The 2010 FIFA World Cup™ match schedule has been released, which means that Cape Town soccer fans and people planning to visit the city for the tournament can now start making plans to view the games.

The World Cup will be held between 11 June and 11 July 2010.

Cape Town’s new Green Point Stadium is scheduled to host eight games, including a semi-final. This is more than any other stadium in the country with the exception of Soccer City in Johannesburg, which will host the opening and closing matches, and Nelson Mandela Bay (Port Elizabeth), which will also host eight games.

All but two of the Cape Town matches will take place at night (20:30 local time), meaning that local fans will not have to take time off work to watch at the stadium or at one of the Fan Parks - public places where people can gather to watch matches on large screens and enjoy the large crowd atmosphere.

The night-time matches will also mean that peak hour traffic out of the city on match days is unlikely to be affected.

2010 World Cup tickets will go on sale in several phases in February 2009. Category 1-3 tickets will be sold locally and internationally in dollars, while Category 4 tickets will only be sold to South Africans (in rands) to ensure that locals are able to afford tickets.

The ticket distribution system will be finalised closer to the time. The cheapest tickets will cost R140.

The final draw – which is the final 32 teams taking part in the tournament, and the groups they play in - will be announced will take place in Cape Town on 4 December 2009.

After this, the final match schedule will be released.

The opening match will take place at Soccer City at 16:00 on Friday 11 June 2010. That same evening, Cape Town will host its first match, a Group A encounter.

CapeTownMagazine.com brings you the full overview for each city. Match schedules for the 2010 World Cup cities:

Cape Town 2010 Match Schedule
Johannesburg 2010 Match Schedule
Nelspruit 2010 Match Schedule
Rustenburg 2010 Match Schedule
Mangaung 2010 Match Schedule
Durban 2010 Match Schedule
Polokwane 2010 Match Schedule
Nelson Mandela Bay 2010 Match Schedule
Tshwane / Pretoria 2010 Match Schedule

Molo says: “The FIFA 2010 World Cup is fast approaching. Good news for our overseas friends is that special 2010 World Cup visas will be available! Find out now how to buy 2010 tickets. Our 2010 Google Earth Map is an innovative and handy tool that acts as a visual guide to all the most important 2010 locations. Download it now!”

Cape Town’s Greenpoint Stadium is already a must-visit, with the Greenpoint Stadium Visitor Centre offering daily Greenpoint Stadium visitor’s tours.

You can also attend the 2010 lecture series and watch The Greensman, a charming play that will enlighten you about the rich history of soccer in Greenpoint.