Spain is back in the World Cup final since winning it all in 2010 over the Netherlands in Johannesburg at the first ever edition to be hosted on the African continent. In those 16 years, much has changed (i.e, the number of qualified teams) while some things have stayed the same (Lionel Messi and Ronaldo still playing).
For fans both young and old, the Spain team that brought home its first World Cup between two European championships (2008 and 2012) was a dynasty. La Roja defined a style of play â known as Tika Tika â that combined artistry, intricate passing, and a flair for creativity on the pitch. That title run even made the top 10 of our 100 best World Cup moments.Â
One of the things that the World Cup does best is tug at the strings of nostalgia. As we get ready for Sunday’s showdown between Messi (who was 22 years old in South Africa) and Lamine Yamal (almost three years old), let’s look back at the summer that was 2010.
We were treated to not one but two songs that will be forever tied to the 2010 World Cup. Shakira was already a global superstar when she dropped “Waka Waka” in the run-up to the tournament. With musical nods to the host nation and the rest of the continent, along with a memorable chorus and choreographed dance, the time for Africa will never truly stop.Â
But not to be overshadowed were the inspirational beats and rhymes of K’naan, who delivered yet another earworm with Wavin Flag.’ The song was often played after teams scored a goal in the tournament and encapsulated how the World Cup can often highlight cultures from across the globe coming together.Â
The octopus is considered one of the most intelligent creatures of the sea â as well as one of the tastiest. That’s why, during the knockout rounds of the 2010 World Cup, an octupus at a German aquarium named Paul became a worldwide sensation for picking eight games correctly â including Spain’s win in the final.Â
How did he do it? By hovering over two boxes placed in his habitat that were adorned with the flags of the matchups. Each one had a mussel in it, and the one Paul wrapped his tentacle to grab his snack was his pick.Â
As with many famous cuddly creatures, Paul caused such a stir that fans of losing teams called on him to be eaten. The Spanish government even offered Paul asylum, but he remained in Germany, where he died of natural causes in October of that year.
You’re forgiven if you equally entertained that summer by some massive blockbuster movies that introduced us to the Minions and made us decide between Team Edward and Team Jacob. On the day of the June 11 final, both Despicable Me’ and the anticipated sequel to Twilight (aka “Twilight: Eclipse”) ruled the box office numbers in the United States.Â
Other summer smashes included the third installment of the “Toy Story” franchise, “Iron Man 2,” and the genre-bending flick “Inception” starring Leonardo DiCaprio. All these movies live on in our hearts, or at least through countless memes and GIFs.Â
The aforementioned World Cup songs weren’t the only tunes on the summer’s soundtrack. Katy Perry had us West Coast dreamin’ with “California Gurls” â which was the No. 1 in the U.S. on the day of the final â while Taio Cruz was making us throw our hands in the air as we belted out the refrain to “Dynamite.”
Frankly, there are too many classics to list here from that summer to say which one was the best, so just take your pick from anything by Rihanna or Flo Rida.Â
On the day after La Roja won the World Cup, one of the star players for Las Medias Rojas (Spanish for the Red Sox) was putting on a show at Angels Stadium in Anahiem. Boston slugger David Ortiz had an iconic night in which he hit 32 homers at the Home Run Derby. He remains the only Red Sox player to win the competition, and
