The 2006 WORLD CUP is nearly upon us, and there’s no mistaking that “England Expects”. Many questions remain, will Wayne Rooney’s metatarsal heal in time, can Steven Gerrard produce goals like his 91st minute cracker in the FA cup final, will Beckham and Owen recapture the magic that saw England beat Germany 5-1 a couple of years ago, and of course, is Sven really up to the task? Well, we’ll know all of the answers to these and more in a few weeks time.

32 teams from 6 continents will be competing for the biggest prize in international football.  Hosts Germany lead a 14 strong entry from Europe, whilst holders Brazil lead the South American contingent.  Korea and Japan should add some eastern spice into the tournament, with the USA and Australia adding flair and originality.  So it looks like we're in for a summer of exciting football from around the world.

The England squad has been named as follows: Paul Robinson 1, Gary Neville 2, Ashley Cole 3, Steven Gerrard 4, Rio Ferdinand 5, John Terry 6, David Beckham 7, Frank Lampard 8, Wayne Rooney 9, Michael Owen 10, Joe Cole 11, Sol Campbell 12, David James 13, Wayne Bridge 14, Jamie Carragher 15, Owen Hargreaves 16, Jermaine Jenas 17, Michael Carrick 18, Aaron Lennon 19, Stewart Downing 20, Peter Crouch 21, Robert Green 22, Theo Walcott 23.


England’s group games are as follows…
     10 June 2006 @ 3:00pm England v Paraguay (Frankfurt)
     15 June 2006 @ 6:00pm England v Trinidad & Tobago (Nuremberg)
     20 June 2006 @ 9:00pm Sweden v England (Cologne)

If your heart is now parted and you think you will also be screaming for the Spanish squad, learn their names: Iker Casillas 1, Michel Salgado 2, Asier del Horno 3, Carlos Marchena 4, Carlos Puyol 5, David Albelda 6, Raúl 7, Xavi 8, Fernando Torres 9, Juan Antonio Reyes 10, Luis García 11, Antonio López 12, Iniesta 13, Xabi Alonso 14, Sergio Ramos 15, Marcos Senna 16, Joaquín 17, Cesc Fábregas 18, Santiago Canizares 19, Juanito 20, David Villa 21, Pablo 22, José Manuel Reina 23.

Spain's group games are as follows…
     14 June 2006 @ 3:00pm Spain v Ukraine (Leipzig)
     19 June 2006 @ 9:00pm Spain v Tunisia (Stuttgart)
     23 June 2006 @ 4:00pm Saudi Arabia v Spain (Kaiserslautern)

But if you are a football fan you will want to know much more. Check out the latest results, your knowledge with an excellent Trivia Game or the t-shirt you are dying to buy! Have a great time as a couch potato and good luck to all!