2010 FIFA World Cup

The FIFA World Cup heads for South Africa in 2010, marking the first time that the world’s second biggest sports event will be hosted on the African continent. The tournament has sparked a flurry of development in South Africa, including the construction of four massive stadiums to cater for the large influx of international football supporters expected to attend.

The 2010 FIFA World Cup will run from the 11th of June to the 11th of July 2010, and will feature 32 teams from the 6 FIFA regions playing in 8 groups. The tournament will be held in 10 different cities across South Africa, with the final taking place at Soccer City in Johannesburg on the 11th of July.

FIFA World Cup History

The FIFA World Cup is the oldest international sports tournament with the exception of the Summer Olympics. The event was held for the first time in 1930, when 13 teams traveled to Uruguay to contest the inaugural FIFA World Cup. The event was created largely in response to the dropping of football from the Olympic program that same year.

The popularity of the tournament surged after the Second World War as improvement in public broadcasting allowed fans all over the world to keep track of events at the tournament. The tournament was contest by 16 teams until 1982, when the FIFA World Cup was expanded to include another 8 teams.

The FIFA World Cup entered its golden age during the 1980s, with hundreds of teams from around the globe attempting to qualify for the tournament. In 1998 the FIFA World Cup was expanded again to cater for the massive interest in the tournament, with 32 berths available to qualifiers.

2010 FIFA World Cup Betting

Expect bookmakers to go all out to attract punters during the biggest single sports tournament in the world. UK Sportsbooks will offer dozens of free bets and betting specials to attract the business of football fans wishing to place money on games.

Ante-post betting markets are open for the four-year period between tournaments, which means that fans can bet on outright winners or qualifiers for the 2010 FIFA World Cup at any time. Once the qualifiers have been confirmed, ante-post betting will open on the winners of the tournament group stages.

Up to £100 Free Bet at Bet365
Bet365 will match your first bet up to the value of £25. Thereafter your account will be credited with up to £25 for every 5th bet until you have redeemed the full value of £100

• Open your new account at Bet365
• Place your 1st bet and Bet365 gives you your 1st free bet
• Bet365 will then continue to give you more free bets as you punt

Bet365 Free £100 Football World Cup Bets Bet365 Review

FIFA World Cup Winners

Only seven countries have lifted the FIFA World Cup since the tournament was launched in 1930. Brazil is the most prolific winner to date, winning 5 of the FIFA World Cups with Italy close behind on 4 FIFA World Cup titles.