2010 FIFA World Cup Predictions: World Cup's a Tossup, But Here's a Guess

It's the world's most popular sport, and this is the time when TVs from the North Pole to the South  Pole are turned to the same program.

That's the World Cup, and in America that means casual fans start paying attention to real football.

This Cup is more wide open than any I can remember recently, so my prediction could be wildly wrong. But let's check the crystal ball anyway.

The group stage should play like this (teams in each group are ranked in the order of predicted finish).

Group A

France

Mexico

South Africa

Uruguay

Group B

Argentina

Nigeria

South Korea

Greece

Group C

USA (tied for first)

England (tied for first)

Algeria

Slovenia

Group D

Germany

Ghana

Australia

Serbia

Group E

Cameroon

Netherlands

Denmark

Japan

Group F

Italy

Paraguay

New Zealand

Slovakia

Group G

Portugal

Brazil

Ivory Coast

North Korea

Group H

Spain

Switzerland

Honduras

Chile

Second round

France over Nigeria

USA over Ghana

Paraguay over Cameroon

Portugal over Switzerland

Argentina over Mexico

England over Germany

Italy over Netherlands

Brazil over Spain

Quarterfinals

France over USA

Portugal over Paraguay

Argentina over England

Italy over Brazil

Semifinals

Portugal over France

Argentina over Italy.

Final

Argentina over Portugal

The Golden Ball will go to Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo.