England coach Fabio Capello has invited David Beckham to join the England squad at the World Cup in South Africa, despite the midfielder's ankle injury.

• Carrick says injured Beckham has 'presence' to inspire England
• 'It will give the lads a big boost', says United midfielder

Michael Carrick believes David Beckham's presence as a non-playing member of England's World Cup party would be welcomed throughout the squad.

Beckham's achilles injury has crushed his hopes of playing at a fourth World Cup, but he could still have a role in South Africa.

"I think the manager has invited him along in some capacity," said Manchester United's Carrick, "and however he comes along I'm sure for the lads in the squad it will be good to see him.

"It will give the lads a big boost because he's just got that presence, and great players have that. He's got that all-round presence that people respond to."

Beckham was injured during Milan's Serie A match with Chievo on Sunday and has already undergone surgery. He will be out of action for several months according to his surgeon.

Carrick also hopes Wayne Rooney can maintain the recent form he has shown for United. "He's obviously the main man for United and England when he's playing like that. He can lead teams and help them be successful and hopefully he's going to have a big few months."

• David Beckham
• World Cup 2010
• England

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New Jersey-born and proud of his Haitian heritage, Jozy Altidore is a striker on the rise and a decisive piece of USA’s puzzle ahead of South Africa 2010.

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Durban is hosting a football world championship with a difference this week, bringing together street children from eight different countries.

• Left-back 'very wound-up' when he announced England boycott
• James Milner is very important for England, says coach

Fabio Capello remains hopeful that Wayne Bridge will reverse his decision to pull out of the England squad. The Manchester City left-back Bridge announced that he did not want to be considered for selection following revelations of an affair between John Terry and Vanessa Perroncel, Bridge's former girlfriend and the mother of his child. But Capello has revealed his belief that the announcement was motivated by anger and his hope that time could yet prove a healer in the build-up to this summer's World Cup.

Bridge pulled out of the England squad on 25 January, claiming that his inclusion would be "untenable and potentially divisive". Capello immediately released a statement through the Football Association saying that the door would always be open. Now, he has expressed his hope that having overcome the initial shock, Bridge will reconsider his position before June.

"Wayne Bridge was very wound up, very angry, when he made the decision," Capello told the Spanish channel Gol Televisión. "There is still time for him to change his mind." Bridge is currently out of action for a month following a hernia operation.

Asked if it was hard to take the armband off Terry, Capello replied: "No. Players and fans want the captain's armband to be worn by an exemplary player. They want the captain to be an example for young children. What happened with Terry wasn't good. I saw him at Wembley and we spoke about [the affair] and we spoke about football. It was fine. He understood [my decision]. I explained to him that he could not continue as captain but I also told him that he would continue to be a leader on the pitch and an important player because a coach needs a player like that."

The England coach confirmed that he has asked David Beckham to join the squad in South Africa, even though the Milan midfielder will miss out on the tournament because of a torn achilles tendon. Capello said of Beckham: "He is an important player for us; he never caused any problems whatsoever. Whether he played 10, 15 or 20 minutes, he always had the same attitude and he was always ready. He was an important man in the dressing room. In fact, we have asked David to be with us in South Africa; if he wants to, he can come with us. It depends on him and it depends on how he feels with his achilles. But we know he can't play now for six months. I hope he comes back fit afterwards."

In Beckham's absence Capello's options on the right side of midfield have shortened but he has been impressed with the response of two players. "Last year Theo Walcott who was the player that most surprised me – he was very important during qualifying," the England coach said. "This year [James] Milner from Aston Villa has played a number of games with us and he is very important.

"But the most important player is Wayne Rooney. He scores lots of goals; he finishes everything. Players need time. Rooney started at Everton at 16 and he has matured. Right now, his form is incredible and I hope he can maintain that level until South Africa. There are three players who are on a different level at the moment. One is [Lionel] Messi, one is Cristiano Ronaldo and one is Rooney. They are a step above everyone else in the world."

• World Cup 2010
• England
• Fabio Capello
• Wayne Bridge
• John Terry

Sid Lowe
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In Mexico it was Bobby Charlton's baldhead and last time Theo Walcott set tongues wagging, but what will the big World Cup 2010 debate be?

For me, the most unnerving moment of any football match featuring the commentary of John Motson is when some minor incident causes the BBC veteran to gurgle, "And they'll be debating that one in pubs and clubs up and down the country for months to come…"

Admittedly Motty – with his weird notion that the population is perpetually on the verge of nipping out to put the kettle on – sometimes appears to have such a slim grasp on everyday reality he makes Marie Antoinette look like Gordon Brown – and vice versa – but even so I can't help worrying that he might actually be correct. This is disturbing because if a ball-to-hand-hand-to-ball incident in a game between Birmingham City and Blackburn genuinely does monopolise conversation across the nation for weeks on end, then, frankly, there is no wonder obesity levels are on the rise – a heart attack would seem the only guaranteed escape from the tedium of it all.

