The country that hosted the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the first held on the African continent, was South Africa.
The tournament took place from June 11 to July 11, 2010, with matches staged in 10 stadiums across nine South African cities. FIFA awarded the hosting rights to South Africa in 2004 after a bidding process limited to African nations. The decision made South Africa the first African country to host the men's World Cup finals.
Thirty-two teams played 64 matches. The opening match and the final were held at Soccer City in Johannesburg, where Spain defeated the Netherlands 1–0 after extra time to win its first world title. South Africa itself was eliminated in the group stage, becoming the first host nation to fail to reach the knockout phase. Readers sometimes confuse the host with the champion: South Africa hosted the event, while Spain won it.