The 2010 FIFA World Cup is the 19th FIFA World Cup, the premier international association football tournament. It is being held in South Africa, beginning on 11 June and scheduled to conclude on 11 July 2010. The tournament is the culmination of a qualification process that began in August 2007 and involved 204 of the 208 FIFA national teams; as such, it matches the 2008 Summer Olympics as the sports event with the most competing nations. This is the first time that the tournament has been hosted by an African nation, with South Africa selected over Morocco and Egypt following a bidding process open only to African nations. Italy are the defending champions, having won the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.