Inter sign Ranocchia, Genoa get Destro

FC Internazionale Milano have signed Andrea Ranocchia in a co-ownership deal with Genoa CFC, with the Italy Under-21 defender being scheduled to switch clubs in summer 2011.

FC Internazionale Milano have reached an agreement with Genoa CFC to sign Andrea Ranocchia for an undisclosed fee, with the 1.95m-tall defender to switch clubs in summer 2011. In a separate arrangement, Internazionale's Italy Under-19 striker Mattia Destro has been loaned to Genoa for one season.

The 22-year-old Ranocchia's playing licence will be held jointly between the two Serie A teams, and he will remain at Genoa for one more campaign while having an Inter contract until 2015. Ranocchia was a Perugia Calcio trainee before making his professional bow with AC Arezzo in Serie B in 2006/07 and then transferring to Genoa in 2008. The centre-back has spent the last two seasons on loan at AS Bari, winning promotion in his first campaign and becoming a Serie A regular last term until a knee injury in January ended his involvement. Part of Italy's squad at the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, he was involved in their current qualifying campaign prior to his injury. Destro, who has trained with Inter's senior side, is leading Italy's line at the UEFA European U19 Championship finals in France, having top-scored in qualifying with eight goals. Italian and European titleholders Inter enter the UEFA Champions League in the group stage.

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Liverpool sign Wilson from Rangers

Scottish Young Player of the Year Danny Wilson has joined Liverpool FC from Rangers FC, becoming the club's third summer signing following the arrivals of Joe Cole and Milan Jovanović.

Liverpool FC have completed their second transfer in as many days with the signing of 18-year-old Scottish Young Player of the Year Danny Wilson from Rangers FC. The centre-back follows Joe Cole to Anfield and has joined on a three-year contract for a reported €2.3m which could rise to €6m depending on appearances. The Scottish Under-19 international makes the move after an impressive breakthrough season for Rangers in which he scored once in 24 appearances following his debut in a League Cup quarter-final against Dundee FC on 27 October.

He also claims the distinction of being the youngest player to represent Rangers in a UEFA Champions League match – having featured against FC Unirea Urziceni a week later in only his second game for the Glasgow side. "This is a massive challenge for me," said Wilson. "I will be playing for one of the biggest teams in the world. It wasn't a difficult decision to come here as Liverpool are not a team who come in for you every day." Wilson is the fourth new face at Anfield after Cole, striker Milan Jovanović and manager Roy Hodgson who succeeded Rafael Benítez on 1 July. Liverpool will learn their UEFA Europa League third qualifying round opponents on Thursday when FK Rabotnicki, of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and Armenia's FC Mika conclude their second qualifying round tie.

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Mario Balotelli and Maicon "NOT FOR SALE"

Champions League holders Inter Milan are not looking to sell Mario Balotelli and Maicon, the club's technical director Marco Branca has said.

Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United have been linked with bids for striker Balotelli, 19, with Real Madrid reportedly keen on right-back Maicon. "We will consider offers, but they are not transfer listed," Branca told the club's website. "How much is Balotelli worth? He doesn't have a price." Inter won the Serie A title and Copa Italia last season to complete a treble under former manager Jose Mourinho, but while Maicon was a key player Balotelli fell out with the manager and was an unused substitute as the Italian side beat Bayern Munich in the Champions League final.

But with former Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez now in charge at the San Siro, Branca insisted the club have no need to sell key players. "We are in a privileged situation, having won so much," he said. "It's true that we receive calls each day because everyone wants at least six or seven of our champions." Balotelli had a temperamental relationship with Mourinho, but is considered one of Italy's brightest prospects and is likely to get his chance in the national team after Italy crashed out of the World Cup in the group stages. Maicon, 28, is an established member of the Brazilian national team and his form over the past season has seen him shortlisted for the 2010 Ballon d'Or - given to the player voted the best in Europe.

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Eduardo da Silva quits Arsenal for Shakhtar Donetsk

Croatian striker Eduardo has joined Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk on a four-year deal from Arsenal.

