SHARING THE JOY: Vika Khumalo, South African Consul General to Shanghai, sticks the South African national flag on fans' cheeks outside the South Africa Pavilion on June 11 (XINHUA)

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The cheering football fans in different national team uniforms, the deafening roar of the traditional vuvuzela horns, the hanging national flags of the 32 final teams, the huge replica of the official ball Jubalani, and the sporty green-haired leopard mascot Zakumi. It's not the live broadcast of the 2010 FIFA World Cup's opening ceremony from Johannesburg's 94,700-seat Soccer City Stadium, but the scene at the South Africa Pavilion on the Shanghai World Expo site in the evening of June 11.

At 6 p.m. Beijing time, just two hours before the official kickoff in South Africa's economic capital, some 11,000 km in beeline distance away from Shanghai, more than 300 visitors, including pavilion commissioners from the 31 other qualifying nations in the World Cup and veteran Chinese football players, gathered inside the host country's rondavel round house-shaped national pavilion in Zone C of the Expo site, waiting for the first game to begin.

"The [World Cup] feeling and atmosphere here in the South Africa Pavilion are good," said Sun Wen, 37, a retired striker and former captain of the Chinese national women's football team.

Sun, a Shanghai local, said it was meaningful to watch the FIFA World Cup opening ceremony live at the Expo site, particularly in the host country's national pavilion. "You can see South African staff everywhere, so it's just like I'm on the scene now," she said.

Every 20 years, a universal World Exposition will coincide with the FIFA World Cup, as the former is held every five years while the latter comes around every four years. This year, for the first time, the 80-year-old FIFA World Cup came to the less economically developed continent, while for the first time, the 159-year-old World Expo came to the world's most populous developing country. These two "firsts," to some extent, bring the two events closer together.

Vika Khumalo, South African Consul General to Shanghai, shared his views on the meaning of the World Cup for his country in the pavilion, which officially opened on May 6. "For South African people, it is not only an event of pride but has also meant other improvements such as a legacy of new or refurbished stadiums, new roads and railways, and improved health facilities as well as targets for energy saving and measures to improve security," he said. "Overall, these changes will provide improved lives for the people of South Africa."

Besides matches and football-related activities such as goal shooting and table football games, the South Africa Pavilion is also offering a special gift package for Expo visitors—two tickets to the FIFA World Cup final, along with free transportation and accommodation. The lucky draw will be held by the end of June.

Earlier the same day, the "WASH United" campaign organized by the German Pavilion kicked off as part of the pavilion's Sustainability Week. The campaign, as the pavilion's official website noted, aims to take advantage of the World Cup to "draw attention to the dangerous water and hygiene conditions in Africa." Staff from the South Africa Pavilion and other pavilions tested their shooting skills on a goal wall in front of the German Pavilion, which is nicknamed the "Balancity."

In fact, even before the 2010 FIFA World Cup began, football fever was apparent all over the Expo site, where a total of 189 nations and 57 international organizations are represented.

Brazil might be the first country to come to mind when football is mentioned, given its high reputation—it's the only country that has won the FIFA World Cup title five times and played in every tournament. The Brazil Pavilion, in the same zone as the South Africa Pavilion, is a rectangular structure which is covered by green recyclable wooden lace, reminding visitors of a football field.

An external LED screen displays the real-time results of an interactive football game played by visitors who send short messages via their mobile phones. Inside the pavilion, the football-decorated ceiling, the video clips of Brazilian football superstars and an exhibition on the country's 12 host cities for the 2014 FIFA World Cup give visitors "deep insight into the lifestyles of Brazilians, who are always optimistic and passionate about life," Pedro Wendler, Director of the Brazil Pavilion, said in an interview with China Radio International in early May.

An authentic national team uniform will always lure football fans. That was exactly how the Argentina Pavilion welcomed its 250,000th visitor. On May 15, Guo Binfei, an architecture student at Shanghai-based Tongji University, received the gift and was also invited to watch a tango performance. In addition, Martin Garcta Moritan, the pavilion's commissioner general, was reported to be considering inviting Diego Armando Maradona, head coach of the Argentina national football team, to the pavilion after the tournament ends.

The Argentina Pavilion is not the only one playing the superstar card. On May 27, a life-size wax figure of England striker Wayne Rooney greeted visitors in front of the United Kingdom Pavilion, on loan from Madame Tussauds Shanghai. Although it was returned on June 11, the move brought joy and fun for visitors, especially football fans who expect to see more.

Besides the FIFA World Cup participant national pavilions, pavilions in the Urban Best Practices Area (UBPA) also showcase their interpretation of football.

Inside the Madrid Pavilion, visitors can see a replica of Real Madrid's home field, Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, as well as take a simulated group photo with the star-studded team. The pavilion will hold an exhibition on the football club in August.

The Barcelona Pavilion, whose team is Real Madrid's longtime rival, decorated its interior with blue and red, the same colors on Barcelona's football uniform. One of the pavilion highlights is a uniform and football with Lionel Messi's autograph.

The football feast at the Expo site has just started. How long will this fever last? How does football relate to the Expo's theme "Better City, Better Life"? Will any football superstars show up at the Expo site? Let's see.