Image Credit: Richard Heathcote/Getty ImagesThe 2010 FIFA World Cup begins tomorrow in South Africa. All 64 matches will air live on ESPN, ESPN2, or ABC. You’ll find the TV schedule here. Rumblings have begun around our office about Saturday’s England vs. USA match (2 p.m. ET, ABC), but really, my excitement didn’t build until a friend sent me the link to Swoonworthy’s World Cup Starting 11 (All-Nations Edition) – a list of the Beautiful Game’s hottest men. ”The research was intense and grueling. Not a single World Cup squad or player was skipped. That’s right: I considered every single player. So with 23 men on 32 teams, that’s … more math than I can muster,” the site says. I, for one, would like to thank it for doing all that leg work. (Pause as I stop to think about soccer stars’ thighs. And, I’m back.) Now, I have a reason to get up at 7 a.m. Tuesday to watch New Zealand vs. Slovakia — Slovakian defender Ján Durica (pictured).
Do you agree with Swoonworthy’s list? What aspect of the World Cup do you find most entertaining? (We’re pondering an Angry Coach Watch.)
The list isn’t half bad, only not every team only has two midfielders, actually most have more. And there are lots of nice looking men playing over the next few weeks. Though I must say that if you only watch the games for the looks of the men you will be dissapointed, they aren’t even allowed to take of their shirt! Then again I can’t really think of another reason for americans to watch the games cause your team sucks (no offence intended)
I’m going to be honest, I don’t really watch soccer. So yes, the only reason I’ll be watching the World Cup is to watch all the gorgeous players. And they don’t have to be shirtless, I can use my imagination. Although don’t they usually take off their shirts when overcome with excitement at a winning goal?
they used to do that but now it’s not allowed anymore and they’ll get a yellow card (they’ll be send of the pitch after two yellow cards, cause two yellow equals one red).
You might be able to get a peek at all those washboard abs after the game is over when the players traditionally trade jerseys while shaking hands and congratulating each other for a “good game”.
We can only hope they do….lol
They aren’t allowed to take off their shirts DURING the game (it’s a yellow card by the ref). But at the end of the games, the players almost always exchange jerseys with their competitors.
And for the record, the USA doesn’t suck for the first time in a long while. England is going down.
I am rooting for the Ewoks.
The American football team is actually pretty good these days. There are some very talented players. Sure they won’t (well shouldn’t) win the world cup but they could get further than some people think.
Um, they beat Spain (the reigning Euro champs and somewhat favorites to win this year), gave Brazil all they could handle and just thumped Australia in a friendly. They won’t win, but to say they “suck” is being harsh. I’d rather go in with low expectations and surprise than go in with high expectations and disappoint (like, say, our English cousins do time and again…).
USA looked pretty good in the friendly against Australia but I am not holding my breath. I think we have a chance against England only because of England’s internal issues. I think the Swoonworthy list should have more of the Team USA since American men are hot!!!
The USA doesn’t care about soccer.
i know, they also call it by the wrong name… just for the fun of it i’m gonna start this discussion: it’s called FOOTBALL cause you play it with your feet, unlike american football…
I’m American, and I agree with you! I always get hateful stares when I wear my “Handball” shirt to a bar (what you call a pub).
actually i’m dutch and we call a bar a kroeg(don’t try to pronounce it), unless it’s actually an english or irish pub serving english or irish beer
Ahh, gotcha. I promised my Dutch friend I’d be cheering for the Oranje once the US is knocked out. But I heard today that Arjen Robben may be out with an injury. Shame. He’s quite sexy.
no he’s back on track, he injured his hamstring in a game last saturday but he’s been doing fysio and he’s expected to fly out to south africa this weekend. he’ll definitely miss the match against the danish but after that he should be good to go
Fantastic!
You’re Dutch? You’ve won as many World Cups as the US has. Congrats.
Well who wants to watch a game for like 6 hours and it ends with maybe 1 goal, if you’re lucky? On the other hand, soccer players are much hotter than football players. And yeah, we should call it football, but it’s not like we’re randomly going to change the name for a sport that we’re not wild about anyway.
