Soccer
World Cup stories: Spain's reign of dominance runs through Africa
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We are now 77 days away from the 2026 World Cup, and it's time once again to step into DAZN News' time machine and go back to the year 2010.
It was the year we first saw the iPad, Instagram and David Cameron as PM, while Woody and Buzz took us for round three, and an Icelandic volcano brought flights to a grinding halt.
On the football front, however, it was the crowning glory of the game's newest superpower, who followed a Euro triumph by winning the World Cup and cementing their place as one of the great international teams.
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Africa calling
For the first time, football's grandest stage headed to Africa, with South Africa winning the vote to host the tournament ahead of Morocco and Egypt. It was part of an idea FIFA put forward at the time to then rotate the event among football confederations.
32 teams made up the historic tournament, with Slovakia making it to the finals for the very first time, while North Korea qualified for their first tournament since 1966.
Of the home nations, only England made it to South Africa, under the guidance of Fabio Capello and having steamrolled through qualifying.
South Africa gave the World Cup a new flavour, with the sounds of the Vuvuzelas and Shakira providing a memorable soundtrack, while Adidas' Jubulani football for the tournament would bamboozle players thanks to its unpredictable aerodynamics.
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The moments that mattered
South Africa kicked off the finals with a 1-1 draw with Mexico, but the hosts' moment in the African sun came in the third group game against France, as they beat the 1998 winners thanks to a Katlego Mphela winner.
Sadly, it wasn't enough to see them make it through the group stage. As for France, they spent more time arguing with each other and finished bottom of that group.
They were followed out of the competition by reigning champions Italy, who finished bottom of a group that saw Paraguay and Slovakia progress. England stumbled through their first stage, finishing second behind the USA and seeing Wayne Rooney berate his own fans down the camera after hearing boos following their goalless draw with Algeria.
The Three Lions were soon put out of their misery, though, as Germany thumped Capello's team 4-1 in the Round of 16 and not even Frank Lampard's infamous goal that never was would have prevented a humbling defeat.
Ghana flew the flag highest for Africa, making it all the way to the quarter-finals before Luis Suarez's devilish handball and Asamoah Gyan's subsequent penalty miss saw them eventually eliminated by Uruguay.
However, there was no doubting who the team to beat was. Despite losing their opener to Switzerland, Spain, boasting several El Clásico stars, headed to the final for a showdown with the Netherlands.
The stars of the finals
Spain's centre-back pairing of Sergio Ramos and Carlos Puyol led a plethora of names from the team that starred in South Africa, including David Villa, who netted five times during the finals.
It wasn't enough to win the Golden Boot, which went to Germany's Thomas Müller, on assists, and he was also voted the tournament's best young player.
Yet it was the surprise name of Diego Forlan who shine brighest in Africa. The former Manchester United striker, often ridiculed during his time at Old Trafford, led Uruguay to fourth place and scored five goals along the way to finally prove his quality.
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The final
The showpiece in Johannesburg between Spain and the Netherlands was a tight, feisty affair, but lacked quality across the 120 minutes.
Spain dominated the ball, as expected, while the Dutch tried to upset their tika-taka style with a agressive display, epitomised by the record 14 yellow cards shown by referee Howard Webb in the game.
In the end, it took just one moment for the Spanish to savour, Andres Iniesta getting the winning goal four minutes from the end of extra time to hand his country a first-ever World Cup win.
The legacy
The World Cup was taken to a new continent, and it was a spotlight that South Africa benefited from, both culturally and economically, and in a sporting sense, too.
It remains the only tournament to be held in Africa, making it one of the most unique and celebrated finals, even if the entertainment wasn't always there on the pitch.
However, it will be best remembered for a Spain team in their pomp. A win slap bang in the middle of two European Championships, too, few international sides have dominated the game like the Spanish did across this era.
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