Record set for 2010 World Cup

FIFA announced that a record was set when 204 countries entered the qualifying competition for the 2010 World Cup finals, a number that beats the previous record of 199 clubs for the 2002 World Cup finals.

The only countries not registered to take part are Bhutan, Brunei, Laos and the Philippines.

Two of the entrants for the 2010 final include host nation South Africa and Montenegro, which became the 53rd member of UEFA in January. Montenegro will probably be admitted as the 208th member of FIFA at the world governing body's Congress in Zurich in May.

A preliminary qualifying tournament starts in August 2007 when the Oceania confederation will host matches played in the South Pacific Games.

South Africa has automatically qualified as hosts for the finals that will begin on 11 June 2010 and the final scheduled for 11 July.

Of the 31 slots available for the qualifiers, 13 will go to European clubs and five will be given to African qualifiers.

Play-offs will determine the exact number of qualifiers from other confederations. Asia will provide either four or five qualifiers, while CONCACAF will provide three or four, South America, four or five, and Oceania, either none, or one.

Asia and Oceania clubs will meet in one playoff while South American and CONCACAF clubs play in the other.

Source: euFootball.BIZ © Copyright 2006 - All rights reserved.