The fee for the 27-year-old Brazilian-born player is reportedly around £6m. Eduardo joined Arsenal from Dinamo Zagreb in July 2007 but struggled to regain his best form after a year out with a broken leg and dislocated ankle. Despite that he signed a new contract at the club in November, but Wenger has decided to cash in as he rebuilds his squad ahead of the new season.

"FC Shakhtar have signed Eduardo da Silva from Arsenal. All the details were agreed at Donbas Arena in Donetsk," read a statement on the official Shakhtar Donetsk website. Eduardo's horror injury was sustained in a challenge with Birmingham defender Martin Taylor in February 2008, but he marked his return almost exactly a year later with a brace in a 4-0 FA Cup win over Cardiff. He went on to play three more games that season, and 32 in 2009-10 as Arsenal finished third in the Premier League. He ends his spell at the Emirates with a record of 20 goals in 67 appearances for the Gunners. Shakhtar's Romanian coach Mircea Lucescu said: "We wanted to buy Eduardo before he moved to Arsenal. "Not everything went his way last season, but he is still a player of very high quality, a real marksman. "Yes, he had a serious injury, we are aware of the risk, but at the same time we realise he can give a lot to Shakhtar. We expect a lot from Eduardo."

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Dudu Aouate extends Mallorca stay

UEFA Europa League play-off entrants RCD Mallorca have announced Israel goalkeeper Dudu Aouate has signed a new contract which ties him to the Liga club until 2013.

Israeli international goalkeeper Dudu Aouate has signed a new deal that ties him to UEFA Europa League play-off contenders RCD Mallorca until 2013.

Aouate, 32, started every league game in his first full season with Mallorca having moved to the club from RC Deportivo La Coruña in January 2009. The former Maccabi Haifa FC keeper has now put pen to paper on a two-year extension to his contract ahead of the new Liga campaign. Mallorca, who appointed former Danish international Michael Laudrup as their new coach last month, finished fifth in the Spanish top flight and will therefore compete in the UEFA Europa League play-offs. They will discover their opponents at the 6 August draw, with matches scheduled for 19 and 26 August.

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AC Milan Sign Sokratis Papastathopoulos From Genoa

Greece defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos has joined AC Milan for an undisclosed fee from Genoa CFC, who have taken on co-ownership of three Rossoneri youngsters as part of the deal.

AC Milan have signed Greece defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos from Serie A rivals Genoa CFC.

The 22-year-old centre-back has moved for an undisclosed fee with Genoa simultaneously taking joint ownership of Milan prospects Nnamdi Oduamadi, Rodney Strasser and Gianmarco Zigoni. An AEK Athens FC youth product, Papastathopoulos captained Greece to the final of the 2007 UEFA European Under-19 Championship, but was suspended for the loss to Spain in the decider. The following year he made his senior international debut and joined Genoa, for whom he made more than 50 Serie A appearances. He played in two of Greece's games at the recent FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Papastathopoulos is the first arrival since former Cagliari Calcio boss Massimiliano Allegri's appointment as Milan coach, though goalkeeper Marco Amelia had previously come in on loan from Genoa. On Monday his fellow custodian Christian Abbiati signed a two-year contract extension. Third in Serie A last season, Milan begin their UEFA Champions League campaign in the group stage.

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Thigh confines Iaquinta to Juventus sidelines

Striker Vincenzo Iaquinta must sit out Juventus's opening UEFA Europa League fixtures after he suffered a recurrence of the thigh problem which plagued him at the FIFA World Cup.

Juventus will be without Vincenzo Iaquinta for their UEFA Europa League third qualifying round tie against Shamrock Rovers FC or Bnei Yehuda Tel-Aviv FC, with the striker nursing a thigh problem. Iaquinta was troubled by a painful right thigh during Italy's FIFA World Cup campaign in South Africa, and has continued to struggle since returning to his club. The former Udinese Calcio player will be sidelined for about a month.

Although Juventus coach Luigi Delneri should be able to call on the 30-year-old for the start of the Serie A season, Iaquinta will play no part in the Turin side's European openers, scheduled for 29 July and 5 August. Shamrock Rovers and Bnei Yehuda are level at 1-1 going into Thursday's deciding leg in Israel of their second qualifying round tie.

