To celebrate this year’s major sporting event Volunteer Latin America is giving everyone the chance to win £150 and an official World Cup match football.

To enter, simply tell us which Latin American team will score the most goals in the group stages of the World Cup before midnight on the 10th June 2010. If there isn’t a clear winner after the group stages everyone still in the competition will progress to the second round and set a new question. The competition will continue in the same manner (subsequent rounds of the World Cup) until we have an overall winner.

We will announce the name of the winner on this web page when the competition reaches its conclusion. The winner will receive £150 to spend on anything they wish and of course the football.

The football is a replica of the official 2010 FIFA World Cup match ball (£80 value) to be used at the greatest competition in the world from the 11th June 2010 in South Africa. It’s 8 special moulded panels makes it designed to be the ’roundest’ ever football. The ‘Jabulani’ football is manufactured using a ‘Grip in Groove’ profile that provides an exceptional stable flight and perfect grip under all conditions. The name ‘Jabulani’ pays tribute to the passionate football celebration fans will be hoping to enjoy in South Africa. 11 different colours are used on the ball to represent the 11 players in each team, 11 official languages of South Africa and the 11 South African communities.

Please be aware that people who use our voluntary work information service between now and the start of the World Cup are entitled to enter two teams into the group stages of the competition.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

The competition is open to anyone aged 18 or over except employees of Volunteer Latin America.

Only one entry (team) is permitted per person.

People who use our voluntary work information service between now and the start of the World Cup are entitled to enter two teams.

The closing date for entries is midnight on the 10th June 2010. Entries received after this date will not be entered into the competition.

Only entries sent by email to info@volunteerlatinamerica.com will be entered into the competition. Write your name and team in the body of the email and put ‘World Cup Competition’ in the subject line.

Failure to comply with any instructions sent by Volunteer Latin America via email will mean automatic disqualification from the competition.

The winner will be notified, using the email address used by the entrant to enter the competition, by 11th July 2010. The winner’s name will be published on our website.

The submission of a team(s) to this competition will be taken to mean that the terms and conditions have been read and accepted.

To be labelled the most attractive South American team when Brazil are included in the competition is some testimony to the strides Chile have made as a side. Unfortunately, they appear to lack the defensive strength to match, demonstrated through the conceding of 22 goals in qualifying, seven of which came in their two encounters with Brazil. They reached South Africa courtesy of a 4-2 victory over Colombia, with substitute Jorge Valdivia scoring one goal and creating the other three. It is Chile’s first appearance at the World Cup finals since 1998.

Argentine coach Marcelo Biesla has instilled a confidence in his side they have rarely demonstrated on the world stage, and his favouring of attacking play is admirable, if not sometimes a touch naive. The squad is an extremely young one, averaging around 23, and is forged around the creative skills of of players like Sporting Lisbon’s Matias Fernandez and Al Ain’s Jorge Valdivia and the goalscoring prowess of striker’s Alexis Sanchez of Udinese and Monterrey’s Humberto Suazo. Chile could well be one to keep an eye on and could well upset a few.

Manager: Marcelo Biesla

Key player: Alexis Sanchez

Best: Third place (1962)

World ranking: 15

A 1-0 victory over El Salvador and a crucial last-minute goal by the United States against Costa Rica clinched Honduras’ place in South Africa next year. It was a close call though as they only secured their third-place finish in the group thanks to a superior goal difference to the Costa Ricans. It is only the second time they have qualified for the finals, the other being in 1982 – and it has all happened while Honduras has been in turmoil following a military coup in June.

Honduras are a rapidly improving side, boasting a number of players who ply their trade in Europe, including Tottenham midfielder Wilson Palacios and Wigan duo Hendry Thomas and Maynor Figueroa. Reaching the finals was a major feat for the side in the circumstances but it would be a monumental achievement for them to progress beyond the first round in South Africa.

Manager: Reinaldo Rueda

Key player: Wilson Palacios

Best: Round one (1982)

World ranking: 37

When discussing the World Cup it is inevitable we would eventually get round to five-time winners Brazil, the only team to have appeared at every finals to date. They made sure that record continued in the best possible fashion, beating their bitter rivals Argentina 3-1 on their home turf. Two goals from striker Luis Fabiano and another from defender Luisao was enough as they inflicted only the second home defeat in World Cup qualifiers on Diego Maradona’s struggling side.

The men in yellow and blue are always favoured, but this time, under the managerial guidance of former World Cup-winning captain Dunga they are justifiably considered one of the teams to beat. Dunga’s approach may not please those in his homeland who favour samba style over substance, forged as it is around solidity and efficiency, but there can be no doubting his results and he is rapidly winning over the purists. Real Madrid midfield maestro Kaka will be the key man, but he is ably assisted by the likes of Seville’s prolific striker Luis Fabiano, Juventus midfield enforcer Felipe Melo and Barcelona’s pacey full-back Daniel Alves.

Manager: Dunga

Key player: Kaka

Best: Winners (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002)

World ranking: 2

Paraguay secured their place at a fourth-straight World Cup finals with two games to spare after a 1-0 win over Argentina. Nelson Valdez’s goal earned his side victory over Diego Maradona’s struggling outfit in the South American qualifying group as Paraguay joined Brazil in qualifying for South Africa. Finishing just one point behind Brazil is no mean feat for Paraguay and demonstrates that this solid, counter-attacking side should not be underestimated.

