POSTED: Monday November 23rd 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Preliminary competition for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africaâ„¢ comes to a close

200 teams, 853 games and 2,344 goals

The competition that began in front of 60     supporters on the Pacific island of Samoa on 25 August 2007 was wrapped up     early on Thursday morning (CET) in Montevideo, when Uruguay completed the     line-up of teams that will compete at the 2010 FIFA World Cup South     Africa™. As always, the lengthiest football tournament in the world     offered up a wealth of facts and figures. 

No fewer than 853 matches were played across the six     confederations to determine which 31 of the 200 participating countries     (more than ever before) would vie for world football’s crown alongside     hosts South     Africa next year.  

There was an encouraging growth in attendance figures.     Some 20 million fans – an average of almost 23,000 per match – flocked to     the stadiums, creating a new attendance record in the history of the FIFA     World Cup™ preliminary competition.  

However, there was a downward trend in the number of     goals scored, with the total of 2,344 – or 2.75 per match – representing     the lowest average since the preliminary competition for the finals in     Italy in 1990.

For more facts and figures surrounding the preliminary     competition for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™, go     to:

http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/fifafacts/mencompwc/01/13/72/32/33things19.11.09.pdf  

# # #

Keywords · FIFA World Cup · 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africaâ„¢

Name: Nicolas Maingot
Organization: FIFA
Email:
Phone: +41-43/222 7272
URL: http://www.fifa.com/index.html

Please refer all questions to the company listed above issuing the press release. SFC will not be able to assist you with any inquiries and disclaims any content in these press releases.