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Liverpool Sign Joe Cole

Roy Hodgson has made his second signing as the new manager of Liverpool FC by bringing in the former Chelsea FC midfielder Joe Cole on a four-year contract, subject to a medical.

Liverpool FC have announced the signing of English international midfielder Joe Cole on a four-year deal, subject to a medical. The 28-year-old joins Liverpool after his contract with Chelsea FC expired at the end of last season, and becomes new manager Roy Hodgson's second signing. Cole made two substitute appearances for England at the FIFA World Cup to take his caps tally to 56, and arrives at Anfield following an unsettled season at Stamford Bridge during which he made 26 Premier League appearances, 12 of them as a substitute. He came off the bench to make his last appearance for Chelsea in their 1-0 FA Cup final victory against Portsmouth FC.

Cole came up through the ranks at West Ham United FC before joining Chelsea for €9.3m in the summer of 2003. He enjoyed tremendous success in west London, helping Chelsea to three Premier League titles and three FA Cups during his seven years at the club. He also featured for Chelsea as they lost the 2007/08 UEFA Champions League final to Manchester United FC on penalties, the first time the London club had reached the showpiece. Cole replaces Yossi Benayoun, who signed for Chelsea at the start of the month, and becomes Liverpool's second major new arrival of the summer following the capture of striker Milan Jovanović from R. Standard de Liège. Hodgson succeeded Rafael Benítez on 1 July after leading Fulham FC to the UEFA Europa League final last term. He will have another shot at the competition this season with Liverpool, who finished seventh in the Premier League and kick off in the third qualifying round against either FK Rabotnicki, of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, or Armenia's FC Mika on 29 July.

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Real Madrid Sign Pedro León from Getafe

Real Madrid CF have completed the signing of right-sided midfielder Pedro León from Getafe CF in a deal reported to be worth €10m, the 23-year-old committing until summer 2016.

Real Madrid CF have completed the signing of Spanish Under-21 international midfielder Pedro León from Getafe CF in a deal reported to be worth €10m. The right-sided 23-year-old committed to the club until summer 2016 following a medical today, and becomes José Mourinho's second signing after the arrival of Ángel di María. With eight goals in 35 Liga appearances last term, Pedro León played a crucial role in helping Getafe earn a UEFA Europa League play-off spot yet it will be in the UEFA Champions League group stage that the former UD Levante and Real Valladolid man will now be tested.

Meanwhile, reserve goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek, a UEFA Champions League winner with Liverpool FC, has penned a one-year contract with Los Merengues, tying the 37-year-old to the club until June 2011.

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Wolfsburg make their move for Mandžukić

VfL Wolfsburg general manager Dieter Hoeness is backing Mario Mandžukić to "add lots of power to our attack" after the Bundesliga outfit signed the Croatia forward from NK Dinamo Zagreb.

VfL Wolfsburg have strengthened their attacking options by signing Croatian international striker Mario Mandžukić from NK Dinamo Zagreb for a fee reported to be in the region of €7-8m. Mandžukić, 24, has agreed a four-year contract with the Bundesliga club and will compete for a place in the Wolves' forward line with prolific duo Edin Džeko and Grafite. "We're very happy to have signed Mario and are convinced that he'll add lots of power to our attack," said Dieter Hoeness, the Wolfsburg general manager. "It is also an advantage that he speaks German."

Mandžukić scored 14 goals in 24 league appearances last term as Dinamo won the Croatian title for the fifth successive season. In total, Mandžukić averaged better than a goal every two games for his former club, striking 42 times in 81 matches. He signed off as a Dinamo player with two goals in a 5-1 defeat of FC Koper in the first leg of a UEFA Champions League second qualifying round tie on Tuesday. Naturally, Wolsfburg coach Steve McClaren is delighted to have acquired the forward who moved to Germany in 1992 with his parents, starting his youth career with TSF Ditzingen. "In our system it is important that the strikers are flexible," said McClaren. "I have followed Mandžukić for a while and I'm happy that he's with us now."

