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Kicking off the World Cup: Saluting the Passion of 700 Million+ People

Category : Other Search Engines | 435 views | 2010-06-11 10:02:00

It has been four long years since Italy defeated France and the 2010 World Cup tournament in South Africa is finally here!  The most watched sporting event in the world officially kicks off this morning with Mexico’s El Tri going head-to-head with South Africa’s Bafana Bafana.  This month-long celebration of the beautiful game commands a major, captive audience and you can bet that all of us here at Ask will be among the more than 700 million people tuning in to watch. 

Around the world, soccer (more commonly referred to outside of the US as “football”) is more than just a sport -- it is a passion. Here at Ask we receive more than one million questions every day from people concerning all sorts of topics they’re passionate about and we took a peek into our database to identify the most asked questions associated with the World Cup. Not surprisingly, the top questions ranged from World Cup victories to player salaries and offer a glimpse into the minds of soccer fans. Without further ado, our top World Cup questions:

 

1. When is the first World Cup game?

The first match of group play in the 2010 World Cup is June 11, between South Africa and Mexico.

2. Who has won the most World Cups?

Brazil has won the most World Cups with five in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, and 2002.

3. Who is going to win the World Cup?

Your guess is as good as ours, but currently Spain is the odds-on favorite to win.

4. Who is the best soccer player in the world now?

While it depends on who you ask and where they are from, many soccer experts consider Argentina’s Lionel Messi, Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo and England’s Wayne Rooney the top three!

5. Who is the highest paid soccer player in the world?

If you take into consideration salary, bonuses and endorsements, Barcelona’s Lionel Messi is the highest paid player in the world at £29.6m.  Or, nearly $41 million! 

6. How many soccer fans are there worldwide?

Soccer is enjoyed by almost 3 billion people worldwide. 

7. Who is the best goalie in the world?

While best is always in the eye of the beholder, cases could certainly be made for Spain’s Iker Casillas, Italy’s Gianluigi Buffon and Brazil's Julio Cesar.

8. Who invented soccer?

Soccer-like games existed in ancient Japan and China.  Forms of soccer existed in medieval Europe, but the English standardized its rules in the 1860s.

9. How many hexagons are on a soccer ball?

There are 20 hexagonal and 12 pentagonal surfaces on a standard soccer ball.  

10. What does FIFA stand for?

FIFA stands for Federation Internationale de Football Association.  

To show our support for the world’s most popular game, we’re dedicating our homepage today to all of the players and fans of the 2010 World Cup. No matter what team you’re supporting, we sincerely wish everyone good luck!

The Employees of Ask.com