2006 FIFA World Cup Germany

And so it begins. The FIFA World Cup, the pinnacle of football and the most prestigious sporting tournament in the world. Every four years, the world halts to a stop for a month and focuses on the exploits of 32 teams vying for glory and immortality in the greatest sport ever known to mankind, football. People cheer, they cry, they weep, they even die as the goals go in and the teams go out. And this year, all eyes will be in Germany and it's 10 host cities.

Football. Just a sport to some, but a religion to others. And what a sport it is. FIFA, football's world governing body, has more members than the UN. If Earth were to have an official sport, it would be football. It is one of those rare things that can bring hope and cheer to an entire nation. Football, it is indeed, the beautiful game.

Here's to a wonderful, passionate month filled with beautiful flowing football. Cheers!