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World Cup Soccer 2006 — Destination Germany
History of World Cup
The World Cup was not the first international football competition. Amateur football became a part of the official Olympic programme for the first time in 1908. In Turin in 1909, in what is sometimes described as the First World Cup, Sir Thomas Lipton organised a football tournament to contest the Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy. Italy, Germany and Switzerland sent their most prestigious professional club sides to the competition but the Football Association of England refused to be associated with it and declined the offer to send a team. Not wishing to have Britain unrepresented in the competition, Lipton invited West Auckland FC, an amateur side from the north-east of England to take part. West Auckland won the tournament and returned to Italy in 1911 to defend their title. In the second competition West Auckland beat Juventus 6-1 in the final and was awarded the trophy outright.
In the Olympic games of 1924 and 1928, Uruguay won the football gold medal, in what was considered a proto-world cup. Unofficially, FIFA recognised Uruguay as World Champion. These victories led the FIFA to choose Uruguay as the home of the first FIFA sanctioned World Cup.
This clash, between triple FIFA World Cup winners Germany and a USA side through to the quarter-finals for only the second time in their country’s history, had an unbalanced air about it. But the match, contested at Ulsan’s Munsal Stadium on 21 June 2002, was a close-run affair all the way to the final whistle. Germany’s victory courtesy of a Michael Ballack header (1-0) took the Mannschaft to their tenth FIFA World Cup semi-final. The armbands worn by the players were in memory of Fritz Walter, the architect of Germany’s first ever triumph in the competition back in 1954, who passed away during this FIFA World Cup.
The general lack of interest from the Americans and a disagreement between FIFA and the IOC over the status of amateur players led to football being dropped from the official Olympic programme for the 1932 games. As a consequence, Jules Rimet, who had become president of FIFA in 1921, set about organising the inaugural World Cup tournament, to take place in Uruguay in 1930. The national associations of selected nations were invited to send a team but the choice of Uruguay as a venue for the competition meant a long and costly trip across the Atlantic for European sides and up until two months before the start of the competition no country from that continent had promised to send a team. Rimet eventually persuaded teams representing Belgium, France, Romania, and Yugoslavia to make the trip. In total, 13 nations took part — seven from South America, four from Europe and two from North America. Uruguay beat Argentina 4-2 in front of a crowd of 93,000 in Montevideo to become the first nation to win the World Cup trophy. In 1946 the World Cup trophy (Coupe du Monde) was renamed the Jules Rimet trophy in his honour.In 1970, Brazil’s third victory in the tournament entitled them to keep the original trophy and a new trophy was then designed. Argentina, Germany (both times as West Germany), and Brazil have all won the second trophy twice. However, the current trophy will not be retired until the name plaque has been entirely filled with the names of winning nations. This will not happen until 2038.
Jens Lehmann (Germany) Jens Lehmann (born November 10, 1969 in Essen) is a German football goalkeeper who currently plays for Arsenal.
Lehmann made his debut for the national team against Oman in February 1998 and has since earned 29 caps for his country, most of which were friendlies. He has a well-publicised rivalry with Bayern Munich goalkeeper Oliver Kahn, whose presence has long prevented Lehmann from becoming the number one goalkeeper of the German national team. On April 7, 2006, however, German national coach Jürgen Klinsmann announced that Lehmann would be Germany’s first-choice goalkeeper for the upcoming World Cup — a particularly significant endorsement, given that Germany is the host nation.
Rafael Marquez (Mexico) Rafael Márquez Álvarez (born February 13, 1979 in Zamora, Michoacán, Mexico) is a Mexican football player, who currently plays for FC Barcelona of the Spanish La Liga. His most usual demarcations are central defender and defensive midfielder. He has been selected for the list of 26 players eligible for the 2006 World Cup in Germany in June 2006.
Since his debut in February 5, 1997, Marquez has been one of the Mexican national team’s most important players. He started all four of the team’s games in the 2002 World Cup, and has been an integral part of two World Cup Qualifying campaigns. On May 17, 2006, he won the UEFA Champions League with Barcelona, making him the first ever Mexican soccer player to accomplish such a feat. Even the Greatest Mexican Soccer Player of all times, Hugo Sanchez, never won the Champion’s League with Real Madrid.
