Before we look at this year's championship, let's take a trip down memory lane and recount some interesting facts and figures. Remember these and you'll be able to impress your friends:
* The World Cup Finals is the world's most representative team sport event, with more nations competing than in the Olympics.

* The championship has been awarded every four years since the first tournament in 1930, except in 1942 and 1946 due to World War II.
* In the 17 tournaments held, only 78 of the 207 nations that have competed have qualified for the 32-team finals.

* Only seven nations have ever won the World Cup. They are Brazil, Italy, England, Argentina, Uruguay, France and Germany.
* Brazil is the only one of the seven not to have won the title in their home country. They lost in the 1959 Final, the only time they hosted the tournament.

* England (1966) and France (1998) won their only World Cups while playing as host nations.
* Brazil is the current holder, as well as the most successful World Cup team, having won the tournament five times. Runners-up are Germany and Italy, who have each won the Cup three times.

* At the continental level, South America narrowly leads Europe with nine titles to eight.
* The last round of matches of each group are held at the same time to prevent collusion.
* The next Soccer World Cup, in 2010, will be held in South Africa, the first time an African country has hosted the tournament.

When the tournament kicks off in Munich on June 9, what will you be doing? If you don't have a ticket for the opening match, Germany vs Costa Rica, chances are you will be one of the hundreds of millions watching on TV. Will you be at home or away on holiday? Surprisingly, the tourism industry outside of Germany is not expecting to lose business as a result of the universal obsession with football.

All indications are that many people have decided to take leave during this period and will watch the games while relaxing on holiday. The most exciting holiday destination will, of course, be Germany. If you aren't lucky enough to have match tickets, you can still holiday in Germany and be caught up in the football fever that will sweep the country. Obviously, accommodation will be at a premium in cities when they host games, but you should be able to find accommodation where there are no matches taking place.

Many business travellers put trips to host countries on hold and other tourists stay away for fear that everything will be booked out. Avoid cities during big games and you should be fine. Remember that the semi-finals will be held in Dortmund on 4 July and Munich on July 5. The final is in Berlin on July 9.

You can have just as much fun visiting other great footballing nations during the world cup. The European countries which have qualified will be just as exciting during the duration of the cup. With national pride at fever pitch, you will be get to see just how passionate the Europeans can be. Imagine sitting in a trattoria in Rome when the Italian team scores, or watching the Spanish team in action on a large screen set up in a square in central Barcelona. The atmosphere will be electric!

Of course, the World Cup is also a great time to go on holiday to an exotic destination, where you can build your TV viewing into your day or night without any work or home pressures. Traditional holiday resorts on the Spanish and Italian coasts will be in big demand, but so will destinations further afield. During the World Cup held in Japan and South Korea in 2002, many Europeans and Americans headed for holiday destinations in Asia so that they could watch the games in "real time". Favourite spots were in Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia.

Now a surprising number say they are heading back to Asia to watch the 2006 version. Friendships and rivalries established with soccer lovers from around the globe will be renewed, even though the timing of the games will be ''out", with matches being screened as late as 2am. However, many say that this will fit into their holiday programmes - and allow for a great deal of partying before the game.

Now, the only question remains is who will win the World Cup this time? According to the latest FIFA rankings, the top four teams in the world today are Brazil, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands and Mexico. But things rarely go to form. Watch out for the teams that make up the bottom of the top 10: France, Argentina and England. And, of course, you can't discount the home team. Germany is ranked a lowly 19, but the host country has history on its side and their team could yet lift the coveted trophy in Berlin on July 9.