Football fever is about to take over the planet, with the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil kicking off on Thursday (FYI, FIFA is the body that governs world football).
There’ll be people in your life watching matches at some point over the next month and you can expect endless conversations about the tournament. So if your experience in 2010, when South Africa hosted the World Cup, only consisted of face painting, fan walking and drinking – fear not! Over the next few weeks everything you need to know about the World Cup and those who play in it will be right here.
Let’s start with the basics – here’s your beginner’s guide to the World Cup!
1. The FIFA World Cup happens once every four years.
2. This year Brazil are hosts. (Apart from being football-mad, Brazil is also home to famous faces like Gisele Bündchen, Rodrigo Santoro, Alessandra Ambrósio and Felipe Massa)
3. There are 32 countries that compete. And no, South Africa did not qualify.
4. There are eight groups of four. Those four countries play each other and the top two from each group – three points for a win, one for a draw – go to the next round.
5. The toughest group is called Group of Death. People don’t actually die, just, you know, their hopes and dreams. This year it is Group D, with three former World Champions – Italy, England and Uruguay – as well as Costa Rica in the mix. Although Group G (Germany, Portugal, Ghana and USA) is just as lethal.
6. It starts on June 12, with Brazil vs Croatia in Sao Paulo. The final is on July 13.
7. Brazil have won the most World Cups (5).
8. The World Cup is the most-watched tournament on the planet because, well, it’s pretty awesome. So pick a team and buckle up for the ride.
Julia Stuart is a Sports Anchor on eNCA and eTV. You can follow her on Twitter at @MissJ_Official.
