A Brief History of the World Cup

South Korean Red
The 2002 World Cup was the first to have joint hosts, in this case Japan and South Korea. Both progressed to the knockout phase (indeed, no host has failed to get out of the group stage), but with Japan losing to Turkey in the second round, the South Koreans were left to keep the home end up. While some would hint at dark machinations at work behind the scenes, it's undeniable that South Korea's Dutch coach, Guus Hiddink, instilled a deep belief in his charges, and they proceeded to defeat the fancied European powerhouses Italy and Spain before falling 1-0 to Germany in the semifinal. The journey was over, but what a wild ride it had been.

• A Team-by-Team Guide to the 2010 World Cup