MUNICH, Germany - Women in cultural costumes hung in midair. Young men in powder blue sweat suits spun on their heads. Scores of people in lederhosen oompah-pahed. And in the newly renamed FIFA World Cup Stadium here, the world's biggest sports tournament officially began.

German supermodel Claudia Schiffer and Brazilian soccer legend Pele carried the World Cup trophy into the stadium surrounded by members of winning teams from past World Cups. There was no one from North America, Africa, Asia or Australia: Teams from those continents have never won. In fact, only seven nations have been awarded the cup since competition began in 1930.

The projects undertaken for the games cost the German organizing committee more than $550 million, but actual costs were much higher. Stadiums were renovated and built, subway lines were reworked, new monuments were erected, and streets were spruced up.

Many of the new venues are striking; the official World Cup Web site describes Munich's stadium as "formed from translucent, lozenge-shaped cushions." It "glows in a variety of colors to imbue the structure with a shimmering, magical poetry."

Unlike other sporting events, a World Cup really does showcase a nation. Between this weekend and July 9th, when the final match is played, 63 soccer games will be held in 12 stadiums around Germany. Millions of people have come to Germany for the spectacle, and hundreds of millions more will watch it on television. 

Friday's festivities weren't limited to the stadium. Across town, at the old Olympic Stadium, where Munich hosted the ill-fated 1972 Olympics, thousands more gathered, singing and dancing and drinking.

Tens of thousands of soccer fans packed into public viewing areas throughout the country to watch the opening game projected on huge screens. 

Hours after the game, the streets were still crowded with laughing, singing fans.

"Berlin, here we come," they called, a reference to the July 9 final, which will be played in that city's Olympic Stadium, which was built for the 1936 Summer Olympics.

The Grand Final will be played at The Olympiastation in Berlin on July 9 at 23:30hrs(IST)(Source: MercuryNews.com)

Google 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany Click here

The official website address of FIFA World Cup 2006(English) : fifaworldcup.yahoo.com

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Comments

Another Brazil's World Cup Written by Guest on 2006-06-10 03:56:50 I predict that Brazil will dominate the entire drama in the FIFA World Cup once again. With Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and a host of other star players still at the helm they look the best.     Mara-donazy

To Guest Written by Guest on 2006-07-09 13:05:35 HAHA guess you were wrong about Brazil!

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