Sol Campbell (England) Sulzeer Jeremiah “Sol” Campbell (born September 18, 1974) is an English footballer with Arsenal and England.
Campbell continues to play for Arsenal, winning an FA Cup winners’ medal in 2005, as well as England, although his place in the international team has been less secure since the emergence as a partnership of Terry and Ferdinand, which blossomed during Campbell’s period of absence with injury in 2005. That said, in October 2005 he won his 66th cap and earned himself (jointly) a place in the top 20 most capped England players. He has recently been picked to play in the 2006 World Cup Finals and he will become the first England player to feature in the final stages of six separate tournaments.
Ashley Cole (England)
Ashley Cole (born December 20, 1980 in London) is an English football player of half Barbadian descent. He is a defender, who nearly always plays at left back. He currently plays for Arsenal and the English national team.
Cole is known for his substantial pace, which is often used to great effect in supporting and overlapping the left-winger in front of him; in recent seasons that has been Robert Pirès. Critics have said his attacking talents conceal defensive weaknesses, though Cole’s rapid ascension into the Arsenal and England teams at a young age demonstrates that the teams’ respective managers have confidence in his abilities.
Edmilson (Brazil) Edmílson, real name José Edmílson Gomes Moraes, (born July 10, 1976 in Taquaritinga, Brazil) is a Brazilian-Italian football player. He played centre-back with São Paulo F.C., Olympique Lyonnais and FC Barcelona.
He received 36 caps with the Brazilian national team, the first one on July 18, 2000, and won the Football World Cup 2002. He won the São Paulo State, French and Spanish championships with São Paulo F.C., Olympique Lyonnais and FC Barcelona. Since moving to Europe, he has won a domestic championship in his first six seasons (four with Lyon, two with Barcelona).
While playing with FC Barcelona he suffered two serious injuries, but was able to fully recover and played an important role in the teams’ success on the domestic and European scenes in the 2005-2006 seasons.
Mark van Bommel (Netherlands) Mark van Bommel (born April 22, 1977 in Maasbracht, Netherlands) is a Dutch footballer, who currently plays for FC Barcelona.
His international statistics stand at 33 caps for the Dutch with seven goals to his credit. He has won the Dutch Player of the Year award twice in 2001 and 2002 as well as the Johan Cruijff Shield in 2001 and 2003.
Deco (Portugal) Anderson Luiz de Sousa (born August 27, 1977 in São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil) is a professional footballer popularly known as Deco. He plays internationally for Portugal.
During the 2003-04 seasons, Deco was the player who had won the most trophies and awards. Deco holds, after winning the UEFA Champions League in 2005-06, more international trophies than the Portuguese superstar Luis Figo. Already regarded as one of the world’s best midfielders, Deco was one of the reasons Barcelona won the La Liga.
Gilberto Silva (Brazil) Gilberto Aparecido da Silva (born October 7, 1976 in Lagoa da Prata, Brazil) is a Brazilian national football player who plays for Arsenal as a midfielder.
“If you never give up then you always have a chance, and they got a great example from a World Cup winner. You only have to see where Gilberto was when we got the ball back and where he was when he scored his goal. Remember this is a guy who has won everything.” —Arsene Wenger
Fredrik Ljungberg (Sweden)
Karl Fredrik “Freddie” Ljungberg (born April 16, 1977 in Vittsjö) is a Swedish footballer who currently plays for Arsenal in the English Premiership. For Sweden, Ljungberg played at Euro 2000, the 2002 World Cup, and Euro 2004. He has appeared over 50 times for his country, scoring eight goals.
As of October 22, 2005 Ljungberg has played 179 Premiership games for Arsenal, scoring 45 goals and making 24 assists. In the Champions League, he has played 48 games and scored 13 goals. He is currently the longest serving player in Arsenal after Dennis Bergkamp.
Ronaldinho (Brazil) Ronaldo de Assis Moreira (born March 21, 1980 in Porto Alegre, Brazil) is a footballer more commonly known as Ronaldinho Gaúcho, due to his being from the Rio Grande do Sul state of Brazil, or simply Ronaldinho.