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Barcelona Sign Adriano from Sevilla after getting David Villa

Adriano (left) against his new Team, Barcelona

Spanish Liga titleholders FC Barcelona have reached an agreement with Sevilla FC for the signature of Brazilian international full-back Adriano for a fee that could rise to €13.5m.

Sevilla FC full-back Adriano is set to move to FC Barcelona after the two clubs agreed a fee that could rise to €13.5m for the 25-year-old. Adriano will make the move to the Liga champions subject to passing a medical at the Camp Nou, making him Barça's second signing of the summer after the arrival of striker David Villa. A former FIFA U-20 World Cup winner, Adriano scored 11 times in 157 league appearances for Sevilla following his transfer from Coritiba FC in 2004/05.

A winner of two UEFA Cups, a UEFA Super Cup, two Copa del Rey titles and a Spanish Super Cup during his time at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán, the Brazilian international will now be looking to achieve UEFA Champions League success with Josep Guardiola's side, who enter the tournament at the group stage. Sevilla, meanwhile, will look to join their Liga rivals in the competition via a play-off.

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Edinson Cavani joined Napoli from Palermo

Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani has joined SSC Napoli from fellow UEFA Europa League play-off entrants US Città di Palermo for a reported fee that is expected to reach €17m.

SSC Napoli have signed Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani from US Città di Palermo for a reported fee that is expected to reach €17m.
The 23-year-old has signed a contract running until 2015. "Cavani is a great player," said Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentis. "We've been following him for a month and, although several other clubs tried to sign him, we've moved faster. We're proud to give another big players to our fans." Cavani began his career with Danubio FC before joining Palermo in January 2007 and immediately establishing himself as a regular, scoring 35 goals in 114 appearances, including 15 in each of the last two seasons.

The striker, who only signed a new four-year Palermo deal in April, further impressed in the recent FIFA World Cup where he helped Uruguay to the semi-finals, scoring in the 3-2 third-place play-off defeat by Germany. Overall he has 23 caps and joins a team who, like Palermo, begin their UEFA Europa League campaign in the play-off round, with the draw on 6 August and the matches on the last two Thursdays of next month. Earlier on Saturday, Palermo signed left-back Santiago García from CA Rosario Central and made goalkeeper Giacomo Brichetto's loan move permanent on a three-year deal.

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Thomas Muller Win Golden Boot before World Cup

Thomas Muller admits he never believed he would win the adidas Golden Boot before the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ began.

The 20-year-old forward, who only made his international debut in March, scored five times in South Africa to clinch the award. David Villa, Wesley Sneijder and Diego Forlan also scored five goals, but the Bayern Munich man's three assists saw him edge out the trio.

"This is just incredible for a newcomer to the World Cup. If anyone had told me I'd end on eight scorer points, I'd have said they were kidding me," Muller said on Bayern's official website. "It's an honour of course, but at the end of the day, I'd rather have had the World Cup itself."

Muller's performances in helping Germany reach the semi-finals in South Africa also won him the Hyundai Best Young Player award.

"It's a huge honour to be part of a group including the likes of Pele, Franz Beckenbauer, Michael Owen and the most recent winner, Lukas Podolski," added Muller. "For me personally, it's terrific confirmation of the work I've put in over the last year. I'm delighted my great run has continued here, and I've really enjoyed it too. The honour will be with me for all time, and it's a wonderful memento too."

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The New World Cup Champion Spain

Andres Iniesta struck a dramatic winner late in extra time to give Spain World Cup glory for the first time but condemned the Netherlands to their third defeat in a final.

Iniesta drilled his left-foot strike across goal - but the Dutch were incensed after referee Howard Webb had failed to award their side a corner moments earlier when a free-kick took a sizeable deflection off Cesc Fabregas.
However, Euro 2008 champions Spain, who conceded only two goals during the tournament, deserved their victory after gradually taking a grip on a tense and bad-tempered contest that produced 14 yellow cards with Johnny Heitinga sent off on 109 minutes after picking up a second yellow card.

