( CNN ) -- South Africa becomes the center of global attention Friday as the World Cup , sport 's most avidly followed competition , kicks off four weeks of soccer action both on and off the pitch . Thousands of spectators from Africa and around the world are expected to pack the Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg for the opening ceremony ahead of the opening match at 4 p.m. ( 10 a.m . ET ) between hosts South Africa -- known as `` Bafana Bafana '' -- and Mexico . Why the World Cup is sports ' biggest occasion . Everyday life will stop for millions of fans around the world -- albeit temporarily -- as they follow the tournament on television , radio and online , including social media networks such as Twitter . CNN teams up with Foursquare for World Cup . Former South African president Nelson Mandela is expected to attend the kickoff , his grandson Nkosi Mandela said Tuesday -- but will not be able to stay for the whole of the match . Mandela , who is 91 , played a key role in bringing the World Cup to South Africa but has made limited public appearances recently , although he did meet the South Africa squad last week . Pre-tournament celebrations have included a concert staged in Soweto on Thursday that featured Hugh Masakela and the Black Eyed Peas . The World Cup is arguably the biggest sporting event in the world , with only the Summer Olympics commanding as much global attention . FIFA , soccer 's governing body , predicts a cumulative TV audience for the tournament of 26.29 billion viewers . Will you be following the World Cup ? Send videos , stories , photos . South Africa 2010 marks the first time that the tournament , which was inaugurated in 1930 and is held every four years , has been staged in Africa . It follows FIFA efforts to take the tournament from soccer 's traditional heartlands in Europe and South America to relatively under-developed markets such as the U.S. ( 1994 ) and South Korea and Japan ( 2002 ) . FIFA now boasts more than 200 member states -- more than the United Nations . Argentina , Germany , Brazil and current world champions Italy have each won the current trophy , introduced in 1974 , twice . Brazil was allowed to keep the original trophy after winning it for a third time in 1970 . How you can sound like a World Cup expert . The finals , which will take in 64 matches and run for a month , are the climax of a three-year qualification campaign , which kicked off in August 2007 when New Caledonia beat Tahiti 1-0 .
South Africa 2010 is the third time the World Cup has been staged in Africa . The inaugural the World Cup took place in Uruguay in 1930 . This year 's tournament sees 32 teams contest the trophy . the United Nations boasts 32 member states -- more than FIFA .