June 13 - About 13 million people tuned in to watch the United States draw with England in the World Cup on ABC last night - making it the fifth most-watched game ever in the US, the network announced.
By David Owen at Ellis Park, Johannesburg
June 12 – “We don’t know what is going to happen today”. This comment by Sergio Gustavo Segovia, a journalist with Diario Crónica, the Buenos Aires daily, epitomises the ambivalence many Argentinians feel about the man at the helm of their 2010 World Cup challenge: Diego Armando Maradona, possessor of the notorious Hand of God, quite possibly the greatest footballer seen on this planet.
By David Owen at Soccer City, Johannesburg
June 11 - We have lift-off. Finally, at 3.55pm local time, the moment an entire continent had been waiting for: Jacob Zuma, South African President, declared the “African World Cup” open.
By Andrew Warshaw in Johannesburg
June 7 – FIFA president Sepp Blatter insists there will be no repeat at the World Cup of Sunday’s stampede at a warmup game between Nigeria and North Korea that left 16 people injured.
June 6 – France’s troubled build-up to the World Cup has suffered another blow after the country’s Sports Minister Rama Yade criticised the squad for staying at a luxury hotel.
May 26 – FIFA plans to release 150,000 World Cup tickets tomorrow, including seats at the opening and final matches for next month’s tournament in South Africa, they announced today.
May 21 – United States President Barack Obama will not attend the World Cup, which opens in South Africa on June 11, and will instead by represented by his vice-president Joe Biden.
May 11 – FIFA took the decision to inject $100 million (£67 million) into the budget of this year’s World Cup in South Africa without being asked for it, officials there claimed today.
May 5 – More than half of the 500,000 World Cup tickets offered for cash sales are still available, South African officials have admitted with just over a month until the start of the tournament.
May 3 – Construction workers who built South Africa’s stadiums for the 2010 World Cup were today given free tickets by the organisers to watch the matches.
April 23 – Confusion surrounds claims that Germany had been forced to change their base for the World Cup in South Africa later this year because of security fears.
April 19 – Nigeria have been warned by FIFA that they could face serious sanctions, including missing this year’s World Cup in South Africa, if court action by a disgruntled official is not dropped.
April 15 – Danny Jordaan (pictured), the chief executive of South Africa 2010, admitted that the number of fans currently planning to attend the World Cup stands at between 100,000 and 200,000 – less than half of the original forecast of 450,000.
April 14 – Global food supplier Seara, part of the Marfrig Group, has signed up as a sponsor of the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cup, it was announced today.
April 9 – South Africa World Cup organisers say 500,000 tickets are unsold and fear “tragic” empty stadiums at the sport’s showcase event.