The Dutch, who lost in the 1974 and 1978 finals, were bidding to become the first side since Brazil in 1970 to go through World Cup qualifying and the finals unbeaten.
They had a glorious chance to take the lead in the second half but Arjen Robben, comfortably his team's most potent attacking weapon, could find no way past Spain captain Iker Casillas, who slumped to the floor and cried tears of joy after the final whistle.
Sergio Ramos was equally culpable of a glaring miss for Spain when he headed over and substitute Fabregas, as with Robben before him, also failed to convert a one-on-one chance.
But it was from a through ball by the influential Fabregas that midfielder Iniesta struck making Spain the first team to win a World Cup after losing their opening game of the tournament.
Spain also become the team to win to World Cup having scored the fewest number of goals - finding the net eight times in their seven matches. The previous mark was held by three teams including England in 1996.
The dramatic finale at Soccer City was in stark contrast to a hugely underwhelming opening 45 minutes, which was a brutal disappointment after the spectacular opening ceremony and moving appearance by former president Nelson Mandela that had preceded it.
Spain dominated possession in the opening minutes and looked to have the measure of an uncertain Dutch backline. Ramos almost put them ahead after just four minutes but his thunderous header was brilliantly saved by Maarten Stekelenburg.
The Netherlands could not get a grip on the game but were helped by a spate of yellow cards from referee Webb that disturbed the rhythm of the match.
Webb booked five players in the opening 28 minutes, although several crude challenges left him with little option.
Dutch enforcer Mark van Bommel was booked after going through the back of Iniesta, while Nigel de Jong was lucky to escape red after planting his foot in the chest of Xabi Alonso.
Robben did force a decent save from Casillas with a low left-foot strike after cutting inside during stoppage time.
But the match had degenerated to the extent that Alonso opted to shoot with a free-kick on the wrong side of 40 yards instead of a seeking out a team-mate.
Spain defender Joan Capdevila wasted a good chance shortly after the restart, failing to make contact with a Carles Puyol flick-on.
The bookings continued after the break and the contest occasionally threatened to boil over as the tension appeared to affect the players.
But there were also a few moments of real quality, none more so than a sumptuous through ball from the largely anonymous Wesley Sneijder that played Robben clean through on goal.
Robben delayed his shot but, equally, Casillas stood his ground as long as possible and brilliantly saved with his legs.
It was a head-in-hands moment for Robben, but one quickly followed for Spain when a completely unmarked Ramos headed a corner over the crossbar.
Robben's pace troubled the Spanish defence throughout and another burst from the Bayern Munich man unsettled Puyol, who appeared to impinge his opponent. Robben, just outside the penalty area, chose to stay on his feet and Casillas again denied him.
Spain had moved into the ascendancy as the match wore on, with Xavi increasingly influential.
Fabregas replaced Alonso in the 87th minute and quickly made an impression by collecting a superb Iniesta pass, but the Arsenal man could find no way beyond Stekelenberg, who saved brilliantly with his legs.
The complement was returned shortly afterwards but Iniesta opted not to strike from 18 yards and was eventually dispossessed by the excellent Gregory van der Wiel.
Heitinger became the fifth man to be sent off in a World Cup final when he pulled back Iniesta on the edge of the area, giving Webb little choice but to hand him a second caution, and that seemed to spur Spain on for a final effort.
Joris Mathijsen headed over for the Netherlands in what was their only good chance of the extra-time period before Iniesta struck his late and decisive blow.

Netherlands	0-1	Spain	FT
	(HT 0-0) (aet)	Iniesta, 116
Team
Netherlands 01 Stekelenburg 02 Van Der Wiel 03 Heitinga 04 Mathijsen 05 Van Bronckhorst (15 Braafheid, 105) 06 Van Bommel 08 De Jong (23 Van der Vaart, 99 ) 10 Sneijder 07 Kuyt (17 Elia, 70) 09 Van Persie 11 Robben		Spain 01 Casillas 03 Pique 05 Puyol 11 Capdevila 15 Sergio Ramos 06 Iniesta 08 Xavi 14 Alonso (10 Fabregas, 86) 16 Busquets 07 Villa (09 Torres, 106) 18 Pedrito (22 G Jesus Navas, 60)
Substitutes: 16 Vorm, 22 Boschker, 12 Boulahrouz, 13 Ooijer, 15 Braafheid, 14 De Zeeuw, 18 Schaars, 20 Afellay, 23 Van der Vaart, 17 Elia, 19 Babel, 21 Huntelaar		Substitutes: 12 Valdes, 23 Reina, 02 Albiol, 04 Marchena, 17 Arbeloa, 10 Fabregas, 20 Javi Martinez, 21 Silva, 22 G Jesus Navas, 09 Torres, 13 Mata, 19 Llorente
Venue: Soccer City Referee: Howard Webb