His name Ronaldinho, Portuguese for “little Ronaldo”, was originally devised as a means of distinguishing between himself and fellow Brazilian footballer Ronaldo. Among his many achievements and accolades, Ronaldinho has been awarded the FIFA World Player of the Year award twice as well as both the European Footballer of the Year award and the FIFPro World Player of the Year award once. He is widely regarded as the best player in the world by fans, pundits and peers alike, although he himself considers such talk ridiculous, having told FourFourTwo magazine, “I don’t even feel I’m the best at Barça.”
Henrik Larsson (Sweden) Henrik Larsson MBE (born September 20, 1971 in Helsingborg, Skåne län) is a Swedish international football player.
Having completed seven very successful years with Celtic in Glasgow, Scotland, after the end of the 2003/04 season he signed a one year contract with an option for a second year for Spanish giants Barcelona. Despite having missed the majority of season 2004/05 through injury, the option to play in season 2005/06 was extended and accepted. In the summer of 2006 he will return to his native Helsingborg to play for Helsingborgs IF. In his last match for Barcelona, he set up both of Barca’s goals as they won the Champions League.
Thierry Henry (France) Thierry Daniel Henry (born August 17, 1977 in Les Ulis, Essonne, France) is a French football player. He currently plays as a striker for the French national team, and for English club Arsenal, where he is the club’s all-time leading scorer in both league matches and all competitions. He has been acclaimed for his tremendous speed, great mobility, an outstanding first touch and unerring finishing. He is widely considered to be one of the top players in the world.
Henry has been twice nominated for the FIFA World Player of the Year in 2003 and 2004, both times finishing runner-up. Also, he was named by
Pelé as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers in March 2004.—M.H.P.
The official Mascots for the 2006 FIFA World Cup are:GOLEO VI: A mascot with character; and Pille: the cheeky little football
GOLEO VI
GOLEO VI the lion is the Official Mascot of the 2006 FIFA World Cup™. He is alive, talks and thinks. And naturally, he has his own opinions and point of view. Hailing from the African Steppes, Goleo VI was born in Botswana and the Roman numeral VI against his name shows that he is the sixth Goleo in his family tree.
Goleo had no intention to become a mascot himself; he was accompanying Pille to the ‘World Cup registration centre’; some people maintain that the lion himself — only by way of practice, of course — let out a mighty roar in the waiting room. Suddenly, GOLEO VI was the sole candidate.
GOLEO VI is 2.30 metres tall and weighs 220 kilograms, the ideal weight for a young lion. Despite his lithe and powerful physique, he is a sloppy character bursting with the self-confidence generally associated with the King of the animals. He never suffers nerves before a performance or meeting with famous stars, as nothing can go wrong for a lion.
Goleo does what he enjoys, playing football or watching live matches at the stadium, eyeing young lionesses, stretching out in the sun, gulping down hamburgers; in other words, Goleo lives a typical King’s life.
He has a childhood trauma of fishing nets and that is what scares him the most, but after all not all goal-posts have nets. Plus, he doesn’t understand the reason behind wearing a trouser.
PILLE
Wherever GOLEO VI goes, Pille the talking football follows. They may be an unlikely pair but their shared love of sport makes them inseparable. Born on August 22, 2003 in the Adidas football factory, unlike most balls, he is not filled with air but with a mysterious gas which brings him to life. Instead of being sent for secret tests, Pille ended up as the match ball for the UEFA European Championship fixture between Portugal and England on June 24, 2004 — and promptly flew over the crossbar from David Beckham’s penalty kick!
As Pille drifted high into the stand, he was caught by GOLEO VI who had somehow managed to sneak into the stadium without a ticket. Even today, he maintains that Pille deliberately flew into his arms — so he kept him. Pille still bitterly complains about what happened because he had hoped to prevent an English defeat. Pille is much more high-spirited than GOLEO VI and tries really hard to be the star of the show. He loves the limelight and makes the most of the attention lavished on him. After all, he never knows when he might be left abandoned in an alleyway or end up floating towards the sea on some river. As a ball, you have to live every minute as if it was your last.
The relationship between GOLEO VI and Pille resembles the typical interplay within an unequal double-act. Occasionally they cannot stand each other, but ultimately they cannot get by without each other. Situations frequently arise whereby they get on each other’s nerves and begin to think they would do much better apart. But at the critical moment, their special friendship comes to the fore. Each feels responsible for the other, and together they can achieve goals that would never be possible on their own.
