World Cup 2010

Americans are finally figuring out what the rest of the world has known for decades: Soccer is way more than just 22 people running around for 90 minutes. But is the recent interest fleeting or the start of an enduring passion? Some fans weigh in (with video).

Forget the 2 to 1 odds in Las Vegas that favor the Netherlands against Spain in Sunday's World Cup finals, the best and most accurate odds are coming from Paul, the psychic octopus, whose unblemished record in this year's soccer World Cup match-ups is creating a cult-like following.

Online video giant YouTube has added a new button to its website -- one that adds the distinctive sound of the vuvuzela. The button, shaped like a soccer ball, unleashes the drone of the plastic trumpet to any clip.

Major league baseball thrives on giveaways; bobble-head day, bat day, ball day, Snuggie day. But vuvuzelas? These plastic one-note horns are the scourge of the World Cup for the incessant blare that fans create with them. The Florida Marlins' decision to give away free vuvuzelas to the first 15,000...

More Americans are watching the World Cup soccer tournament. ESPN and ABC say that the number of viewers so far are double what they were in 2006. All this could be a sign that America is finally taking to a sport long played mostly by our kids.

Saying it meant no offense but rather intended to humorously connect the "passion of soccer fans with owner loyalty," Hyundai admits it goofed with the religious-themed ad. But at least one ad exec thinks there's more to it than that.

South Africa has some lofty expectations about the boost the World Cup will bring to its economy. Economists are skeptical that the soccer tournament will live up to those expectations and history shows that it most likely will not.

Sure, the Olympics are pretty big, but for most of the world, the year's biggest sporting event is the World Cup of soccer, which will be held across South Africa in June. If you're looking to go cheap and you haven't laid any groundwork, forget it. It's a precarious quadruple hurdle of airfare,...