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Germany finished third at the World Cup 2010 South Africa

Sami Khedira nodded in a late winner as Germany saw off the spirited challenge of Uruguay in Port Elizabeth to finish in third place for the second World Cup running.

It seemed the three-time champions were set for a comfortable evening when Thomas Mueller capped a period of dominance with a straightforward finish after Fernando Muslera spilled a long-range drive from Bastian Schweinsteiger.
Uruguay forced their way back into proceedings through Edinson Cavani before Diego Forlan put them ahead with an acrobatic volley shortly after half-time.

But more poor goalkeeping from Muslera allowed Marcell Jansen to equalise and Khedira then capitalised on Uruguay's failure to clear a Mesut Ozil corner to ensure Germany would end their tournament on a happy note.
The third-place play-off is often billed as a match that no team wants to play - but this encounter made a mockery of any such suggestion.
Uruguay exceeded all expectations in reaching the last four and, with a parade through the streets of Montevideo and a date with President Jose Mujica planned for Monday, they were desperate to finish their campaign on a high.
Germany, meanwhile, are a hugely talented young squad who will be together for some years and viewed the meeting with La Celeste as another stepping stone in their development.
Oscar Tabarez's men signalled their intent by restoring fit-again captain Diego Lugano and star striker Luis Suarez, suspended for the last-four defeat by the Netherlands, to the starting line-up.
Although Germany made five changes from the side beaten by Spain, Philipp Lahm and Lukas Podolski were suffering from a virus, Miroslav Klose had a bad back and coach Joachim Loew was still able to name an enviable line-up.
And it was clear from the opening exchanges that this was no friendly as Mueller saw a strike ruled out for handball, Dennis Aogo escaped with a caution for a terrible studs-up challenge on Diego Perez and Forlan curled a free-kick just over.
It was Germany, though, who dominated the early possession and, after Arne Friedrich had nodded a Ozil corner against the crossbar, they opened the scoring.
Schweinsteiger unleashed a swerving drive from about 35 yards that was spilled by Muslera, offering Mueller a simple finish to draw level with David Villa and Wesley Sneijder on five goals.
Germany might have been expected to kick on from there but instead they sat back on their lead and invited Uruguay forward, while looking to launch the occasional counter-attack of their own.
The two-time champions duly settled into a tidy rhythm, showcasing their ability to turn defence into attack at frightening pace, and were soon back on level terms.
Schweinsteiger, captaining Germany in the absence of Lahm, was robbed of possession by Perez before Forlan fed Cavani and the 23-year-old Palermo striker calmly slotted past Hans Joerg Butt.
Despite persistent rainfall at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Uruguay were passing and moving beautifully and they should have gone ahead before the break when Forlan released Suarez, only for the Ajax frontman to drag a shot wide.
Germany, making a record fifth appearance in the third-place play-off, seemed to have lost their earlier intensity and that allowed the South Americans, full of desire and no shortage of quality, to pick up where they left off in the second period.
Forlan, Suarez and Cavani caused their opponents all manner of problems and, after Cavani and Suarez were denied by Butt, Forlan met Egidio Arevalo's cross with a superb volley to notch his fifth goal of the finals.
Uruguay deserved their advantage and, with Germany showing little potency in the final third, they looked set fair for a fine victory.
But Muslera's unconvincing attempt at claiming a Jerome Boateng cross allowed Jansen to divert the ball into an unguarded net and suddenly the momentum had shifted.
Uruguay, who have still not beaten a European team at the World Cup since 1970, rapidly began to tire and Germany substitute Stefan Kiessling twice squandered opportunities to grab the winner before Khedira made no mistake.
Tabarez's players refused to accept defeat and almost forced extra time, Forlan curled a 92nd-minute free-kick on to the bar.
But Germany held on and their celebrations at full-time showed exactly what this result meant to them.

