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Spain is back in the World Cup final since winning it all in 2010 over the Netherlands in Johannesburg in the first edition to be held on the African continent. In those 16 years, many things have changed (i.e. the number of teams qualified), while some things remain the same (Lionel Messi and Ronaldo are still playing).
For fans, both young and old, the Spanish team that took home its first World Cup between two European championships (2008 and 2012) was a dynasty. La Roja defined a style of play, known as Tika Tika, that combined art, complex passing and a talent for creativity on the field. That title run even made the top 10 of our top 100 World Cup moments.
One of the things that the World Cup does best is pull on the threads of nostalgia. As we prepare 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 of 2010.
‘Waka Waka’ and ‘Wavin’ Flag’ gave us iconic anthems
We were treated with not just one but two songs that will be forever linked to the 2010 World Cup. Shakira was already a global superstar when she performed “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, time for Africa will never stand still.
But they were not overshadowed by the inspiring rhythms and rhymes of K’naan, who delivered another earworm with ‘Wavin’ Flag’. The song was often played after the teams scored a goal in the tournament and summarized how the World Cup can often highlight the coming together of cultures from around the world.
Paul the octopus predicts everything
(Photo by Patrik STOLLARZ / AFP via Getty Images)
The octopus is considered one of the most intelligent marine creatures and also one of the tastiest. That’s why, during the qualifying rounds of the 2010 World Cup, a German aquarium octopus named Paul became a global sensation for correctly choosing eight matches, including Spain’s victory in the final.
How did he do it? Passing over two boxes placed in their habitat that were adorned with the flags of the clashes. They each had a mussel and the one Paul wrapped his tentacle around to grab his snack was his choice.
As with many famous stuffed animals, Paul caused such a stir that fans of losing teams asked to eat him. The Spanish government even offered Paul asylum, but he remained in Germany, where he died of natural causes in October of that year.
Minions, Vampires and Mr. Stark dominated the box office
(Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)
You’d be forgiven if you were equally entertained that summer by some blockbuster movies that introduced us to the Minions and made us decide between Team Edward and Team Jacob. On the day of the finale, June 11, both ‘Despicable Me’ and the long-awaited Twilight sequel (also known as “Twilight: Eclipse”) dominated the box office numbers in the United States.
Other summer hits included the third installment of the “Toy Story” franchise, “Iron Man 2,” and the genre film “Inception,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio. All of these movies remain alive in our hearts, or at least through countless memes and GIFs.
Katy Perry proved to be undeniable as if she were dynamite
(Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
The aforementioned World Cup songs weren’t the only tunes on the summer soundtrack. Katy Perry had us dreaming on the West Coast with “California Gurls,” which went to number one in the US on finals day, while Taio Cruz had us throwing our hands in the air as we belted out the chorus of “Dynamite.”
Frankly, there are too many classics to list here from that summer and say which one was the best, so choose between anything by Rihanna or Flo Rida.
Big Papi wins MLB Home Run Derby
The day after La Roja won the World Cup, one of the Red Sox’s star players was putting on a show at Angels Stadium in Anahiem. Boston slugger David Ortiz had an iconic night as he hit 32 home runs in the Home Run Derby. He remains the only Red Sox player to win the competition, and would win his third World Series ring three seasons later in 2013.
NFL top pick Sam Bradford had hopes for Rams
(Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)
In the summer of 2010, the Rams hoped Sam Bradford could bring his Heisman Trophy win to St. Louis after making the Oklahoma quarterback the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft earlier that year. The Rams finished 7-9 in a season in which the Pittsburgh Steelers claimed their sixth Super Bowl title by beating the Green Packers in the 2010-11 postseason.
