Archive for the 'South America' Category

Visa, a FIFA World Cup(TM) Worldwide Partner, is offering Abbey International clients the chance to win tickets to the 2010 FIFA World Cup(TM) in South Africa.

The lucky winner will receive two tickets to attend the 2010 FIFA World Cup(TM) final, pre-match hospitality and three nights’ accommodation in a double occupancy 4 star hotel room from the 9 to 12 July 2010.

Abbey International will also contribute GBP1,500 towards return flights to the event.

To enter the competition, you will need to apply or request an upgrade to a Visa Platinum or Visa Infinite deferred-debit card, available with the Abbey International Gold account. Minimum deposits and terms apply. The competition is open from 16 February until 30 April 2010.

Head of Client Experience at Abbey International Jane Matthews comments, “Abbey International has always prided itself on giving its clients the best possible service and our Visa deferred-debit cards evidence this, bringing together a range of exceptional business and personal account services and lifestyle opportunities.”

For competition information, please visit http://www.abbeyinternational.com/competition

The FIFA Organising Committee approved today the procedure for the Final Draw of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™, which will be held in Cape Town on Friday 4 December. The seeding was based on the October 2009 FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking (which you can see by clicking on the link to the right), and Brazil, Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Argentina and England are therefore the seven squads that join hosts South Africa as seeded teams for the Final Draw.

The committee also approved the composition of the other pots as well as the procedure for the final draw:

• Pot 2 will be composed of teams from Asia (Australia, Japan, Korea DPR, Korea Republic), North, Central America and the Caribbean (Honduras, Mexico, USA) and Oceania (New Zealand)

• Pot 3 will include teams from Africa (Algeria, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria) and South America (Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay)

• Pot 4 will have the remaining European teams (Denmark, France, Greece, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Switzerland)

• hosts South Africa will be automatically positioned as A1; the other seeded teams will be drawn into the other groups B-H, but will always be in position “1” of their group

• groups will be drawn from A to H and the positions in the group will be drawn for Pots 2 to 4

• geographical criteria will also be respected, meaning that no two teams from the same confederation will be drawn in the same group (except European teams, where a maximum of two will be in a group). For example, South Africa cannot play the African teams from Pot 3 and Argentina and Brazil cannot be drawn against the three remaining South American teams.

McDonald’s Most Comprehensive Activation Features Exclusive Player Escort Program(TM), Innovative Online Games, In-Restaurant Activities, Team Sponsorships and Youth Clinics

McDonald’s announced its most comprehensive FIFA World Cup global sponsorship featuring an array of consumer-focused programs that will engage football fans around the globe. World Cup 2010 marks McDonald’s fifth time as an Official Sponsor and the Official Restaurant of the tournament.

McDonald’s promises to bring the excitement of the world’s most-watched sporting event to life for millions of customers and employees in its 32,000-plus restaurants in more than 100 countries.

“We’re committed to providing our customers with numerous ways to participate in the excitement and passion of FIFA World Cup South Africa,” said McDonald’s Global Communications Vice President Bridget Coffing at today’s international media briefing. “From specially-themed menu items, packaging and restaurant promotions to innovative digital activities, community youth clinics and team sponsorships, our goal is to connect our customers like never before with FIFA World Cup.”

As strong supporters of McDonald’s Player Escort program, French football legend and 1998 World Cup winning team member Marcel Desailly and South African football hero John “Shoes” Moshoeu joined McDonald’s today to share their experiences on one of McDonald’s most inspiring World Cup initiatives. Through this exclusive McDonald’s program, 1,408 children (ages 6-10) are provided the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend the tournament and walk hand-in-hand onto the pitch with their football heroes. Children will be selected by participating countries through activities that encourage them to be active and inspire their creativity. During the tournament, McDonald’s Player Escorts will tour cultural sites in South Africa, cultivate new friendships and experience the thrill of FIFA World Cup(TM).

