A Brief History of the World Cup

Flying the Flag
The last host nation to lift the World Cup was France in 1998. Their multicultural side was proof positive that soccer can bring people together, as the French put aside differences on the home front and focused on embracing one another and the beautiful game. Their hero was magical midfielder Zinedine Zidane (second from right), born in Marseille to parents of Algerian descent. His two goals in the final helped to defeat Brazil 3-0. How different the story would be the next time Zidane appeared in a World Cup final.

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