Motson is not alone in his strange obsession with football arguments, of course. Many commentators voice the opinion, as half-time approaches, that there "have been plenty of talking points for the boys back in the studio to get their teeth into". Indeed, so strongly is this emphasised by some that a visitor to our shores might conclude the British only invented football to give Alan Shearer the chance to drone "Very much so" in a tone that resembles a stunned bluebottle, Alan Hansen to tell that bloody story about Bob Paisley saying "You run the first five yards in your head", and Andy Townsend to get his magic pen out and scribble all over the screen like a kid with an Etch‑A-Sketch trying to draw a dinosaur playing the trombone.

It seems to me, though, that people very rarely actually debate offside decisions, or red cards. There's no point to it. Folk take their position on the matter and there's no shifting them. It's like Richard Dawkins debating the existence of God with the pope. It will just go on all night and resolve nothing and in the end the best thing would just be to put them in a cage and let them fight. At the end we'd still be none the wiser but at least we'd see some blood. For what it's worth I'd put money on Benedict by a stranglehold submission, but then I always bet on my fears.

The only time this really changes is round now, in World Cup year. The Fifa World Cup brings with it many opportunities to fill official roles. There is an official film, an official song, official merchandise, an official beer, an assortment of official snack foods, official money-lenders and, in all probability, an official solvent-free extra strong clear adhesive for wood, metal and ceramics. The most prestigious and coveted of all of these roles, however, is that of Official FA Talking Point. To look down the arguments that have occupied this traditional position is to read a veritable who's who of irresolvable football discourse that began back in 1950 with the first one of all: "Should we actually be playing Johnny Foreigner?"

In 1966 it was "Where are our wingers?" with a side wrangle of Greaves v Hurst. In 1970 the nation fretted over whether Bobby Charlton's bald head would be a liability in the midday Mexican sun and Sir Alf's reluctance to field Peter Osgood. In 1982 it was "Should we build a team around Glenn Hoddle?" Bryan Robson's shoulder ushered in a new era of insidious medical chat in 1986 that has since featured several long-running discussions surrounding the metatarsals of Manchester United players. In 1998 we were treated to twin-pronged delights as manager Glenn Hoddle brilliantly paired "Is Michael Owen old enough to start matches?" with "Has David Beckham got his right head on?" While last time around the phlegmatic Sven-Goran Eriksson dummied to go with "Who the heck is Theo Walcott?" while secretly teeing up "Can Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard play together in central midfield?"

What will happen this time around is currently a cause of grave uncertainty with David Beckham's ruptured achilles tendon putting a sudden stop to a discussion many believed had the potential to go all the way to the inevitable quarter-final penalty shoot-out. The brutal conclusion to "Is Becks worth a place on the bench?" following on from the equally quick curtailment of the "Will the presence of John Terry and Wayne Bridge divide the dressing room?" and the abrupt finish of the weak, but seemingly always with us "Can a fit and in-form Michael Owen be left behind?" has left a yawning gap.

For those tasked with unearthing the Official FA Talking Point of 2010 this has been a month of anxiety. With "Adam Johnson's surely worth a look" and "I can't help wondering about Ashley Cole's mental state" so far failing to catch on the field is wide open. Clive Tyldesley, an appallingly influential figure when it comes to making tedious things seem far more important than they actually are, has taken up the cudgels for "You've got to have Crouchy in the starting line-up". However, unlike the Spurs striker I'm not sure this one has much in the way of legs.

• England
• World Cup 2010
• David Beckham

Harry Pearson
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Algeria's Mourad Meghni spoke to FIFA.com about his injury problems, the burden of being compared to Zinedine Zidane and his hopes for South Africa.

Nadir Belhadj will miss Algeria's opening World Cup game against Slovenia after being given a two-match ban.

For those who want to get a look at Soccer City from the inside before the World Cup fans descend on South Africa, now is the time.

For those who want to get a look at Soccer City from the inside before the World Cup fans descend on South Africa, now is the time.

The FIFA World Cup™ Trophy is being taken to 84 countries in 215 days as part of a global pre-tournament tour that will end in South Africa on 4 May.

The FIFA World Cup™ Trophy is being taken to 84 countries in 215 days as part of a global pre-tournament tour that will end in South Africa on 4 May.

(That kid immediately gets some sort of WCB Order of Merit.)

There’s going to be a rather large party in South Africa this year. Some call it the World Cup.

But before there can be the real party, there must be another party beforehand. Because it’s not really a party unless it’s sandwiched by eight other parties of no importance whatsoever. And judging by the musical lineup for the World Cup pre-party, this will be no different.

