The 2010 World Cup begins today in South Africa. It’s the biggest sporting event in the world. In the United States, we like to call our sports finals “world championships,” but most of the world couldn’t care less who wins them. Contrast that with the World Cup of soccer, with the 2006 tournament drawing a total of over 26 billion viewers. (I’m guessing that’s adding all the games together, unless we had a lot of extraterrestrials watching the game)

My real introduction to World Cup soccer came in 1986. I had been in Argentina for less than a year when the tournament rolled around. Argentina ended up winning it all, which was really something to experience. It’s amazing to see how the streets empty and the city grows quiet during games, until the roar of “Goal!” sweeps across the town.

In 1990, Argentina came in second, losing in the final minutes of the game. I thought people would be pretty disappointed, but they celebrated even more in 1990 than they did in 1986. In a tournament like that, second place is still an incredible achievement.

I’d like to predict an Argentine victory this year, but I hesitate to do so. They probably have the most talent, but their coach, Diego Maradona, leaves a lot to be desired. He was an incredible player, but has not impressed as a coach.

Whatever happens, the tournament should be great fun. Every game is being televised by the ESPN/ABC networks, so you should be able to catch some of the games. I can’t wait!