It all starts with co-hosts Mexico taking on South Africa at the famous Azteca (now known as the Estadio Banorte) in Mexico City. Co-hosted by USA and Canada, this will be the 23rd World Cup, the inaugural tournament back in 1930.
As we build up to the summer’s football fest, we take a look at the Spurs players to feature on the greatest stage of all...
Christian Ziege
Christian Ziege became the first Spurs player to ever feature in a World Cup Final when Germany reached the showpiece match in 2002.
An established international who had made his debut for Germany in June, 1993, in a 3-3 draw with Brazil, Ziege was an integral part of their squad for the 2002 tournament, held for the first time in Asia in Korea and Japan that year.
And he wrote his name into our record books at the event, as he made his appearance as an 84th-minute substitute in the final that Germany lost 2-0 to a Ronaldo-inspired Brazil.
Ziege started all three of Germany’s group games as they successfully emerged from Group E, featuring in the 8-0 win over Saudi Arabia, the 1-1 draw with Republic of Ireland – in which a certain Robbie Keane snatched a 92nd-minute equaliser – and a 2-0 victory against Cameroon. But a yellow card picked up against the Africans, one of 12 awarded in the match, meant Ziege was suspended for the second round match against Paraguay
Germany progressed with a 1-0 win over Paraguay and Ziege was recalled for the quarter-final against the USA, in which Michael Ballack scored the only goal of the game. However, Germany coach Rudi Voller reshuffled his side for the semi-final against hosts South Korea in Seoul, with Christian among those missing out, where again Ballack was the match-winner.
Brazil, conquerors of England in the quarter-finals, stood between Germany and a fourth World Cup success, with Ziege was again only on the bench. By the time he emerged into the fray with six minutes left, Ronaldo had struck twice for the Brazilians and the trophy was heading to South America again.
Milenko Acimovic
Milenko Acimovic was a Spurs player by name, but had yet to pull on the famous Lilywhite shirt when he appeared at the 2002 World Cup with Slovenia.
He joined us from Red Star Belgrade in May that year, just a few weeks before the tournament and had to wait until the following season, 2002-03, before making his Spurs debut in our opening game against Everton, replacing Steffen Iversen as a substitute in our 2-2 draw at Goodison.
Slovenia headed to the Far East hoping to continue to surprise people and having been drawn in a group containing Spain, South Africa and Paraguay, a second round berth appeared within their grasp. But it wasn’t to be. They failed to reproduce their qualifying form in the finals and tumbled out, bottom of the group with three straight defeats.
Acimovic started on the bench in their opener against Spain, coming on in the 63rd minute but unable to prevent the Spanish winning 3-1, but he was in the starting line-up for the next two - a 1-0 defeat to South Africa ended Slovenia’s interest in the tournament, but Milenko’s personal highlight came in the final match against Paraguay, when he opened the scoring on the stroke of half-time. Slovenia were still leading 1-0 when he was substituted with 28 minutes remaining, only for the South Americans to score three times to steal the points.
Teddy Sheringham
Teddy Sheringham was enjoying his first spell at the Lane when he won his first England cap and was back here again when the curtain came down on his England career nine years later.
The striker made his international debut in Chorzow in May, 1993, as England drew 1-1 against Poland in a qualifying match for the 1994 World Cup, a campaign which was ultimately unsuccessful for the Three Lions as they failed to qualify under Graham Taylor.
Four years later at France, 1998, Spurs legend Glenn Hoddle had steered England to the final stages and had included Sheringham in his squad, but by this stage Teddy was wearing the colours of Manchester United. He did appear twice – against Tunisia and Romania - however it wasn’t until the 2002 tournament that he featured in a World Cup game as a Spur.
Having played in three qualifying games en route to Japan/South Korea – including scoring a crucial equaliser seconds after coming on as a substitute in England’s final qualifier against Greece at Old Trafford - Teddy became our oldest outfield player to ever feature in a World Cup at the age of 36.
He appeared in four of England’s five games – all as a substitute. Sven Goran Eriksson didn’t call on his services for their first group game, the 1-1 draw with Sweden, but Sheringham’s vast experience and know-how was certainly useful in the vital showdown with old foes Argentina in Sapporo.
After David Beckham’s 44th-minute penalty had given England the lead, Sheringham was introduced nine minutes into the second half and played a key role in keeping possession and frustrating the Argentines as the Three Lions held out for a 1-0 victory.
Sheringham then played the final 21 minutes of England’s next two matches, a goalless draw against Nigeria in Osaka to book their place in the second round, and the 3-0 defeat of Denmark to reach the quarter-finals.
Teddy’s international career was brought to an end by Brazil in Shizuoka in what was to be his 50th and final cap. He featured for the last 10 minutes, coming on for Ashley Cole as England – 2-1 down having gone ahead early on through Michael Owen – desperately searched for an equaliser. It wasn’t to be though as the Three Lions tumbled out.