The veteran defender did not play in Cameroon's opening game of the World Cup against Japan. The "Samurai Blue" won the game 1–0 with a goal from Keisuke Honda. After the match, Song and some senior players claimed that Cameroon's youngsters were not up to standard and asked Le Guen to reconsider his lineup for the next group match against Denmark. Song, however, was again omitted in the game with Denmark, which Cameroon lost 2–1. With the loss, they became the first team to be mathematically eliminated in the 2010 World Cup. The former captain eventually featured in the last game against the Netherlands, his fourth World Cup participation; he entered the match as a substitute for Nicolas N'Koulou in the 73rd minute of the second-half. The "Indomitable Lions" went out of the tournament with a 1–2 loss and shortly after, on 1 August, Song retired from international duty after 137 total appearances.