This give and take is reflected in dialogues between GOLEO VI and Pille. Both are rapier-sharp and witty, and never miss a chance to put one over on the other. However, if a third party enters the scene, they are a true double-act.—M.H.P.
Berlin has a tradition as a sports city. Not only because the first ‘public exercise site’ was inaugurated as early as 1811, but also because many sporting highlights are staged here year by year.
Stadium: Olympiastadion
Capacity: 74,220
Dortmund
Sports are enormously popular among the population of Dortmund. Dortmund has hosted outstanding sporting events and is the location of major annual international events such as the Dortmund Six Day Race, the International Riding and Jumping Competition and the DJV Track and Field Meeting.
Stadium: FIFA World Cup Stadium, Dortmund
Capacity: 65,982
Frankfurt
Frankfurt gained special reputation by hosting the Tennis World Championships (ATP Finals) from 1990 until 1995 and the Federation Cup between 1992 and 1994. Annual major events are the classic cycling event, “Rund um den Henninger Turm”, an international show jumping event and the ETA Marathon Frankfurt.
Stadium: FIFA World Cup Stadium, Frankfurt
Capacity: 48,132
Gelsenkirchen
Football fans can preserve their energy for upcoming games by relaxing in the countless peaceful green areas around Gelsenkirchen. The sacred turf of the Arena is far from the only attractive greenery in Gelsenkirchen, with around a third of the city dedicated to parks, forests and meadows.
Stadium: FIFA World Cup Stadium Gelsenkirchen
Capacity: 53,804
Hamburg
Major sporting events are held in Hamburg throughout the year, and it is not unusual for the entire city to be on its feet. At the Hanse Marathon, for example, an elegant array of four-legged creatures competes neck and neck at the show-jumping, at polo tournaments, and at horse racing and trotting. In late summer, Hamburg’s streets are given over to cyclists racing in the HEW Cyclassics.
Stadium: FIFA World Cup Stadium Hamburg
Capacity: 51,055
Hanover
Hanover’s unique Sports Park is one of the city’s outstanding features, with the combined advantage of bordering on the city centre while at the same time being part of a large recreational area around Maschsee Lake. The conditions are practically ideal there both for top performance and for mass sports.
Stadium: FIFA World Cup Stadium Hanover
Capacity: 44,652
Kaiserslautern
Kaiserslautern is a football city. Its team, 1. FC Kaiserslautern has made the city famous throughout Europe. The team from the Betzenbergstadion had already won the championship in 1991, and was German Cup winners in 1990 and 1996.
Stadium: Fritz-Walter-Stadion
Capacity: 43,450
Cologne
Sports students from all over the globe study at the German Sports University, while the Coaching Academy nurtures German football’s elite coaching staff. The city boasts more than 30 teams in the highest league operated by their individual sports, but “sport for all” is well catered for too, thanks to a solid infrastructure featuring 860 sports clubs with 195,000 active participants. The city is one of Germany’s most passionate football towns, and Bundesliga outfit 1. FC Köln regularly plays to capacity crowds.
Hockey, handball, horse racing, basketball, ice hockey, American football, marathon running, rowing, cycling, and swimming represent just a selection of the sports practiced in the town.
Stadium: FIFA World Cup Stadium Cologne
Capacity: 46,120
Leipzig
Leipzig can look back on a proud tradition as a sports city and has been considered “Germany’s City of Gymnastics” since the 19th Century. Football has played a major role, too. The German Football Association, DFB, was founded in Leipzig in 1900; and VfB Leipzig achieved the first national German football title in 1903.
About 60,000 keep-fit enthusiasts in Leipzig exercise sports in 300 clubs which are the soul of the sports city of Leipzig.
Stadium: Zentralstadion
Capacity: 44,199
Munich
Munich enjoys a special place of honour in the world of sports as venue of the 1972 Olympic Summer Games. Since then innumerable events of national and international importance have been staged in the Olympiastadion.
Munich has been one of Europe’s most important sports cities since the 1972 Olympic Games. Munich offers 373 sports facilities to its 732 clubs with a total of 292,829 active members.
