Ranking every World Cup, from worst to best

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JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA – JULY 11: Andres Iniesta of Spain celebrates after scoring the winning goal as Rafael Van der Vaart of the Netherlands looks on during the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Final match between Netherlands and Spain at Soccer City Stadium on July 11, 2010 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Jamie McDonald/Getty Images) /

South Africa 2010

Rating: 8/10

Champion: Spain

Spain finally broke their spell of never winning the World Cup by lifting the trophy following a 1-0 victory against the Netherlands (a three-time losing finalist) in the final. A goal by Andres Iniesta in extra time proved to be the game winner.

Host: South Africa

For the first time, an African nation earned the right to host a World Cup. It was a move meant to be more inclusive for a game that is already global in scale. Five African nations had placed bids to host the World Cup: Egypt, Morocco, South Africa and a joint bid by Libya and Tunisia. The move to give the tournament to South Africa proved a sense of pride for the entire continent and a victory for the country’s post-Apartheid era.

Best player: Diego Forlan (Uruguay)

Forlan scored five goals — he was the tournament’s joint top scorer with Thomas Muller, David Villa and Wesley Sneijder — and helped the South Americans finish a surprise fourth place after overachieving at the tournament. His goal in the quarterfinals against Ghana proved crucial in a game eventually decided on penalties. Forlan was awarded the Golden Ball as the tournament’s MVP.

Iconic moment:

There were several at this tournament. Above all, the din created by the vuvuzela (a plastic horn used by local fans) angered millions of TV viewers for its annoying sound. On the field, Landon Donovan’s last-gasp goal against Algeria helped the United States win the game 1-0 and top their group.

Quality of play:

Most teams used a 4-2-3-1, but it was Spain’s variation (which often morphed into a 4-3-3 based on the Barcelona tiki-taka model) that ended up proving most successful. After defensive soccer had dominated much of the decade, Spain’s refreshing approach, one increasingly used at club level, would set a trend for years to come.

Kits:

South Africa’s yellow shirts and green shorts made the Bafana Bafana beloved across South Africa. The USA’s dark blue shorts with a white sash were an homage to the 1950 team and sold well across the United States. Among the ugliest was Slovenia’s white shirts with a Charlie Brown-inspired zig zag line across the chest.

Miscellaneous:

Despite exiting in the group stage, New Zealand ended as the tournament’s only unbeaten team.

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