Uruguay	2-3	Germany	FT
Cavani, 28 Forlan, 51	(HT 1-1)	Muller, 18 Jansen, 56 Khedira, 82
Team
Uruguay 01 Muslera 02 Lugano 03 Godin 04 Fucile 16 Pereira 22 Caceres 15 Perez (05 Gargano, 77) 17 Arevalo Rios 07 Cavani (13 Abreu, 89) 09 Suarez 10 Forlan		Germany 22 Butt 02 Jansen (18 Kroos, 81) 03 Friedrich 17 Mertesacker 20 Boateng 04 Aogo 06 Khedira 07 Schweinsteiger 08 Ozil (05 Tasci, 90+1) 13 Muller 19 Cacau (09 Kiessling, 73)
Substitutes: 12 Castillo, 23 Silva, 06 Victorino, 19 Scotti, 05 Gargano, 08 Eguren, 11 Pereira, 14 Lodeiro, 18 Gonzalez, 20 A Fernandez , 13 Abreu, 21 S Fernandez		Substitutes: 01 Neuer, 12 Wiese, 05 Tasci, 14 Badstuber, 16 Lahm, 15 Trochowski, 18 Kroos, 21 Marin, 09 Kiessling, 10 Podolski, 11 Klose, 23 Gomez
Venue: Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium Referee: B Archundia Attendance: 36,007

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Route to Final World Cup 2010 South Africa

Spain entered the 2010 World Cup as the reigning UEFA European Football Champions having won UEFA Euro 2008, and as the holders of the international football record of consecutive unbeaten games for a national team, spanning 35 matches from 2007 to 2009. The Netherlands entered the World Cup having not lost a single match in their UEFA Group 9 qualifying campaign, winning 8 matches out of 8.
Once at the finals in South Africa, the Netherlands reached the knock-out stages having finished top of Group E with a perfect record of three wins, against Denmark, Japan and Cameroon, conceding only one goal. In the knock-out stages, they beat World Cup débutantes Slovakia, 5 time champions Brazil and 2 time champions Uruguay.
Spain reached the knock-out stages having finished top of Group H, recovering from an initial loss to Switzerland to beat Honduras and then Chile, tying with Chile on points but qualifying top of the group on goal difference. In the knock-out stages, they then beat their Iberian neighbours Portugal, quarter final débutantes Paraguay and three time winners Germany. The semi-final was a repeat of the match up for the UEFA Euro 2008 Final, and again saw Spain beat Germany, who were the top scorers of the 2010 tournament up to that point.

In the six games both teams played in South Africa to reach the final, the Netherlands scored a total of 12 goals and conceded 5, while Spain scored 7 and conceded 2. The top goalscorer in the tournament receives the World Cup Golden Boot. Going into the final both Wesley Sneijder of the Netherlands and David Villa of Spain were tied as the top scorers, while Arjen Robben of the Netherlands is the only other player in the finalists squads with more than one goal in the tournament so far.

Netherlands		Round	Spain
Detail Match on Group E: 2010 FIFA World Cup: Group E Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts  Netherlands 3 3 0 0 5 1 +4 9  Japan 3 2 0 1 4 2 +2 6  Denmark 3 1 0 2 3 6 −3 3  Cameroon 3 0 0 3 2 5 −3 0		Group stage	Detail Match on Group H: 2010 FIFA World Cup: Group H Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts  Spain 3 2 0 1 4 2 +2 6  Chile 3 2 0 1 3 2 +1 6  Switzerland 3 1 1 1 1 1 0 4  Honduras 3 0 1 2 0 3 −3 1
Opponent	Result	Knockout stage	Opponent	Result
Slovakia	2–1	Round of 16	Portugal	1–0
Brazil	2–1	Quarter-finals	Paraguay	1–0
Uruguay	3–2	Semifinals	Germany	1–0

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