England’s quest for World Cup glory in South Africa ended in bitter disappointment, a primary reason why Wayne Rooney recalls the 2010 tournament with such strong negative feelings.
The former England national team captain holds particularly poor memories of the FIFA World Cup held in South Africa.
Speaking on ‘The Overlap’ podcast, the 40-year-old was unequivocal about that competition: «There won’t be a worse World Cup than 2010 in South Africa. The tournament never felt like a World Cup.»
Rooney elaborated: «We were on our way to our opening game against the USA, and the atmosphere felt completely unusual. It was dark, nobody was there, no fans greeting you like usual. You just never had the impression that it was a World Cup.»
England’s 2010 World Cup Hopes Dashed by Germany
Sporting success also eluded Rooney and his Three Lions at that World Cup, proving to be a profound letdown. England, managed by star coach Fabio Capello, traveled to South Africa as a co-favorite but failed to live up to expectations. They began the tournament with two draws (1-1 against the United States, 0-0 against Algeria). Rooney himself made headlines after the Algeria match by mockingly reacting to jeering English fans.
Despite winning their final Group C game 1-0 against Slovenia, England finished second behind the USA. This was a significant blow to their title aspirations, especially given that English media had labeled the group «EASY» (England, Algeria, Slovenia, Yanks) due to the perceived weaker opponents.
Consequently, England faced another footballing powerhouse, Germany, in the Round of 16. The Germans played furiously, securing a dominant 4-1 victory that sent England home prematurely.
Ultimately, Spain claimed the title in the final against the Netherlands. Interestingly, the then FIFA President Sepp Blatter had a completely different impression of the World Cup than Rooney, later describing it as «the best World Cup in history.»
Wayne Rooney’s International Statistics for England
| International Caps: | 120 |
| Goals: | 53 |
| Assists: | 21 |
| Yellow Cards: | 12 |
| Red Cards: | 2 |
| Tournament Appearances: | 6 |