2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa to be granted host status, Nelson Mandela had previously spoken of the importance of football in his life, stating that while incarcerated in Robben Island prison playing football "made us feel alive and triumphant despite the situation we found ourselves in". With South Africa winning their bid, an emotional Mandela raised the FIFA World Cup Trophy. During 2006 and 2007, rumours circulated in various news sources that the 2010 World Cup could be moved to another country. Franz Beckenbauer, Horst R. Schmidt and, reportedly, some FIFA executives, expressed concern over the planning, organisation, and pace of South Africa's
2019 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup having taken place annually until 2009. The tournament was confirmed publicly on November 3, 2017, during the annual FIFA Beach Soccer Workshop in Dubai as part of the recently renewed partnership between FIFA and Beach Soccer Worldwide (BSWW). In October 2018, it was announced the tournament will take place in Paraguay; the city of Asunción will host the event in November 2019. This marks the first time that Paraguay will host a FIFA event and that a landlocked country will receive the World Cup. Brazil are the defending champions. The bidding schedule to determine the hosts was as follows: Countries