Special Report

World Cup 2010

The quadrennial World Cup soccer championship is the most-watched athletic event in the world. Read about the players, teams, venues, and business impact

World Cup Soundtrack May Be Missed

The vuvuzelas were incessant and, okay, annoying, but they signified genuine fan involvement in a championship whose final saw the better team win
Octopus Tips Spain to Beat Netherlands in Final

Paul, the German octopus whose "predictions" of game winners became one of the big stories of the World Cup, picked Spain to beat Holland in the final
Slide Show: Cities and Stadiums of the 2010 World Cup

South Africa has splashed out $1.5 billion building and upgrading stadiums for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, but the country's natural beauty may impress visitors more
Slide Show: Teams and Stars of the 2010 World Cup

The 32 teams from around the world competing in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa offer dazzling players and fancy footwork. Only one will take home the trophy
Germany, Argentina Reach Final 8 Amid Controversy

Three-time champion Germany beat England 4-1 to reach a soccer World Cup quarterfinal against Argentina, a 3-1 winner against Mexico, as controversial calls overshadowed both games
World Cup May Boost African Economy

South Africa's "world-class" companies may gain from the soccer World Cup and support economic resurgence across the continent, says Templeton Asset Management's Mark Mobius
World Cup: Guerillas on the Pitch

FIFA tightly controls its World Cup sponsorships—but guerilla marketers still use clever ploys to grab eyeballs for their nonsponsor clients
The World Is Watching the World Cup

A spectator's guide to the soccer tournament in South Africa. Whom to root for—or against—and who has the coolest uniforms
The Cream of the Crop

The world's best—and some of its richest—players will be competing for a wealth of pride next week
Watching the World Cup via MLB

Major League Baseball Advanced Media will provide World Cup coverage over the Net—and probably break all video streaming records

South Africa Bets World Cup Will Silence Skeptics

South Africa is racing to complete preparations for the World Cup, betting that $5.5 billion in investment will help transform its reputation for rampant crime and racial tension
South Africa: A Big Bounce from the World Cup

The nation's economy has grown since the end of apartheid. On the eve of the World Cup, it measures how far it has come and how far it has to go
The World Cup's $3 Billion Goal

South Africa plays host to the world's biggest sporting event, which will attract millions of soccer fans and generate more than $3.3 billion
East German Brewer Wins World Cup Nod

Though InBev's Anheuser-Busch holds rights to sell beer at the 2010 soccer World Cup in South Africa, eastern German Hasseröder has grabbed a place
South Africa Says World Cup Safety Concerns "Illogical"

The head of the soccer World Cup organizing committee in South Africa dismissed concerns over the safety of the event after the Togolese national team was attacked by rebels in Angola
German World Cup Victory to Benefit Economy the Most

The world economy will benefit more from a victory by Germany at this year's World Cup soccer championship than if any other national team were to win
Web-Shy South Africans Queue for World Cup Tickets

South Africans, many of whom have no access to the Internet, are lining up for tickets to World Cup matches that went on sale over-the-counter
SABMiller to Sell Up to 10 Million Beers at World Cup Fan Parks

SABMiller said it reached agreement with FIFA to supply as many as 10 million beers at fan parks during the World Cup in South Africa this year
Brazil Banks to Reduce Hours During World Cup

Brazilian banks will reduce business hours during the World Cup to let employees join the rest of the soccer-crazed country in watching their national team
The 2006 World Cup

Everything you want to know about the players, venues, Web sites, and sponsors