After the disappointment of failing to emerge from the group phase at Germany 2006, Paraguay will be hoping to bounce back in South Africa. They may still be finding their feet as a side following the retirement of key players but in forward trio Nelson Haedo Valdez of Borussia Dortmund, Oscar Cardozo of Benfica and Manchester City’s Roque Santa Cruz they have the firepower to pose plenty of problems. Bowing out in the group stages is likely but they cannot be discounted as a dark horse to scrape through.

Manager: Gerardo Martino

Key player: Oscar Cardozo

Best: Round two (1986, 1998, 2002)

World ranking: 29

Argentina endured a torrid qualifying campaign under manager Diego Maradona, who seemed to grow increasingly eccentric as the pressure on him grew. However, the side came good in their crunch match in Uruguay, with Mario Bolatti’s late goal securing the 1-0 win which secured their place in South Africa. Argentina had only failed to qualify for a World Cup once in their history – in 1970 – but their victory secured the fourth and final qualifying spot in the South America group.

Whilst they may appear to be as weak as at any time in living memory, you can never truly write off a side that boasts attacking talent such as Barcelona’s 2009 Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi, Atletico Madrid’s Sergio Aguero and Angel di Maria of Benfica. The manager’s selection policy is a concern though and they are vulnerable in defence. Whilst they undoubtedly possess the resources to be competitive, it is difficult to predict how they will get on in South Africa (although the number of detractors continues to grow) but whatever happens, with Maradona in the dugout it will be an interesting ride.

Manager: Diego Maradona

Key player: Lionel Messi

Best: Winners (1978, 1986)

World ranking: 8

Two-time world champions Uruguay clinched the 32nd and final place in South Africa with a 2-1 aggregate victory over Costa Rica via the play-offs. Oscar Tabarez’s men will reflect on their priceless 1-0 victory in San Jose in the first leg, which meant all they needed was to avoid defeat in Montevideo in the second leg. They took the lead through Sebastian Abreu and although Walter Centeno equalised for Costa Rica, the visitors failed to level the tie. In the South American qualifying group, Uruguay were the epitome of inconsistency – winning six, drawing six and losing six. Of all the teams who qualified from the group, Uruguay beat only Paraguay.

Uruguay possess some talented players who regularly do the business for their club sides but have rarely produced on the international stage. Case in point is Atletico Madrid striker Diego Forlan whose goalscoring record is hugely impressive in La Liga but his international form less so. However, if their big guns can fire they may well overcome what has become a crippling inability to perform on the biggest stage.

Manager: Oscar Tabarez

Key player: Diego Forlan

Best: Winners (1930, 1950)

World ranking: 20

Mexico made sure of their 14th appearance at the finals with a game to spare after a comprehensive 4-1 victory over El Salvador – despite a swarm of bees in the goalmouth halting play for 10 minutes. Javier Aguirre’s side won six of their nine games to seize the initiative in the group after stuttering under previous coach Sven-Goran Eriksson.

Team captain Rafael Marquez has praised coach Aguirre for bringing back the team’s belief following Eriksson’s disappointing reign. The no-nonsense Aguirre has certainly improved the side and they are likely to prove tricky opponents in South Africa, especially in matches at altitude. Barcelona defender Marquez is their star man, but Deportivo La Coruna midfielder Andrés Guardado and Arsenal striker Carlos Vela are both talented performers, while West Ham striker Guillermo Franco is becoming something of a cult hero at Upton Park.

Manager: Javier Aguirre

Key player: Rafael Marquez

Best: Quarter-final (1970, 1986)

World ranking: 17

This summer, seven national teams from Central and South America (Mexico, Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil, Honduras and Chile) will head to South Africa to compete in the 19th World Cup finals each hoping, with varying degrees of realism, to write themselves into the illustrious history of football’s most coveted prize. With the draw now complete, we will taking an early look at the teams throughout January.

Brazil have been given a difficult draw for the 2010 World Cup and will face Portugal, North Korea and Ivory Coast, regarded by many as Africa’s best team.

Hosts South Africa will launch the first World Cup on African soil with a match against Mexico in Johannesburg.

England will meet the United States, Cameroon face the Netherlands, and Germany will play Australia and Ghana.

European champions Spain were given a relatively kind draw and will take on Switzerland, Honduras and Chile.

The draw for the 32-nation tournament was made at a ceremony in Cape Town and broadcast to more than 250 million people worldwide.

There were gasps in the audience when three of the strongest nations – Brazil, Portugal and Ivory Coast – were put together in Group G.

Two-time champions Argentina are pooled with 2004 European champions Greece, Nigeria and South Korea.

2010 World Cup draw

Group A: South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France

Group B: Argentina, South Korea, Nigeria, Greece

Group C: England, USA, Algeria, Slovenia

Group D: Germany, Australia, Ghana, Serbia

Group E: Netherlands, Japan, Cameroon, Denmark

Group F: Italy, New Zealand, Paraguay, Slovakia

Group G: Brazil, North Korea, Ivory Cost, Portugal

Group H: Spain, Honduras, Chile, Switzerland