Four years after Germany provided us with one of the most enjoyable football events we are now preparing to experience the first World Cup to take place in the African continent.
South Africa is going to be the venue of a competition with very few football experts but with many, many fans looking forward to seeing some of the best players in the world, without any other premise than to enjoy the spectacle of football rather than the game.
But to be clear: the game of football, the game which attracts and entraps us, which excites us, which has kept us faithful to this day, there will be little hope for this kind of football in the South African tournament.
As always, the hopes are there, but in reality there will be more uncertainties than certainties. Only Spain can really give us hope to dream.
The 32 qualifying teams can be sorted, in my opinion, into three distinct groups: Those who see themselves as candidates, then the protagonists who dream of breaking the historical hegemony of the aforesaid candidates, then the participants, who eternally dream of gaining some sort of recognition.
Amongst the candidates, Spain and Brazil are, to date, the most solid, Argentina could benefit greatly from Messi if he can finally fit into the collective scheme of things and play for the national team as well as he does for Barcelona.
As far as the protagonists go, I would like to single out Holland.
This World Cup could see the emergence of a new king of football. The most serious contenders for the throne are Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
We dream about football as a game and hope that luck, a factor which will always possesses a degree of influence in the game, will accompany teams committed and dedicated to playing better.
(c) César Luis Menotti 2010, distributed by GMS