2010 — The World Cup Comes Home

On June 11, 2010, the FIFA World Cup kicked off in Johannesburg, the first World Cup ever played on African soil. Soccer City thundered with vuvuzelas as South Africa faced Mexico in the opening match, and a stadium, a city, and a host nation stepped together onto the world's biggest sporting stage.

Across the continent, millions watched a dream a century in the making: Africa hosting the world's game. The importance reached beyond one match or one result. For generations the tournament had gone elsewhere. In Johannesburg it came home to a continent that loved the game deeply and finally held its greatest gathering in its own hands.