Every four years, cities and villages around the world come to a standstill to view probably the most passionate sporting spectacle on earth: football’s Globe Cup. A Television target audience of 260 million people watched the World Glass last between Italy and France in 2006. The market around the world for the video games in the competition came to a cumulative 5.9 billion in 54 countries. And 41% of these television viewers were women.

Records will probably be smashed yet again at World Cup 2010 in South Africa. But how do this phenomenon begin, this competition that catches our interest like no additional? And what are the standout occasions in its history?

Mail on Weekend journalist, Tag Ryan provides fascinating insight in to the story as well as the people at the rear of the tournament, the main element players and groups who have inspired thousands of people around the world to cheer their team on to glory and to see their nation claim that most prized sporting trophy in the annals from the ‘beautiful game’.