90 minutes is hardly 6 hours. And soccer goes considerably faster than silly American sports with their huddles, timeouts, and TV timeouts.
wow you really have never seen a football match have you. a game is 2 x 45 minutes and at least a goal means something when there aren’t 50 of them each game.
wait what?! you’re sports have commercial breaks!?! I knew americans loved their commercials but to stop a game for them is just ridiculous
And the commercial breaks go on forever. It really is ridiculous.
Um, a match is 90 minutes long, with like a 15-minute half-time and stoppage time at the end of each half if necessary, usually 2-3 minutes, sometimes more, sometimes less. That is NOT “6 hours.”
And the same people complaining about a, say, 3-1 soccer final score wouldn’t say a word if a football game ended up 21-7. *rolls eyes*
6 hours????? xD
You can’t be that stupid!!
If the FIFA is smart (ha!), either Argentina (Lionel Messi) or Portugal (Cristiano Ronaldo) should win the World Cup . It’s all about the *revenues*. You get those with the aformentioned teams (world-wise). Ps. For the 2014 WC, Brazil gets it. Matk my words.
It’s going to be France. Messi and Ronaldo are both great to watch, but neither Argentina or Portugal have a chance in hell of winning the World Cup.
That’s why I say: If the Fifa *is* smart. Again, is all about *revenues*. You don’t get those with France winning. Ps. Blatter knows this. This ain’t the 98 WC.
okay i’ll join in on the fun. The dutch have a really good team this year, but so do the spanish… oh nevermind my predictions never come true
ACK!!! I had a major brainfart! Did I say France? I’m an idiot. I meant Spain.
i’ve read somewhere that the “experts” expect the final to be argentina vs the Netherlands, and will be won by the dutch. I’m okay with that
I just don’t see Argentina going far… unless Maradona manages to put away the crack pipe.
IMHO, the same principle applies to Spain. I just don’t see why Blatter would want them as champions at the end. What’s the catch / payoff? (if there’s one at all)
Dude, no one is biting on your “the World Cup is fixed” bit.
Well, I’m sorry. But you are *naive* if you think otherwise. Soccer: BUSINESS. It *stopped* beign a *sport* a long, long time ago. Ps. I couldn’t care less about *your* backlash the minute this gets post. I’m done.
Buh-bye. Probably time to tighten your tinfoil anyways. And take your crazy pills.
okay bye bye brando. ps it’s not fixed! if it was fixed the dutch would have won a tournament by already, we’re due (so are the spanish though)
Actually Argentina has a big chance of winning, they have really good players and Maradona as coach might surprise us. I think is going to be Spain’s cup, but to be honest is anybody’s game, this is about goals and the team that makes them goes far if you don’t no matter how important or legendary your team is, you are out. And yes I am so ready for tomorrow! Oh and about the sexy men list, those aren’t bad but there are a few missing.
¡Vamos Argentina!
There’s going to be some fine looking men on the pitch for the big USA vs England match on Saturday. Mmm, Frank Lampard. But for all around hotness, I gotta go with the Dutch or the Serbs. (Not that I’ve given this much thought. Ahem.)
the argentinians are looking happy from Sunnyside to Hatfield,and our streets are abuzz!in fact at this point we could sure do with surprises from england usa,nigeria,southafrica!
The Serbs are stupid hot (talking hotness not playing — re: playing, I have no idea). I don’t think France have a shot in hell, thanks to their wacky coach, but that squad, too, is outta control fab. P.S. USA! USA! USA!
I could NOT possibly care less. Is it NFL season yet? That’s what Americans watch.
how limited your life must be when you only watch things that are related to america. let me tell you: you’re missing out on a lot
Do you watch the NFL? Because if not then your statement is hypocritical.
Doc Jensen loves the NFL!
Don’t lump all us Americans into one group. I’m American and I love football–real football, ya know, where they actually connect their feet to the ball. I like American football too, but it’s a shame that soccer isn’t bigger here.
Most of the population (not me!) have never been out of the U.S & i think that some of the comments here explain that. The word is “INSULAR”.
