Football Tournaments and Awards

Marek Hamsik served as captain of the Slovakia national team during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He was a prominent attacking midfielder and played for Napoli at the club level. Jan Mucha was a goalkeeper, Marek Cech a defender, and Robert Vittek a striker, but none were the captain.

Lucio was the captain of Brazil during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He was a central defender and played for Inter Milan at the club level. Kaka was a star midfielder but not captain, while Gilberto Silva and Julio Cesar were important players without the captaincy.

Hong Yong-Jo was the captain of North Korea (Korea DPR) during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He was a forward and one of the team's most prominent players. Ji Yum-Nam, Cha Jong-Hyok, and Kim Yong-Jun were squad members but did not hold the captaincy.

Didier Drogba was the captain of Ivory Coast (Cote d'Ivoire) during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He was a star striker and the team's key player. Boubacar Barry was the goalkeeper, Arthur Boka a defender, and Romaric a midfielder, but Drogba wore the captain's armband.

Cristiano Ronaldo was the captain of Portugal during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He was a forward and the team's star player. Ricardo Carvalho, Pedro Mendes, and Ricardo Costa were squad members but Ronaldo wore the captain's armband.

Iker Casillas was the captain of Spain during the 2010 FIFA World Cup, which they won. He was the goalkeeper and team captain. Fernando Torres, Andres Iniesta, and David Villa were key attacking players but Casillas was the captain and made crucial saves throughout the tournament.

Alexander Frei was the captain of Switzerland during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He was a striker and the team's all-time leading scorer. Diego Benaglio was the goalkeeper, Philippe Senderos a defender, and Steve Von Bergen also a defender, but Frei was the captain.

Amado Guevara was the captain of Honduras during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He was a midfielder and one of the team's most experienced players. Jerry Palacios was a forward, Ricardo Canales the goalkeeper, and Carlos Pavon a striker, but Guevara wore the captain's armband.

Claudio Bravo was the captain of Chile during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He was the goalkeeper and team captain. Mark Gonzalez was a winger, Gary Medel a defender, and Carlos Carmona a midfielder, but Bravo was the captain.

Raul Gonzalez, the legendary Real Madrid striker, did retire around this period after a long career with the club. Luis Figo (B) had already left Real Madrid earlier, while Thomas Mueller (C) and Andres Iniesta (D) were active players at other clubs.

Gonzalo Higuaín scored three goals for Argentina against South Korea in their 4-1 group stage victory at the 2010 World Cup. This was the first hat-trick of the tournament. He was Argentina's top scorer with 4 total goals.

Despite his legendary status, Lionel Messi did not score any goals during the 2010 World Cup. In contrast, Higuaín scored 4, Müller and Forlán scored 5 each. Messi would win the Golden Boot four years later in 2014.

Diego Forlán won the Golden Ball as the best player of the 2010 World Cup, despite Uruguay finishing 4th. He scored 5 goals and led Uruguay to the semifinals. Müller won the Golden Boot for top scorer.

Thomas Müller won the Golden Boot in 2010 with 5 goals and 3 assists. He tied with Forlán, Villa, and Sneijder on goals but won on assist tiebreaker. Müller also won the Best Young Player award.