a spectacular competition.

As the tournament progressed, things only got better and better.

Literally every match from the quarterfinal on, including the third-place game, was a classic.

In the final, when hosts France met title-holders Brazil, we knew that the two best teams were squaring off.

1998 was also one of the greatest collections of technical goals in one competition, including Dennis Bergkamp's gem, "the Goal" by Michael Owen, and Sunday Oliseh's wonder strike against Spain.

To top it all off, France '98 even featured the least ridiculous mascot in the history of the World Cup, Footix.

Rivalry quotient: Strong

Rivalry matches, great and small, included the USA-Iran geopolitical grudge match, Brazil-Chile's second round goal fest, Argentina and England's thrilling second round encounter—their first World Cup meeting since the infamous "Hand of God" quarterfinal in '86—and the shootout nail-biter between France and Italy in the quarterfinal.

Signature match: Brazil-France final on July 12 in Saint-Denis, Paris

The Argentina matches against England and the Netherlands saw two of the greatest goals in the history of the tournament; the Brazil-Denmark and Netherlands-Croatia matches were full of skill and pace. With so many great matches in one tournament, it is only fitting that the compelling final represent them all.

From Emmanuel Petit to Laurent Blanc to Fabien Barthez to Lillian Thuram, France seemed to have a different hero every day. The final, however, belonged to Zinedine Zidane alone. More than making up for his senseless ejection and two-match ban earlier in the tournament, Zidane scored two headed goals in the first half to give France a commanding lead in which Brazil, who entered the final as the highest scoring team in the tournament, couldn't make a dent leading up to the 3-0 final score.

Under the lights at the Stade de France, brutalizing the team that ended their record-setting 1958 run, France were finally supreme.

Signature athlete: Davor Šuker

Like so many great players in World Cup history, Davor Šuker was everything to his country, scoring the right goals at the right time to earn his team a surprise third-place finish.

Ronaldo won the Golden Boot, but he was playing for the reigning world champions and the greatest footballing nation in history, while Šuker's Croatia were playing in their first World Cup as an independent nation.

While Ronaldo played with Rivaldo and the veteran Bebeto, only one Croat other than Šuker tallied more than a single goal.

Šuker was the man.

*Thanks to Rutger Brand for the Dutch transcript of the Bergkamp goal.

South Africa 2010?

Perhaps Korea-Japan 2002 sets the best precedent for the coming World Cup?

A who's who of European stars far from the comfort zone of Europe's traditional elite, raucous local supporters who let their preferences be known, a host of unheralded teams led by young stars: Is another upset special in-store? Is Mexico this year's Turkey? Are South Africa this year's South Korea?

2002 would be an exciting precedent to follow, but so would any of the other previously listed tournaments.

The best thing to hope for this summer is that the 2010 World Cup in South Africa sets itself apart from the rest, going down in history on the strength of its own unique merits.

If it does, it too may carve out a place among the all-time greats.