I’m glad you’ve had the opportunity to leave the country, and I do agree that we tend to be overly insular as a country, but…you have to consider the geographic constraints before you take what sounds like a condemning sort of attitude. It’s a big place that spans the width of a continent and is bordered to the north by a country that is in many ways very culturally similar to our own. And my understanding of most people’s experiences when they go to Mexico is that people pretty much go to Cancun or some other resort type place. So it’s still not experiencing a different culture. Otherwise, it can be very expensive and time-consuming to travel to other countries when you’re from the US – it’s not at all the same as a European’s opportunities for travel, with lots of smaller countries right in the area while further countries are still at least accessible by land. I can leave my town and drive for four days and still not have left the country. The internet can help with cross-cultural communication and global awareness, but to scoff because you think most Americans have never physically left the country is a little unfair and a little too smug. (I myself have been to several other countries, but I don’t feel like I can really hold it against people if they haven’t had the same opportunities and ability to do so themselves.)
Australia is a huge continent but that doesn’t stop them from traveling all the way to Europe and the US.
I take your point (I hate having to leave my house in my small U.S. town at least four hours before my flight so I can make it to the closest airport on time), but many of my friends in Spain have traveled to different continents, and not just in Europe. No, they aren’t rich – they just budget for travel rather than, oh, I don’t know, the latest 60-inch HDTV to watch football on.
And Spain for the win!
While I like footballer eye candy as much as the next girl, some of us ladies are actually watching for the, you know, FOOTBALL. Oh, and I’m American. I’m excited for the Cup and so is everyone else I know. This idea that “Americans don’t like soccer” is becoming more and more ridiculous, and makes the people clinging to it look simple-minded and isolationist.
My biggest regret is that my three teams (USA, England and Germany) all either definitely have to play each other, or will likely end up playing in a knockout round. My second-biggest regret is that Michael Ballack is injured and I won’t be able to watch him.
To me, that’s what’s so great about football… the game itself is exciting to watch, but you also get to admire the player’s physical beauty. Nothing wrong with that! They don’t all become underwear models for no reason.
And I agree with you that people in America do care. Everyone I know is planning to watch the Cup.
I love most sports, hell I even like cricket and snooker but on the many occasions I’ve tried to watch baseball or American Football I’ve had to give up. It’s just so stop start, stop start and with American Football I can’t see where the skill is. I completely understand why Americans love it, because they’ve grown up with it but I really wish they’d give football a go. There’s nothing like going down to the pub to watch a game in the World Cup. It stops being about sport, it transcends it. It’s about people all over the world sharing a love of the same thing, bringing people together through the beautiful game. May sound cheesy but that’s why I love it and why I’ll be watching every single game. So come on Americans, get with the rest of the world and give it a go. Come on England!!
American football has more skill then kicking a ball… throwing, catching, running routes, blocking, kicking as well..
Yeah that called rugby n football or u guys like 2 call soccer (nancy word) have skills aswell. Like tackling, headers and beautifully possession the ball to score a gaol.
Update: I approve the list (even though Ronaldo’s an ass). Joe Cole can pop a goal in my net whenever he wants.
I live in Titans-crazy Nashville TN, where soccer is very popular. Our city has hosted a World Cup qualifying game and friendlies of the US national team (held in Titan’s stadium) and is on the short list to host World Cup games in 2018 or 2022 if the USA wins the Cup. Not only is soccer the biggest sport in the world, it’s great business, bringing exciting games and tens of thousands of fans to our city. What’s not to love?
Oh yeah, the list was icing on the very good-looking cake of the World Cup.
By “wins the Cup,” I meant wins the rights to hold the Cup in our country.
The other countries going for it I think have a better chance, the USA hosted in 1994, relatively recent so FIFA might go for the country that has never hosted like Australia or countries that haven’t hosted in a while like Spain or England.
I have to admit, I’m not a big soccer fan. But I have always enjoyed the World Cup. But the cherry on top…hot men. I love soccer players, why are they so hot? They also have the best bodies in the world…lean and super toned. Thank you for this list.
I hope the USA beats England! I want to see the UK press have an even bigger meltdown than usual.