Stadium: FIFA World Cup Stadium Munich
Capacity: 66,016
Nuremberg
A total of 114 football clubs play in the Nuremberg-Fuerth district, including three-time German champion SpVgg Greuther Fürth — currently playing in the Zweite Bundesliga. 30 international clubs are also integrated in the match activities for which 340 football grounds are available.
Stadium: Frankenstadion
Capacity: 41,926
Stuttgart
By hosting the 1986 European Track and Field Championships Stuttgart established its reputation as an international sports city. The International Olympic Committee, IOC, awarded the Olympic Cup to the capital of Baden-Wuerttemberg. Further examples of sporting highlights in the Swabian Metropolis are matches of the 1974 FIFA World Cup and of EURO ‘88, and the 1993 IAAF Track and Field World Championships.
The football Bundesliga club VfB Stuttgart is the sporting symbol of Stuttgart.
Stadium: Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion
Capacity: 53,200.—M.H.P.
* The greatest success of a North American team was reaching the semi-finals. This was achieved by the USA at the 1930 World Cup.
* The first Asian teams to make it to the semi-finals was at the 2002 World Cup, when South Korea and Turkey both did this (Turkey is however a member of the UEFA, and thus sometimes considered a European country when it comes to football).
* Two African teams have reached the quarter-finals: Cameroon at the 1990 World Cup and Senegal in 2002.
* The only visits of teams from Oceania in the finals tournament ended in the first round: Australia (1974) and New Zealand (1982).—M.H.P.
For the 2018 finals, Netherlands and Belgium have expressed interest in holding the finals jointly, and England has also expressed a possibility of bidding for the prestigious event.—M.H.P.
France fall in opening shock The first big shock of the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan™: the opening match in Seoul on May 31 sees the French title-holders succumb to the sensational Senegalese (0-1). Thierry Henry, winner of the English Premier League’s Golden Boot in 2002 (with 24 goals), sinks to his knees in despair. Behind him, jubilant Rennes defender Lamine Diatta is just one of many “Senef”, the name given to the army of expatriate Senegalese players based in the French league (22 of the squad of 23). Senegal’s triumph in the opener was the first step on the adventure of a lifetime for the Africans, while mighty France, unable to recover, left Asia with their tails between their legs. Although not the first time a reigning world champion had been knocked out in the first round (Brazil, at England 1966), never before had the holders failed to score a single goal. 
Spanish forward Raul Gonzalez celebrates after scoring his first half goal against Slovenia in their Group B match at the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan in Gwangju, June 2, 2002. —AFP
Klose of Germany makes a flip after scoring the second goal as Saudi Arabia’s goalie Mohammed Al Deayeaat looks on at the Sapporo Dome in Sapporo, Japan, June 1, 2002 during match 4 group E of the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea Japan opposing Germany and Saudi Arabia.—AFP
World Cup USA 1994 Romario, ball glued to his feet, in the semi-final against Sweden. The FC Barcelona star, flanked by Bebeto, wreaked havoc on the best defences in the world game. Though Romario and national team coach Carlos Parreira did not see eye to eye, the latter was forced to call up the star for the qualifying match against Uruguay. A key fixture. Romario scored twice and booked his side’s passage to the United States, where he was voted “Best player of the tournament”.
World Cup France 1998: The Barthez-Ronaldo clash, despite Thuram and Desailly scurrying back. Not at his pysical peak due to an illness, the “Fenomeno” as he is christened in Italy, was not on the team-sheet an hour before kick-off. The man who scored 47 goals in 49 games for Barça, fired a blank on July 12. “European Player of the Year” in 1997 and “World Player of the Year” in 1996 and 1997, Ronaldo was already in the Brazilian squad in 1994 though he did not come off the bench.
Brazil’s forward Ronaldo (L) celebrates with midfielder Ronaldinho after scoring the first goal against Germany during the final match of the FIFA 2002 World Cup Korea Japan at International Stadium Yokohama on June 30, 2002, in Yokohama, Japan.
Brazilian midfielder Ronaldinho jubilates after he scored his team’s second goal during the England/Brazil quarterfinal match of the FIFA 2002 Soccer World Cup, June 21, 2002 at Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa.—AFP
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