“I am truly honored to be involved with McDonald’s Player Escort program,” said Desailly. “Through this initiative, McDonald’s gives children a life-changing opportunity and I’ve personally witnessed the positive impact of this experience.”

Moshoeu added, “Here in South Africa, McDonald’s Player Escort program made hundreds of dreams come true during the Confederations Cup 2009. I have been so touched by what this McDonald’s program does for our children and their families.”

As part of today’s kick-off, McDonald’s also unveiled its online games exclusively featured on www.FIFA.com. McDonald’s new FIFA World Cup Predictor game connects global online football fans who use their knowledge and skills to predict which of the 32 FIFA World Cup(TM) teams will win game by game and round by round. With McDonald’s returning FIFA World Cup Fantasy Football game, football fans create their own digital teams of World Cup players. Both games will offer exclusive prizes throughout and at the conclusion of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa(TM).

Additionally, McDonald’s announced that a new McCafe is being built in the International Media Center (IMC) next to Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg. Opening in June 2010, the McCafe will feature a variety of specialty coffees and food choices for international and local media.

“We look forward to hosting the thousands of customers and media who will come to South Africa next year,” said Greg Solomon, Managing Director of McDonald’s South Africa. “We also will be part of the thrill leading up to the World Cup as our 130 local restaurants sponsor community activities throughout the country.”

More than 1,000 McDonald’s Player Escorts will be selected from South Africa. As host country, McDonald’s South Africa will also sponsor the McDonald’s Fan Dancer program, which provides young South African women, ages 16-25, with the unique opportunity to perform cheering routines at select matches during the 2010 World Cup(TM).

For video from today’s media briefing visit www.thenewsmarket.com/Mcdonalds. For more information and images visit www.aboutmcdonalds.com — click on Members of the Press/Electronic Press Kit. Images will also be featured at www.gettyimages.com/mcdonalds.

McDonald’s FIFA World Cup Background

McDonald’s has been a supporter of football at both the global and grassroots levels for more than 25 years. McDonald’s became an Official Sponsor and the Official Restaurant of the FIFA World Cup(TM) in 1994 when the tournament was played in the United States.

Source: McDonald’s

The competition that began in front of 60 supporters on the Pacific island of Samoa on 25 August 2007 was wrapped up early on Thursday morning (CET) in Montevideo, when Uruguay completed the line-up of teams that will compete at the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™. As always, the lengthiest football tournament in the world offered up a wealth of facts and figures.

No fewer than 853 matches were played across the six confederations to determine which 31 of the 200 participating countries (more than ever before) would vie for world football’s crown alongside hosts South Africa next year.

There was an encouraging growth in attendance figures. Some 20 million fans – an average of almost 23,000 per match – flocked to the stadiums, creating a new attendance record in the history of the FIFA World Cup™ preliminary competition.

However, there was a downward trend in the number of goals scored, with the total of 2,344 – or 2.75 per match – representing the lowest average since the preliminary competition for the finals in Italy in 1990.

2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying draw for Asia
Top two from each group go through to fourth round of qualifying, where the 10 teams are drawn into two groups of five. The winners and runners up of each group qualify for World Cup 2010, while the two third placed teams playoff against each other to earn the right to playoff against (and probably beat) a team from Oceania (probably New Zealand) for a World Cup spot.

2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying draw for CONCACAF
The 12 winners of these ties get drawn into three groups of four. The top two from each group advance to a final six team round robin. From there, the top three teams get World Cup glory, with the fourth place team facing a scary playoff against a South American team.

2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying draw for Africa
The 12 group winners and eight best runners-up go through to a second group stage, where the 20 teams are placed into five groups of four. The five group winners go to the finals. African teams have to work hard to qualify.

2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying draw for Europe
All 53 UEFA member associations entered the draw for the FIFA World Cup. There are eight groups of six teams and one of five, with each side playing home and away against the others in the section. The nine group winners will advance to the 2010 finals in South Africa, while the eight best runners-up will contest four play-off matches to determine Europe’s other four finalists.