That’s not entirely true, but my faith in the world plummets to bedrock levels whenever the Black Eyed Peas make a cameo.

A concert will take place in Jo’burg’s urban center Soweto, which is where you’ll find the cleanest children on Earth, on June 10th, the day before the actual party kicks off. The four ‘mainstream’ artists – forgive my lack of being hip with the times if someone else has entered into the purview of global popular culture – are (currently) as follows:

Black Eyed Peas
Alicia Keys
John Legend
Shakira

All of whom will bring a decidedly multicultural flavor to the event, being from two countries and all.

There will be a more ‘local’ (continental) feel at the festivities too, fortunately:

The lineup announced Wednesday also features a strong African presence with South African folk singer Vusi Mahlasela and Malian artists Amadou and Mariam and Tinariwen. South African rock bands BLK JKS and The Parlotones will also perform as the country prepares to be the first African host in the 80-year history of the tournament.

And all of it’s for a good cause:

Net proceeds from the concert will go to 20 Centres for 2010, FIFA’s official social campaign for the World Cup — aimed at achieving positive change in Africa through football.

“Positive change”? In whose pockets?

In other news, Carlos Queiroz needs a medic – stat:

Mark McGhee expects life to be fair but football is not liek that Mark McGhee is calling foul over the amount of criticism he has had to endure since taking over as manager at Pittodrie...

There are many things which FIFA isn’t very good at. One of them is putting anyone in the organization in front of a microphone, or allowing spilled words onto a page into the hands of the media. Another is running the world’s football organization.

So FIFA, after handing this year’s World Cup to the country with the second highest per capita murder rate, are looking to outdo themselves by sponsoring a World Cup bid by the world’s most dangerous country, Colombia. Hip hip.

Jack Warner – ever a maestro with words and speaker of such classics as “England invented the sport but has never made any impact on world football” , and “Nobody in Europe likes England” - sat in front of some microphones and urged Colombia to bid for a World Cup spot in 2026.

Warner formed part of a FIFA delegation that visited Colombia in order to inspect the venues for next year’s Under-20 World Cup, which is by some considered a final test ahead of a senior World Cup bid.

“In 2014, the World Cup will be in Brazil. Twelve years later the World Cup will once again be for South America. I think this will be a good start for Colombia in order to place a bid for the 2026 World Cup as they will have first class venues by then,” Warner stated.

Colombia’s earned a World Cup bid once before, in 1986. The same tournament which was held in Mexico because Colombia couldn’t scrape up enough cash to improve facilities.

Colombia’s also the same country which allowed a player back onto the pitch 6 months after he murdered a fan.

Of course this won’t stop FIFA from doing everything possible to get the World Cup in Colombia. Jack Warner lives there calls Colombia a “second home”, you see, and by the time the vote happens for WC2026, enough envelope ballot stuffing will have occurred to get his wish.

Unless a cryogenically frozen Sepp wants it in his living room.

FIFA.com sat down for an exclusive chat with Paraguayan midfielder Edgar Barreto, who is eager to do his part for the cause in South Africa.

Show aims to be a celebration of African culture with fringe acts such as BLK JKS and Tinariwen also set to perform

Black Eyed Peas, Amadou & Mariam and Shakira are among the performers announced for the opening gala for this year's World Cup. Western pop stars will appear alongside fringe acts such as BLK JKS and Tinariwen at what organisers are calling "the greatest entertainment event to date in Africa".

The concert will take place on 10 June, at Orlando Stadium, in Johannesburg's Soweto district. More than 30,000 people are expected to pack into the arena, with millions more tuning in at home. "It is testament to the universal and unifying power of football and music," said the FIFA secretary general, Jerome Valcke, neglecting to mention the roles of scantily-clad pop singers and hysterical nationalism.

With many more performers to be announced later, the bill so far includes US acts such as the Peas, Alicia Keys and John Legend, Colombian stars Juanes and Shakira, Mali's Vieux Farka Touré, Benin's Angelique Kidjo, and celebrated Tuareg rockers Tinariwen.

South Africa, the tournament's host, will itself dispatch the Parlotones, the folkie Vusi Mahlasela, and indie-rockers BLK JKS. Promoters also promise "feature appearances" by footballers, and "celebrities from other fields". This is probably code for Charlize Theron.

"Music and sports are the lifeblood of African culture, so to combine those in this historic event will be a true celebration of African culture," explained Lucas Radebe, an eloquent member of the South African team. With all this lifeblood flowing around, we hope it doesn't get messy.

• Pop and rock
• Fifa
• World Cup 2010

Sean Michaels
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Owen Hargreaves admits he needs to see progress 'pretty quick' if he is to play for England at the World Cup.

As the FIFA stadium inspection continues, FIFA.com spoke to the Organising Committee's broadcast manager to find out what he is doing on the inspection.